Science Teacher Education B.S. Degree

Middle school and high school science teachers are in critical demand. Eastern Florida State College's Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Science Teacher Education offers three specializations to help meet this need:

• Biology Teacher specialization for grades 6-12
• Chemistry Teacher specialization for grades 6-12
• Middle School Science Teacher specialization for grades 5-9

Students in the program benefit from education courses focused on specialized science content preparation, educational theory, and educational practice, allowing bachelor's students to develop peer relationships. The curriculum also includes extensive science courses customized for each track. Students must choose one specialization and can only earn the Science Teacher Education B.S. one time.

The degree includes an internship and other hands-on teaching opportunities in middle or high school classrooms, which requires passing a Brevard Public School background check.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for the Science Teacher Education B.S. degree must meet the following requirements as part of the admissions process:

1. Must have earned an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree from a regionally accredited college and must have completed all required general education courses with a grade of C- or higher. Applicants with an A.S. degree must have completed all general education courses. Please schedule an appointment with a bachelor's advisor to ensure you have satisfied the general education requirements before applying for this B.S. degree program, especially if you are applying with an A.S. degree. 

2. Have earned a Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher on a 4-point scale as reflected on the official degree transcript.

3. Must submit all final, official non-EFSC, regionally accredited college transcripts following the how-to information in step 3 of the bachelor's enrollment process. Use the Transfer Equivalency Self-Service (TESS) Audit tool to determine how a transfer class would articulate and apply toward a degree at EFSC.

4. Pass all four sections of the FTCE General Knowledge Test. See Pre-Acceptance Testing Requirement section below for more details.

5. Must have completed the state-mandated common program prerequisite courses listed below for their chosen track with a grade of C- or higher.

Program Prerequisites by Specialization

Pre-Acceptance Testing Requirement

Applicants to all three specializations must have passed all four sections of the FTCE General Knowledge Test that is required by the state of Florida as part of the teacher certification process.

So that applicants for the Biology and Middle School Science teacher tracks are better prepared for the exams and the B.S. program's upper-level coursework, these two courses are highly recommended as part of a student's associate degree elective courses when applying to those two specializations:
- EVR 1001 Introduction to Environmental Science (required for middle school)
- BSSC 1084 Survey of Human Anatomy and Physiology

The Florida Dept. of Education has contracted with Pearson Education, Inc. to administer the General Knowledge exam. Test results must be submitted to EFSC Admissions before a student is admitted to the Science Teacher Education program. When registering for the exam, request the results be sent to Eastern Florida State College.

The General Knowledge Test is offered locally at the Pearson Vue Test Center located at 2176 Sarno Rd, Melbourne, FL 32935. You may ask questions and register via phone by calling 866-613-3281 or 413-256-2893.

You can also visit Pearson's Florida Teacher Certification Exam registration website to view detailed information about the testing process and register online for the FTCE General Knowledge Test.

How to Apply

The online application for the Science Teacher Education degree is available now and you should be prepared to choose one of the three specializations at the time you apply. Those interested should apply following EFSC's Bachelor's Program Enrollment Steps.

Accepted Student Information

• Accepted students must complete the Bachelor's Orientation and required advising appointment prior to registering for the first semester of courses. View more details on how to access orientation and make an advising appointment.

• Students beginning their bachelor program in the 2021-22 academic year or later must have met Florida's Civic Literacy requirement before their baccalaureate degree will be awarded. See the Civic Literacy page for details on how this requirement can be met.

• Due to student teaching activities in local school settings, students accepted into the program are covered by EFSC's Professional Liability Student Insurance. The $26.50 per academic year insurance fee is assessed as a course lab fee connected to a course that requires the insurance coverage.

• Before any courses that require a Brevard Public Schools (BPS) background check, students must obtain security clearance with fingerprinting through BPS. Complete the BPS on-line volunteer application then go to the BPS Office of District & School Security to have the fingerprinting done. There is an initial $35 charge for the fingerprinting and an $8 annual renewal fee. Fees can be paid online when applying or in person before the fingerprinting session. Visit the BPS District and School security website for BPS hours and location.

• The B.S. program science courses for each specialization prepare students to earn a passing score on the corresponding Subject Area Exam for each track (Biology 6-12, Chemistry 6-12, or Middle Grades General Science 5-9), which are normally taken shortly before graduation and are required to become certified to teach those subjects in Florida. The exam registration process and testing location is the same as the General Knowledge Test information in the admissions requirements section above. Information guides for the Florida subject area exams are available on the Pearson website.