BA in Geological Sciences/EdM in Earth Sciences Adolescence Education
Preparing Earth Sciences educators
This integrated five-year program combines a strong foundation in geological sciences with professional training in education. Students earn both a BA and EdM and are prepared to teach Earth Science in grades 5–12 while developing deep content knowledge and practical classroom experience. Through coursework, fieldwork and supervised teaching, you will build the skills needed to succeed in the classroom.
On this page:
- Integrated five-year BA and EdM dual-degree program
- Streamlined pathway to New York State teaching certification
- Coursework spanning geological sciences and education
- Hands-on fieldwork, laboratory training and classroom teaching experience
Undergraduate admission:
A minimum GPA of 2.0 and a grade of C or better in Natural Hazards or Climate Change and Natural Hazards and Climate Change Lab.
Graduate transition:
A GPA of 3.0, a grade of B- or better in education courses, and successful completion of an interview.
This dual-degree program is designed for students who want to teach science while building expertise in geology. This degree is a strong fit if you want to:
- Prepare for a career teaching Earth Science in grades 5–12
- Earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in an accelerated timeline
- Combine scientific knowledge with educational theory and practice
- Demonstrate critical thinking and hypothesis testing.
- Communicate scientific ideas effectively in oral and written forms.
- Exhibit professionalism and ethical conduct in science and education.
- Understand geologic time, Earth history and the societal relevance of geology
- Identify and analyze minerals, rocks, structures and fossils using field and laboratory methods
- Apply tools such as GIS, numerical modeling and scientific literature analysis
- Use the scientific method to develop, test and evaluate hypotheses
- Communicate scientific concepts effectively in both educational and scientific contexts
The program is carefully designed to integrate geological coursework with education training across five years. Highlights include:
- Years 1–3: Foundational earth sciences and education courses, such as Natural Hazards, Sedimentary Geology and Educational Psychology.
- Years 4–5: Advanced earth sciences electives, specialized teaching methods courses and hands-on student teaching.
Graduates of this program are prepared for:
- Middle and high school Earth Science teaching (grades 5–12)
- Curriculum development and science education roles
- Educational outreach and informal science education
- Further graduate study in education or Earth Sciences
