• Learn from experienced chemistry faculty who publish their research in journals and attract more than $2.5 million in external funding each year.
• Learn effective teaching: Study and work with a diversity of young students that mirrors today’s classrooms.
• WSU offers the state’s only teacher education program that provides practical classroom teaching opportunities in every region of Washington.
• You can join a math, science, and engineering community residence hall at WSU Pullman—share classes with your neighbors, study together, get free tutoring, and use the hall’s computer lab.
• WSU chemistry professors are recognized scientists who provide opportunities for their students to conduct independent research and present work at national meetings.
• WSU’s chemistry department is nationally known for its excellent undergraduate preparation and state-of-the-art lab facilities.
• The U.S. Department of Education selected WSU for a grant of more than $11 million to create a model teacher preparation program centered on high-needs youths.

Secondary education core courses

Prerequisites

Writing and Research
Learning and Development
Initial Practicum Experience

Block I

Curriculum, Instruction, and Content Literacy Methods
Teaching English Language Learners for Secondary Teachers
Secondary Methods of Educational Technology

Block II

Adolescence, Community, and School
Classroom Assessment, Secondary
Advanced Practicum
Special Education, Transition, and Classroom Management for Secondary General Education Teachers

After completing these prerequisites, students need to download an application packet and follow the admission process to enroll in the professional education program.

Chemistry core courses

The teaching program is integrated with the chemistry major and involves courses like these:

Principles of Chemistry I & II
Quantitative Analysis and Quantitative Analysis Laboratory
Organic Chemistry I & II
Organic Qualitative Analysis Laboratory
Introductory Biochemistry and Laboratory
Special Problems in Chemistry

Introductory Biology: Organismal Biology
Introductory Biology: Cell Biology and Genetics
General Physics I & II
Methods of Teaching Science

There's plenty of room for electives, so you can focus on areas that interest you and that will help you in future teaching.

Recommended electives include:

Nine credit hours from 300 and 400 level chemistry courses: Physical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Lab are recommended

One each from the following groups:

Science in Western Civilization through Newton
Science in Western Civilization from Newton to Einstein
Technology and Social Change to 1950
Society and Technology
Domain of the Sciences

Calculus for Life Scientists
Calculus I
Elementary Statistics in Psychology

Introduction to Statistical Methods
Biometry

To see the complete sequence of courses for the chemistry teaching certificate, see the College of Education teacher education page and the WSU Catalog. More information about the University's teacher education program is available on the Education fact page in this website.

All options in chemistry at WSU lead to degrees certified by the American Chemical Society and are ideal for students interested in teaching. For more about the chemistry major, see the fact page in this website.

To learn more about chemistry as a profession, visit the American Chemical Society website.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, start by doing these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.

Click here for more info about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For chemistry majors

The Department of Chemistry awards thousands of dollars each semester in departmental scholarships to our undergraduate students. The department also hires many work-study students to work in laboratories.

For teacher preparation students

The College of Education distributes funds from 13 endowed scholarships to approximately 100 teacher preparation students every semester. Some of the scholarships with multiple recipients include the College of Education Alumni Association Scholarship, the Louise H. Meyer Scholarship, the Don and Julia Lee Scholarship, and the Claude Simpson and Peggy Simpson Yates Scholarship.

For more information about these scholarships, call the College of Education at 509-335-7843 or e-mail beateacher@wsu.edu.

Essential high school preparation includes writing, mathematics, and science through the chemistry level.

Calculus and advanced chemistry are highly recommended.

Students should take two years of a foreign language in high school, which will also meet a WSU graduation requirement.

Future teachers should care about children and have the desire to make a real difference in the world.

The active undergraduate chemistry club — sponsored by the American Chemical Society — provides student mentoring, sponsors social events, and develops programs for high school and junior high school students.

The Educators Club, Kappa Delta Pi, and the Alhadeff Future Teachers of Color are pre-professional organizations run by education students for education students. All future teachers are invited to join and participate.

More about education student organizations

Chemistry teachers may teach in public or private schools worldwide. Further study opens up possibilities as a coach, counselor, principal, or other administrative positions in schools.