Master in Arts in Teaching: Science
701-858-3161 / 1-800-777-0750 ext.3161
Website: www.minotstateu.edu/artsnsci
Overview
The Master of Arts in Teaching: Science degree is designed for
experienced secondary school science teachers or individuals
who have completed a program of teacher preparation in
one of the science disciplines. The program offers candidates
the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge,
understanding, and appreciation of science, the relationships
among the science disciplines, and the teaching and learning of
science, which will enable them to enrich the classes they teach
now or will teach in the future.
The program is designed to extend and complement undergraduate training in science for teachers. The primary objectives of the program within this framework are that all students will:
- Gain a firm foundation in research skills and complete one unique research project in a science content area leading to a thesis;
- Upgrade any content-deficiency in their undergraduate training as that training relates to their present teaching assignments;
- Enrich the knowledge base in the undergraduate major field of science.
The graduate science courses developed for this program are designed specifically for in-service secondary science teachers. The program is not intended as a step toward a Ph.D. in a science discipline. Rather, it extends and substantially enriches undergraduate science teacher preparation, enables teachers to meet licensure or accreditation standards for highly qualified status, and leads to a fundamentally new level of competence in science.
Basic Admission Standards
- Completion of all admission requirements for graduate study at Minot State University.
- Must have an undergraduate degree in one the Science disciplines.
- Hold teacher certification in science.
- Must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 (on a 4 point scale) or higher. Students with a GPA below 3.00 may be accepted if it is the opinion of the science graduate faculty that the lower GPA does not reflect the student’s true ability.
Academic Honesty Appeal Policy
The following forms of academic dishonesty will automatically
result in failure in all involved courses and suspension from the
program.
- Cheating of any kind on examinations within course work;
- Resubmission or simultaneous submission of a previously or contemporaneously submitted paper or assignment without substantial revision and the full knowledge of all involved parties;
- Plagiarism in any form or degree;
- Falsification of data in any form or degree.
- The policy for appeal of a grade is given in this catalog.
Graduate Advisory Committee
Each MAT: Science degree candidate will form a Graduate
Advisory Committee by the second summer of course work.
This committee will then work with the candidate to formulate
the student’s program of study. This plan must be filed with
the Graduate School before the student completes eight (8)
semester hours of course work.
Thesis
A thesis will be required of all candidates. The student is
required to make a public presentation of findings, conclusions,
and meanings of those findings and conclusions. The Thesis
Defense is a separate process (that can be scheduled in
conjunction with the public presentation) at which the student
defends the findings and conclusions before his/her Graduate
Advisory Committee.
Required Courses:
I. Fundamental Core: Required of All Students (13-15 SH)
SCI 501 Research Methods 3 SH
Elect one of the following 3 SH
PSY 503 Statistics
MATH 523 Probability and Statistics
SCI 505 Biogeochemical Cycles 3 SH
ED 519 Diversity in a Global Perspective 3 SH
SCI 579 Research 0-2 SH
SCI 599 Thesis 2 SH
II. Science Area Concentration (17 SH Minimum)
No more than 6 SH may be Independent Study (597,
any prefix). Any of the graduate courses offered
at Minot State may be considered if the student’s
Graduate Advisory Committee feels the course work
is consistent with the student’s overall degree
plan, job responsibilities and interests.
BIOL 520 Advanced Developmental Biology 3 SH
BIOL 530 Advanced Anatomy & Physiology 3 SH
BIOL 550 Ecology of Great Plains 3 SH
BIOL 570 Frontiers in Biology 3 SH
BIOL 590 Seminar 1-6 SH
BIOL 592 Special Topics 1-6 SH
BIOL 597 Independent Study 1-6 SH
CHEM 510 Organic Chemistry for Teachers 3 SH
CHEM 520 Physical Chemistry for Teachers 3 SH
CHEM 550 Inorganic Chemistry for Teachers 3 SH
CHEM 570 Frontiers in Chemistry 3 SH
CHEM 590 Seminar 1-6 SH
CHEM 592 Special Topics 1-6 SH
CHEM 597 Independent Study 1-6 SH
GEOL 510 Advanced Physical Geology 3 SH
GEOL 520 Advanced Historical Geology 3 SH
GEOL 550 Advanced Mineralogy and Petrology 3 SH
GEOL 570 Global Plate Tectonics 3 SH
GEOL 590 Seminar 1-6 SH
GEOL 592 Special Topics 1-6 SH
GEOL 597 Independent Study 1-6 SH
PHYS 590 Seminar 1-6 SH
PHYS 592 Special Topics 1-6 SH
PHYS 597 Independent Study 1-6 SH
SCI 590 Seminar 1-6 SH
SCI 592 Special Topics 1-6 SH
SCI 597 Independent Study 1-6 SH
Minimum Total Graduate Credits Required 30 SH