Physics BA - Teaching of Science Physics Concentration

Course Requirements

Academic Requirements

Minimum major GPA of 2.0 required for graduation. 

Completion of the major concentration (including the required education courses) provides a strong foundation in content knowledge and a head start on education coursework required for an Initial Teacher Certificate to begin teaching in grades 7-12 in New York. Students must successfully complete the graduate-level initial teacher education program within the Graduate School of Education. It is then possible to complete, within the state-mandated five years, the master’s degree required for a Professional Teacher Certificate, provided all New York State requirements have been successfully completed.

Program Honors

A student must excel in course work as well as complete a Senior Thesis.  The Senior Thesis is prepared under the supervision of a Department of Physics faculty member. Credit for this is obtained through PHY 497 . The thesis is reviewed by the student’s mentor and the Undergraduate Director. The thesis should be at least 20 pages long and the student must have completed at least one semester of PHY 497 . 

Students must also meet the remaining criteria outlined in the Academic Honors policy. Students who successfully complete the honors program and meet the criteria will have the appropriate notation on their official transcript.

Curricular Plan

A Curricular Plan provides a roadmap for completing this academic program and the UB Curriculum on time. Your actual plan may vary depending on point of entry to the university, course placement and/or waivers based on standardized test scores, earned alternative credit and/or college transfer credit.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have knowledge of:

• The basic laws of physics, their corollaries, and comprehension of how they can be applied to explain specific natural phenomena
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills in physics, related to hypothesis building, application of the scientific method, and mathematical methods to analyze physics theories and experiments, and devise solution strategies.
• Laboratory skills and exposure to a variety of experiments illustrating important phenomena, measuring techniques, and qualitative analysis of data and uncertainty at appropriate levels
• Contemporary areas of physics inquiry
• Written and oral communication skills for presentation of scientific results