Bachelor of Arts [B.A] [Teacher Education - Science (7-12)] From Gettysburg College

Students planning to teach must complete an approved major in an academic department and fulfill all the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree or the Bachelor of Science degree. Upon completing a program in teacher education, students are eligible for a Pennsylvania Certificate, Instructional I, enabling them to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth and to apply to teach in other states with similar requirements. Students who pursue teacher certification are required to demonstrate competence in oral and written communication skills and computer literacy prior to certification. A minimum of 60 hours of observation and participation in schools is required prior to admittance into the Education Semester. Students who are seeking an Instructional I Certificate must have successfully completed the Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA), reading, writing, and mathematics, in order to apply for the Education Semester, and, later to complete the Praxis II specialty area test (the subject area for which candidates are seeking certification) in order to be certified.

 Coursework offered in the Education Department leading toward certification in one of the science fields encourages just this kind of integrated thinking: we want our teacher candidates to see the implications of applying their knowledge of biology, chemistry, or physics to the practical problems posed by technological innovation and to the engineering challenges brought on by modern life--whatever form they take.