COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAED) in Physics (Secondary Education) at Wichita State University is a 120-credit-hour program designed to prepare students to become certified science teachers for grades 6–12 by combining strong physics content knowledge with structured professional teacher training. Students begin with approximately 34–35 credit hours of general education alongside foundational education coursework such as Introduction to the Education Profession (CI 270) and Introduction to Diversity: Human Growth and Development (CESP 334), which help build early awareness of classroom environments and learner diversity. The major content requirements develop a broad scientific foundation and include General College Physics I and II (PHYS 213–214), Calculus I (MATH 242), College Trigonometry (MATH 123), General Chemistry I and II (CHEM 211–212), General Biology I (BIOL 210), Introductory Astronomy (PHYS 195), and Earth, Energy, and Environmental Systems (GEOL 300), ensuring future teachers understand interconnected scientific disciplines beyond physics alone. Students also select an advanced physics-focused course such as Special Studies in Physics for Educators or Topics in Modern Physics to strengthen subject expertise. The professional education sequence is organized into four progressive Core levels. Core I introduces diversity in education, classroom observation, and foundational teaching methods through practicum experiences. Core II emphasizes instructional planning, learning assessment, philosophy of education, and science-specific teaching methods with supervised practicum in science classrooms. Core III shifts toward intensive preparation for teaching practice through internship I, literacy strategies in science instruction, and technology integration in education, while Core IV consists of a full student-teaching internship (CI 471S, 10 credit hours) where candidates take responsibility for real classroom instruction. Throughout the program, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 overall and in major content, earn at least a B- in education courses, and successfully complete licensure requirements including the Praxis II Science Content Knowledge Test, the Professional Learning Test (PLT), and the CED 501 capstone, ensuring graduates are fully prepared for certification and classroom teaching careers.The Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAED) in Spanish (PreK–12) at Wichita State University is a 120-credit-hour teacher preparation program designed to develop highly qualified Spanish educators who can teach across all grade levels from early childhood through grade 12. Alongside meeting general university education requirements (about 34–35 credit hours) and College of Education foundations such as Introduction to the Education Profession (CI 270) and Introduction to Diversity: Human Growth and Development (CESP 334), students complete a 33-credit-hour Spanish major beyond the SPAN 106 level that builds advanced linguistic, cultural, and literary proficiency. Core language coursework includes Intermediate Spanish Grammar and Composition (SPAN 220 or SPAN 321 for heritage speakers), Selected Spanish Readings (SPAN 323), Intermediate Spanish Readings (SPAN 400), Intermediate Conversation (SPAN 325), Spanish Phonetics (SPAN 505), Advanced Conversation (SPAN 525), Advanced Grammar and Composition (SPAN 526), and civilization and literature courses such as Spanish Civilization (SPAN 626) or Latin American Civilization (SPAN 627), plus upper-division literature like Spanish or Latin American literary surveys and additional advanced electives. These courses ensure students achieve high-level fluency and deep cultural understanding required for teaching Spanish effectively. The professional education component is structured into four progressive cores that integrate pedagogy with classroom experience. Core I introduces diversity, classroom observation, and general teaching methods through early practicum work. Core II focuses on instructional theory, assessment practices, literacy strategies, and initial content-specific methods. Core III includes concurrent preteaching internships in both elementary and secondary settings along with methods in world language instruction. Core IV culminates in a full-year teaching internship (12 credit hours) in PreK–12 classrooms with a supporting seminar for reflection and professional growth. To complete the degree, students must earn at least 120 credit hours, maintain a 2.5 GPA overall and in major coursework, and pass licensure requirements including the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview at the Advanced Low level or higher, the Praxis Content Knowledge Test, and the CED 501 capstone, ensuring readiness for certification as Spanish teachers across PreK–12 education.