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Physics & Secondary Education Certifications

BS-Physics-Secondary-main

Foster students' fascination with physics.

If you are passionate about physics and feel called to teach at the secondary level, consider majoring in physics education at Grove City College. Our degree options allow you to focus on physics or expand your reach with general science. Combining physics major courses with exceptional education coursework and fieldwork, either degree will prepare you to instill practical scientific skills in middle and high school students and guide their exploration of the universe with contagious enthusiasm.

Combined Program Highlights
  • Two degree options that both combine physics coursework with high-quality preparation to teach at the secondary level. For detailed course descriptions, refer to the College Catalog.
    • B.S in Physics and Secondary Education Certification
      • Physics and technical requirements and electives include General Physics I and II — Engineering, Electronics, Modern Physics, Mechanics I and II, Electricity and Magnetism, Radiation Laboratory, Quantum Mechanics, Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology, Chemistry for Engineering, Calculus I, II, and II, Computer Programming I, and Differential Equations, among others.
      • Professional education requirements include Introduction to the Teaching Profession, Technologies of Instruction, Educational Psychology, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and Secondary Math/Science Curriculum & Instruction, among other courses.
    • B.S. in Physics and General Science Secondary Education Certification
      • Physics and technical requirements and electives include Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology, General Physics I and II — Engineering, Electronics, Modern Physics, Radiation Laboratory, Chemistry for Engineers, Computer Programming I, Calculus I, II, and III, General Biology I, Environmental Geology, Astronomy, and Physics Education Seminar.
      • Professional education requirements include Introduction to the Teaching Profession, Technologies of Instruction, Educational Psychology, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and Secondary Math/Science Curriculum & Instruction, among other courses.
  • Practical field experiences incorporated into every education course.
    • In both middle and high school settings, you will learn about classroom management, student motivation, best practices in pedagogy and assessment, and inclusive teaching strategies.
  • Student teaching experience during the fall or spring semester of your senior year, with mentoring from a faculty advisor and professional partners in the field, as well as opportunities to work as a teaching assistant or lab technician on campus.
  • Personal access to highly experienced and accomplished teaching faculty in Physics and Education who serve as guides and mentors in and out of the classroom and laboratory. Our 13-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio keeps classes small and conducive to greater collaboration and mentorship than you’ll find at most large universities.
  • Education Career Services offering exceptional career development and networking opportunities for you as both a student and alumnus of Grove City College. The ECS fosters relationships with private, public, charter, and international schools, as well as other education employers.
  • Vast research opportunities beginning freshman year that will give you hands-on experience from the ground up, strengthen your teamwork and communication skills, and help you find your passion.
    • Our students routinely present their research across the country at conferences and poster sessions, often pursuing publication in leading science and education journals.
    • As you conduct research, you will benefit from our extensive facilities (including two astronomical observatories) and cutting-edge equipment including a high-resolution fluorescence spectrometer, ultra-fast high-power infrared laser, several sputtering systems, atomic force microscope, Tescan Vega II scanning electron microscope with X-ray spectrometer, Micromanipulator 4600 probe station, oxygen plasma cleaner, profilometer, ellipsometer, and much more.  
  • Licensure assistance through our highly developed certification services, through which we help students and alumni fulfill state certification requirements, meet testing requirements, and pursue additional certifications as desired.
  • Educational leadership opportunities through national and international partners in areas such as urban education, gifted education, youth theater programs, ESL programs, and more.
  • Opportunities to attend education conferences and events such as Ed Camp and various high school outreach programs.
  • Access to the Hamilton Curriculum Library on campus, which has a wealth of resources including school curricular materials, adolescent and young adult literacy materials, and educational technology tools.   
  • Vocation-enriching humanities core courses woven into your academic schedule that will cultivate greater empathy, critical thinking, writing and other communication skills, and a well-rounded understanding of the world and your place in it.
  • Major-related student groups on campus including our award-winning chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (an international education honorary), as well as the Secondary Education Society, Council for Exceptional Children, and Grove City College Physics Club.
Career Outcomes
  • If you are like 96% of Grove City graduates, you will be prepared to compete for top teaching positions and launch into your career or graduate school within six months of graduation.
    • Our education majors become certified and licensed teachers around the country and all over the world, typically recruited well ahead of graduation. With an education degree from Grove City, you will be thoroughly equipped to work in a wide variety of school settings — from public to private, domestic to international — or with global education organizations and other companies and nonprofits in related fields.  
    • Many of our graduates pursue ongoing professional development throughout their careers via graduate-level education.
  • Wherever you end up, you are bound to stand out as a competent physicist and inspiring teacher who can spark students’ curiosity as they learn the laws of physics and explore the wonders of the universe.
Physics Graduates in High Demand

According to the Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics, physics graduates are in high demand across a variety of fields nationwide.

To learn more about physics and astronomy-related career opportunities, take advantage of the following resources.

  • State-by-state listing of the many employers who recently hired physics graduates to fill science and engineering positions.
  • Latest employment data showing the variety of work settings and positions in which physicists at different degree levels are employed.
  • Statistical Research Center home page, where you can find current data on education and employment in physics, astronomy, and allied fields, including interactive resources, full reports, and individual graphs and tables.
Student & Alumni Stories

Jake Jefferis '05
B.A. in Physics-Secondary Education