Master of Arts in Teaching Physics | School of Professional Development (2024)

MAT Program Requirements

The degree program consists of 44 credits, distributed among the areas listed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is three credits. All degree requirements must be completed within five (5) years from the semester date of admission as a matriculated student.

Graduate Science Courses-15 credits

Courses are selected with the approval of a departmental advisor. The following courses represent a sample program:

• PHY 570 Introductory Physics Revisited for Teachers
• PHY 571 Electromagnetic Theory for Teachers
• PHY 573 Mechanics for Teachers
• PHY 576 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics for Teachers
• PHY 578 Quantum Physics for Teachers

Professional Studies in Education- 23 credits

• CEE 505 Education: Theory and Practice
• CEF 547 Principles and Practices of Special Education
• CEE 565 Human Development
• SCI 510 Introduction to Science Teaching (co-requisite SCI 549)
• SCI 520 Science Teaching Methods (prerequisite SCI 510; co-requisite SCI 550)
• SCI 549 Clinical Experience I (one-credit; co-requisite SCI 510)
• SCI 550 Clinical Experience II (one-credit; prerequisite SCI 549; co-requisite SCI 520)
• SCI 554 Student Teaching Seminar (prerequisites SCI 510, 520, 549, 550, CEE 505, CEE 565, and CEE 594, and all content courses required for completion of the degree; interview with and permission of Science Education Committee 631.632.7059; matriculation in degree [MAT/BIO, CHE, ESS, or PHY] program. Co-requisites SCI 551 and SCI 552.)
• CEE 594 Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

At the program director’s discretion, an undergraduate course from a registered and approved program may be approved as a substitution for any of the courses listed below. In all cases, the undergraduate course must have been completed with a B or higher and the student must then take a different graduate pedagogy course to fulfill the graduate credits required for the graduate degree.

• CEE 505: Education: Theory and Practice
• CEF 547: Principles and Practices of Special Education
• CEE 594 OR LIN 544: Language Acquisition and Literacy Development
• CEE 565 OR PSY 595: Human Development
• Speak to your graduate program director for more information and approval.

Supervised Student Teaching -6 credits

• SCI 551 Supervised Student Teaching High School Grades 10-12: Science (prerequisites SCI 510, 520, 549 and 550; co-requisite SCI 552 & SCI 554)
• SCI 552 Supervised Student Teaching Middle School Grades 7-9: Science (prerequisites SCI 510, 520, 549 and 550; co-requisites SCI 551 & SCI 554)

Written Project

Students will be required to complete a teaching project approved by the sponsoring department.

MAT Admissions

• Application essay.
• A Bachelor of Science in Physics degree from Stony Brook or equivalent requiring a minimum of 37 credits of physics. Transcript must reflect a 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA as well as a 3.0 minimum GPA in science courses.
• Additional science competency courses are required in biology, chemistry, and either geology or astronomy. These courses will be selected in consultation with the Program Advisor.
• One year of college-level study of a foreign language with a grade of “C” or better (this may include American Sign Language)
• Three letters of recommendation. Two of the three recommendations must be from faculty with whom you have completed a course of study at the college level. It would be preferable that these faculty be in the area of your major.
• In those cases where the departmental admissions committee deems it desirable, personal interviews with departmental representatives may be necessary.

The BS/MAT Physics teacher preparation program is based on completion of a combined BS in Physics and Master of Arts in Teaching in Physics. It is possible to complete both degrees in 5 years (instead of 5 ½ years) because of credit sharing between the programs. This program requires a combination of the courses that satisfy the requirements of both programs. See both the BS teacher preparation program (p. 2) and the MAT program (p.7). Students in the BS/MAT program, with the consent of the physics education advisor, satisfy some of their requirements for the BS by taking appropriate graduate courses, each of which contains the content of a required undergraduate course plus additional requirements.

BS/MAT ADMISSION

Applicants to the BS/MAT PhysicsTeacher Preparation Program must:

• Have taken at least 4 science lab courses
• Contact the physics education advisor for a transcript review and to plan a course of study.
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a GPA of 3.00 in science courses
• Apply for the combined program during junior year
• Complete the BS/MAT application

• • SPD Student Application/Information Sheet
  • Three (3) letters of recommendation
  • Official transcript from each college or university attended
  • Application Essay
  • Any additional items required by SPD

• Submit application prior to SPD deadline as posted on the SPD website (www.stonybrook.edu/spd)

Upon entry to the program, candidates must declare a Teacher Preparation option along with their Undergraduate major by submitting the “Declaration of Major/Minor Form” with TP to the Registrar. Forms are available at the Registrar’s Office, the Undergraduate Physics advisor’s office in the Physics Department Office, and the Science Education Program Office in I-STEM, Life Sciences 092.

Number of Semesters of Full-Time Study Required for Program Completion at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels

Students should apply to the combined BS/MAT program during their fifth or sixth semester of study. The first six semesters of the program are full-time study at the undergraduate level. Semesters seven and eight will include a mix of undergraduate and graduate courses. Semesters nine and ten will consist of graduate courses only. Candidates will generally advance to Graduate status during their eighth semester.

Note: The two degrees are conferred only when the entire combined degree program has been completed. Both degrees are conferred together unless the student elects to exit the combined degree program and receive only a BS in Physics.

Physics BS/MAT Sample Course Sequence

The below listing of courses provides a suggested sequence for coursework. There is a degree of flexibility in the order of courses, but any deviation from the above without permission of the program advisor may lead to a delay in completion of the program.

A student wishing to complete the five-year combined program is strongly encouraged to consult with the Physics advisor for individualized guidance in course selection.

• Fall, Freshman Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  MAT131: Calc. 1 SBC: QPS	4
  PHY 131/133: Physics 1/Lab SBC: SNW	4
  SPN 111: Elementary Spanish I*	3
  WRT 102: Writing SBC: WRT	3
  Freshman Seminar (101)	1
  Total	15
  Spring, Freshman Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  MAT132: Calc. 2	4
  PHY 132/134: Physics 2/Lab	4
  SPN 112: Elementary Spanish II* SBC: LANG	3
  HIS 113:US History since 1877 SBC: SBS, USA	3
  Freshman Seminar (102)	1
  Total	15
  Fall, Sophom*ore Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  MAT 307: Calc 3/Lin Alg	4
  PHY 251/252: Modern/Lab SBC: STEM+	4
  PHY 277 Programming SBC: TECH	3
  CCS 101: Cinema SBC: ARTS, HUM	3
  Elective	3
  Total	17
  Spring, Sophom*ore Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  MAT 308: Calc 4/Lin Alg	4
  PHY 300: Waves & Optics	4
  PHY 335 Electronics Lab	3
  PHY 287: Research EXP+	3
  Elective	3
  Total	17
  Spring, Junior Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 306: thermo and statistical mechanics	3
  GEO 102/112 or GEO 122: The Earth/Lab	4
  CHE 131/133 Chemistry 1B/Lab	5
  AST 248: Search for Life SBC: STAS	3
  Total	15
  Fall, Junior Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 301: Elec/Mag	3
  MAT 341: Applied Real Analysis	3
  BIO 201/204 Organisms to Ecosystems/Lab	5
  HUR 235: Crime Punish SBC: CER, GLO, HUM	3
  Elective	3
  Total	17
  Spring, Junior Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 306: thermo and statistical mechanics	3
  GEO 102/112 or GEO 122: The Earth/Lab	4
  CHE 131/133 Chemistry 1B/Lab	5
  AST 248: Search for Life SBC: STAS	3
  Total	15
  Fall, Senior Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 573: Mechanics for Teachers		3
  PHY 475: Teaching Practicum SBC: EXP+	3
  PHY 487: Research SBC: EXP+	3
  HIS 396: Topics in US History SBC: SBS+	3
  Elective	3
  Total	12	3
  Spring, Senior year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 578: Quantum Physics for Teachers		3
  PHY 570: Introductory Physics Revisited		3
  SSE 350: Foundations of Education	3
  SCI 510: Methods I		3
  SCI 549: Field Experience I		1
  LIN 344: Literacy Development	3
  Total	6	10
  Fall, Graduate Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  PHY 515: Advanced Lab		3
  PHY 458: Speak Effectively SBC: SPK
  PHY 600: Teaching Practicum		3
  CEE 565: Human Development		3
  SCI 520: Methods II		3
  SCI 550: Field Experience II		1
  CEF 547: Special Education		3
  PHY 459 Write Effectively SBC: WRTD
  Total		16
  Spring, Graduate Year	Undergraduate Credit	Graduate Credit
  SCI 551 Student Teaching 7-9		3
  SCI 552 Student Teaching 10-12		3
  SCI 554 Student Teaching Seminar		3
  Total	0	9

Student Teaching, Field Experience and Portfolio

Additional requirements of all students

Student Teaching

Prior to admission to student teaching, candidates will be interviewed by a committee to assess their ability to speak extemporaneously about both physics concepts and pedagogical issues.Candidates who are not successful in this interview will be counseled in order to remedy deficiencies. Upon completion of the remediation, another interview will be held. In the event that a candidate is unable to satisfy the interview component, the candidate will not advance to student teaching.Seventy-five days of student teaching are required. Depending on the semester and public school vacation schedules, student teaching may extend beyond the university semester calendar.Student teaching is divided into two placements of approximately equal duration, one in a middle school/junior high school and the other in a high school.

Field Experience

Field Experience sites for all teacher candidates are arranged through SCI 449/549 and SCI 450/550. Assignments and details are distributed in SCI 410/510 and SCI 420/520. New York State requires 100 hours of field experience in secondary schools prior to student teaching. Each teacher candidate is required to obtain 15 hours of field experience that includes a focus on understanding the needs of students with disabilities. These hours will be noted on the Field Experience Time Sheets from SCI 449/549, SCI 450/550, or a combination of both. While earning these field experience hours, teacher candidates will be encouraged to observe inclusion (integrated co-teaching) classes in their certification area and other special education classroom situations as available

It is recommended that candidates take the EAS upon completion of PSY 327/CEE 565, CEF 347/547 and LIN 344/ CEE 594, and take the CST upon completion of the undergraduate physics major.

Professional Portfolio

The Professional Portfolio is presented and defended at the conclusion of student teaching. It includes many performance indicators of standards-based teaching competencies.

Teacher Certification

Additional Requirements for Certification

In addition to the stated course and program requirements listed in this section, New York State also has workshop, fingerprinting and other requirements for certification, which can be found on the SPD website.

Workshops and Fingerprinting

To be certified in New York State, candidates must take a selection of workshops and must be fingerprinted. For descriptions and registration links, visit Certification and Licensing Workshops.

Language Requirement

New York State certification requires at least one year (6 credits) of college-level study of a foreign language. Satisfaction of SBU’s SBC LANG fulfills the foreign language requirement.

General Science Certification

In order to qualify for the General Science (grade 7 – 12) certification, candidates must complete a minimum of 18 semester hours in two or more sciences other than physics.

Middle-Level Extension

Candidates who wish to qualify to teach grades 5 and 6 in a middle school setting may obtain an extension to their grades 7-12 certification by completing two additional courses, prior to graduation. The courses are: CEE 601 Early Adolescent Development and CEE 602 Middle Child Education-Instruction. Information about these courses can be found on the SPD website (www.stonybrook.edu/spd).