Bachelor of Arts in Science Education

Science Education Program Highlights

Unique — Cedarville University is one of the few higher education institutions preparing science teachers regionally and within the state of Ohio to view their profession and the world from a distinctly biblical worldview and to take their place as highly qualified professionals in the science education community.

Rigorous — Students in each of the five adolescent/young adult (AYA) science education programs are engaged in the same challenging and rigorous science content courses that are required for other Cedarville University science programs. The required curriculum for each science program exceeds the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Standards for Science Teacher Preparation.

Innovative — You will take part in innovative field experiences within local public schools and spend time in a classroom each of your four years.

Student teaching options — You can choose to complete your student teaching experience locally in Christian or public schools or in a foreign country approved by the School of Education.

Changing lives — We believe that a degree in education is the opportunity to change lives for the Kingdom of God and at Cedarville, you will find plenty of ways to pursue your passion and hone your teaching skills: tutoring local students, teaching in area ministries, and educating diverse communities.

Diverse — You will have field experiences or clinical practice for both conventional and distance learning programs that provide experiences with male and female grade 7–12 students from different socioeconomic groups and ethnic/racial groups. You will also work with English language learners and students with disabilities during some of your field experiences and/or clinical practice to develop and practice your knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions for working with all students.

What Can I Do With Science Education?

• Our teacher-candidates are known for their quality of education, commitment to the field of education, and their diversified experiences to prepare them for teaching in the classroom. Cedarville Education graduates are teaching all around the world in public, private, Christian, urban, international, and mission schools! In the past five years, 94% of our graduates received jobs teaching science.
• Testing Success! Every teacher candidate is required to complete  licensure exams in order to be a licensed teacher in the state of Ohio. The teacher-candidates at Cedarville University are well prepared for these exams, as evidenced by our 97% success pass rate on the licensure exams (data from the 2016-2017 Ohio Assessment for Educators Pass rate Test Summary ResultsAnalyzer). The average pass rate for teacher-candidates in the state of Ohio is 91% success.
• As a graduate of the Teacher Education Program at Cedarville University, you are eligible to receive two  teaching certifications. Our accreditation status enables you to receive a state of Ohio teaching license in your field of study that is transferable to any state in the U.S. You will also qualify to apply for an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) certificate, which allows you to teach internationally and in Christian schools. The ACSI certificate is nationally recognized and does not require state-to-state transfer.

Opportunities to Learn Outside the Classroom

You coursework will be complemented by the following opportunities as you complete your science education degree.

Field experiences early and often! — We believe it is important that our teacher-candidates have many hands-on experiences in schools. That is why you will engage in local school settings during your first year as a teacher-candidate at Cedarville University and will continue to experience teaching within a school setting each year of your teacher training at Cedarville. By the time you graduate, you will have completed more than 600 hours in classroom experiences!

Student Education Association (SEA) — Cedarville's education student organization is a Christ-centered community built on equipping teachers to serve each other and those around them. Throughout the year, you will participate in professional growth events, ministry opportunities, and fun activities. You’ll also have ministry opportunities through the adopt-a-senior program, the birthday ministry, breakfast for teachers, and other ministries. Any education major is welcome!

Partnership Programs — These programs allow you to be part of field experience and classroom learning within one of the schools in nearby participating school districts. You will learn teaching strategies and practices from Cedarville University professors while engaging those practices and theories in real classrooms with real students and teachers.

Cross-cultural experiences/study abroad — Each year, during May term or over the summer, faculty members conduct classes all over the world as part of our study abroad program.

Overseas student teaching program — You may choose to complete your student-teaching experience overseas. This experience occurs as the final semester of your study as a teacher-candidate at Cedarville University. You will spend approximately 16 weeks overseas in an English-speaking school. The School of Education of Cedarville University works with CCTEC to coordinate an overseas experience for teacher-candidates who wish to complete their student teaching internship abroad. You may choose to go to almost any country in the world and will receive specialized training for this experience.

Recent teacher-candidates have completed their Overseas Student Teaching Program in the following countries:

• Australia
• China
• Columbia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Nepal
• New Zealand
• Niger
• Portugal
• Spain
• South Africa