Program Director: Pamela Fraser-Abder
Address: East Building, Room 637E
239 Greene Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-998-5460

Helping Others to Explore the Wonders of Science

Every day, science expands its profound role in our lives - for instance, through biotechnology, space exploration, medical research, and ecological discoveries. The goal of the science teacher is to stimulate in students' minds deep interest in understanding the world, to help them experience the challenge of exploring natural phenomena on this planet and beyond, and to encourage aptitudes that may lead to careers in science, teaching, research, or professional practice.


A Program in the National Forefront

Since their inception, the Bachelor of Science Programs in Teaching Science, Grades 7-12, has been a leader in the nationwide movement in teacher education to stimulate the study of science, technology, and society in high schools. Today, we supplement our emphasis on science, technology, and society with a focus on training teachers to adapt curricula to multicultural environments, especially in urban areas, so that all students feel more at home in studying science.


Science, Education, and Liberal Arts

You prepare to teach either biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics. All science courses are taken in NYU's College of Arts and Science, along with humanities and social science courses required for the liberal arts core.

In The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, you take courses in methods for teaching science and the development of curricula for junior and senior high school students. You study microcomputer applications to teaching science and instructional techniques for attracting more women and minorities to science. The teaching strategies that you learn are designed to help make your own students feel more comfortable with scientific concepts and practices.


Small Program, Constant Feedback

Our program is small, permitting one-to-one academic and professional counseling from our faculty. We also use peer feedback and evaluation; student teaching is videotaped for critique sessions in which students review and discuss each other's techniques and lesson plans.

Your Teaching Internship

To ensure continuity between the classroom and the real teaching world, you complete 100 hours of observation and two semesters of student teaching in an urban public or independent school selected for its diversity of student population. You are supervised by experienced teachers of science and by our own faculty.

Recent placements, for example, have been in Beachon High School, East Side Middle School, Landmark High School, University Neighborhood High School, and Institute for Community Education.


Helping You Start Your Career

Through the New York City Alliance for Science-our local network with science teachers-we learn about job openings in the schools. And student teaching placements frequently lead to full-time employment upon graduation.


Career Opportunities

Prospects for our graduates are excellent as secondary school enrollments rise and public interest in science education increases. To quality for initial or professional certification in New York State, you take the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. These examinations have several parts, which may be taken during your course of study. Please see your adviser for more detailed information.

Our graduates are also successful in applying the knowledge and skills they gain in the program to pursue employment in industry, publishing, and research or at institutions placing special emphasis on making science accessible to the general public - in museum, zoos, and environmental centers, for example.

A sampling of teaching jobs accepted by recent graduates include the following:

• Science teacher at the School of the Future, High School for Environmental Science, and Friends Seminary in Manhattan
• Science artist and illustrator of children's books
• Research technician, NYU Medical Center
• Instructors at museum, halls of science and zoos