Outstanding Preparation
At Governors State University, the Chemistry Education Certificate program leads to a post-baccalaureate certificate that prepares students who already have an undergraduate degree in chemistry for rewarding careers as teachers at the secondary level.
The sequence of coursework is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and leads to an initial secondary licensure in Chemistry. You can also obtain an endorsement for teaching in middle school.
To be recommended for an Illinois State Board of Education teaching license, you must present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly Basic Skills), Subject-Matter Knowledge, and Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations of the Illinois Certification Testing System.
You must complete a student teaching requirement in chemistry and must meet other requirements for licensure through approved programs in the Teacher Education and Certification section of the GovState Catalog.
Degree Requirements
Students must meet all university requirements for a license, and in addition, students must complete the general education requirement for teacher licensure Initial High School License listed in the Teacher Education section of this catalog.
In addition, students must:
- have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher;
- earn a grade of “C” or better in all general education courses;
- have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in chemistry, biology, earth/space sciences, and physics courses with a grade of “C” or better;
- have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for EDUC 3440 and SPED 6101, with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
- earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC 2310, EDUC 6330, EDUC 6340, and BIOL 6080;
- earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC 4999;
- complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised pre-student teaching experiences;
- provide evidence of successful completion of the Illinois and U.S. Constitution examinations;
- complete at least one three-hour course in non-western or third world cultures;
- show evidence of having passed the edTPA;
- meet any additional requirements listed in the Teacher Licensure section of this catalog; and
receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student Progress Committee.
Professional Education (minimum of 30 Hours)
The following courses can be taken at either the lower-division or upper-division level:
- EDUC 2310 Foundations of Education (3)
- SPED 2100 Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
- SPED 6101 Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
The following courses must be taken at the upper-division level:
- EDUC 3440 Educational Psychology II: Learning, Assessment and Classroom Management (3)
- EDUC 4999 Student Teaching: Senior Capstone (12)
- EDUC 6330 Principles of Science Education (3)
- EDUC 6301 Secondary Microteaching 1 (1)
- EDUC 6340 Teaching Secondary School Science (3)
- EDUC 6302 Secondary Microteaching 2 (1)
- BIOL 6080 Special Topics in Biology (3)
Additional Requirements
Students may need to complete additional general education or Chemistry courses if their bachelor's degree requirements do not meet the requirements of the approved Governors State University program for the endorsement in Chemistry Education.
Minimum Total of 30 Hours
A minimum of 24 credit hours must be earned at Governors State University.
View the Complete Minor Requirements in the Academic Catalog
Natalie Coleman
Coordinator of Secondary
Science Education Programs
Email: ncoleman7@govst.edu
Phone: 708.534.4521