Secondary Teaching in Physics
Educator Licensure Requirements
ThePhysicalSciencelicensureprogramshavebeendesignedtoprepareexemplaryteachers.Theexperiences
candidatesareprovidedwillenablethemtodemonstratethattheymeettheIllinoisandNationalScienceTeachers
Associationstandards.Individualscompletingtheprogramsaresoughtafterasscienceteachers.
ItisNOTnecessarytocompleteadegreeprogramatNIUatthesametimeascompletinglicenserequirementsbut
youmusthaveabachelor'sdegreeandtheequivalentofadegreeinthesubjectareainwhichyouseeklicensure.
Withoneortwopossibleexceptions(indicatedbelow)itisstronglysuggestedthatalltheprofessionaleducation
requirementsarecompletedatNIU.Candidatessuccessfullycompletingtheteacherlicensureprogramin
chemistrywillearnasecondarylicense(grades9-12)withaprimaryendorsementinphysics.
AdmissiontotheSecondaryScienceEudcatorLicensureProgram
PotentialcandidatesmustbeadmittedtoNIUtobeadmittedtotheLicensureprogram.Iftheyarenotadmitted
totheprogram,theycannottaketherequiredcoursesintheprogramnorcantheyberecommendedbyNIUfor
licensure.Potentialcandidateshavethefollowingchoicesofstudentclassification:
Undergraduate-Choosethisoptionifyoudonothaveacollegedegree.Youshoulddeclaretobeaphysicsmajor
butdonothavetoselectthephysicsteachingemphasis.Approximatelyhalfthestudentsbecominglicensedin
physicsarenotinaneducationdegreeemphasis.
Post-graduate-Ifyoualreadyhaveanappropriatebachelordegreeyoumaywishtoenrollasapost-graduate.
Post-graduatesareclassifiedasundergraduatestudents.Theymaybepursuingasecondbachelor'sdegreeor
simplybepursuingateachinglicense.Theydonothavetheabilitytoenrollingraduatelevelcourses.Potential
candidatesmaychoosetopursuethisoptioniftheyneedtotakeundergraduatecoursestofulfillacademicor
programdeficiencies.Itispossibletoswitchstatusfrompost-graduatetoeitherstudent-at-largeorgraduate
student.Youmaynotswitchbackonceyouhavedoneso.
Student-at-Large-Choosethisoptionifyouhaveabachelor'sdegreeandwishtobeabletotakesomecoursesfor
graduatecredit.Studentspursuethisoptionwhentheyareunsureofwhetherornottheywishtopursuea
MastersDegreeoriftheydon'thavetimetocompletethelengthyapplicationprocessforadmissiontoagraduate
programasagraduatestudent.DuetorecentNIUpoliciesregardingorderofregistrationforclasses,thisisthe
leastdesirablechoice.Itisalwayspossibletoswitchstatusfromstudent-at-largetograduatestudent.
Graduatestudent-Agraduatestudentissomeonewhoispursuingagraduatedegree,eithermastersor
doctorate.Itisnotnecessarytocompletethedegreetocompletetheteacherlicenseprogram.
Toapplytotheprogrampleasegoto:http://www.niu.edu/elss/how-to-apply/index.shtml
ApplicationsareacceptedJanuary1stthroughMay30th,howeverweprefertoreceivethembyMarch1st.
TestsandChecks
Inadditiontotakingcourses,youmustdothefollowing:
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BasicCompetency-CandidatesmustpasstheTestofAcademicProficiency(TAP)tobeeligible
foradmissiontotheLicensureprogram.Youcanfindinformationaboutthistestat
http://www.il.nesinc.com/
InlieuoftheTAPtestcandidatesmayusetheirACTorSATscoresiftheymeetthefollowing
requirements:CompositeACTscoreof22orhigherANDaminimumof16ontheWriting
portion,ORCompositeSATscoreof1030orhigher(criticalreadingandwriting)ANDminimum
scoreof450onWritingportion.Allscoresmustbefromonetestadministrationtakenonthe
samedate.
HealthChecks-AllcandidatesmusttakeandpassaTBtestpriortovisitingschools.TBtestsare
availableforfreetoNIUstudentsattheNIUHealthCenterandaregoodforoneyear.Youwill
needtoprovethatyoudonothaveTBbeforeyourclinicalexperiences.Becausethetypical
licenseprogramtakestwoyears,moststudentsareabletohavejusttwo,onebeforethefirst
clinicalexperienceandanotherbeforethethirdexperience.
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CriminalBackgroundChecks-Youwillneedtocontacttheschoolswhereyouwillbecompleting
yourclinicalstofindoutthecriminalbackgroundcheckprocedureforthosedistricts.
ILTSSubjectMattertest-YoumustsuccessfullypasstheILTSSubjectmattertest(s)appropriate
toyourprogrampriortostudentteaching.IllinoisLicensureTestingSystem
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edTPA(TeacherPerformanceAssessment)-YoumustsuccessfullypasstheedTPAduring
studentteachinginordertoreceiveanIllinoisteachinglicense.
GradePointAverageRequirements-YoumusthaveacumulativeGPAofatleast2.5ifyouarea
PhysicsUndergraduateor3.0ifyouareaGraduatestudent.Allcourseworkindividuallyspecified
forlicensureincludingcontent,musthaveagradeofCorbetter.
ContactInformation
Dr.MichaelEads,DirectorofPhysicsEducatorLicensure
meads@niu.eduor815-753-6492
PaulFix,AssistantDirectorofSecondaryScienceEducatorLicensure
pfix@niu.edu
Webpage
http://www.niu.edu/elss/
RequiredCoursework
Emphasis2:SecondarySchoolTeaching
Completingthefollowingcoursesshouldprovideyouwiththeevidencenecessarytodemonstratethatyouhave
metstandards.Youmustcompleteatleast31-33hoursinphysics,8hoursofchemistryand16hoursof
mathematicstobecomelicensed.StudentsmustpassallcourseworklistedbelowwithagradeofCorbetter.In
addition,candidatesmustpasstheICTSPhysicsSubjectMatterTest.
Subjectdisciplinecourses:(Youmayhavesomeflexibilityinyourcourseselectionaslongasselectionsmeetthe
requirementsforphysicsteacherlicensure.)
REQUIREDPHYSICSCOURSES:31-33hourstotal
_____PHYS253FundamentalsofPhysics1:Mechanics(4hrs)
_____PHYS273FundamentalsofPhysics2:Electromagnetism(4hrs)
____PHYS283FundamentalsofPhysics3:QuantumPhys.(3)
_____PHYS284Lab(1)
_____PHYS300AnalyticalMechanics(3)
_____PHYS320ThermodynamicsandStatisticalPhysics(3)
_____PHYS367WavesandVibrations(3)
_____PHYS370ElectricityandMagnetism(3)
_____PHYS374IntroductiontoExperimentalPhysics(3)
_____PHYS383IntermediateQuantumPhysics(3)
_____PHYS498SeniorSeminar(1)or499HSeniorProject(3)
REQUIREDCHEMISTRYCOURSES:8hourstotal
_____CHEM210GeneralChemistry1(3hrs)
_____CHEM212GeneralChemistryILab(1hr)
_____CHEM211GeneralChemistryII(3hrs)
_____CHEM213GeneralChemistryIILab(1hr)
REQUIREDMATHCOURSES:12hrstotal
_____MATH229CalculusI(4)
_____MATH230CalculusII(4)
_____MATH232CalculusIII(4)
_____MATH336DifferentialEquations(4)
Note:DetailedcoursedescriptionscanbereviewedfromthecurrentNIUCourseCatalog.Courseequivalentsfrom
otheraccreditedinstitutionsmaybesubstitutedatthediscretionoftheLicensureAdvisor.
GENERALEDUCATIONCOURSESMUSTINCLUDE:
_____OralCommunication(3hrs)
_____WrittenCommunication(6hrs)
_____Psychology(3)
ProfessionalEducation
Professionaleducationcoursesareusuallytakenduringastudent'slastfoursemestersbeforelicensure.
_____ILAS201IntroductoryClinicalExperience(1hrs)
_____ILAS301SecondClinicalExperience(2hrs)
_____PHYS401ClinicalHighSchoolExperienceinphysics(2hrs)
_____PHYS493InterdisciplinaryTeachingofScienceinSecondaryEducation(3hrs)
_____PHYS495MethodsinTeachingPhysics(3hrs)
_____PHYS490TheNatureofScienceAcrossTimeandCultures(2hrs)
_____PHYS497StudentTeaching(10hrs)
_____PHYS496TransitiontoProfessionalScienceTeaching(2hrs)
_____ETT402TechnologyintheClassroom(3hrs)
_____LTIC420MethodsandMaterialsforTeachingEnglishtoSpeakersofOtherLanguagesinContentAreas(3)
Note:Thesecoursesrequireformalapplicationtoenter.Licensurecandidatesmustpassallcourseworkwitha
gradeofCorbetterinordertocontinueintheprogram.
EducationalTheoryCourses:
_____EPS406/508HumanDevelopmentandLearning,MiddleSchoolandHighSchool(3hrs)
_____SESE457/557IntegratingExceptionalStudentsintheRegularClassroom(3hrs)
Thescheduleofcoursesinprofessionaleducationwouldusuallylookasfollows.
Fall
Spring
Semester1
Semester2
•
•
•
•
ILAS201(1)
PHYS490(2)
ETT402(3)
EPS406(3)
•
•
•
ILAS301(2)
PHYS493(3)
LTIC420(3)
Semester3
•
•
•
PHYS401(2)
PHYS495(3)
TLSE457(3)
Semester4
•
•
PHYS497(10)
PHYS496(2)
ContactInformation
Dr.MichaelEads,DirectorofPhysicsandChemistryEducatorLicensure
meads@niu.eduor(815)7536492
PaulFix,AssistantDirectorofSecondaryScienceEducatorLicensure
pfix@niu.edu
Webpage
http://www.niu.edu/elss/