Scientific Teaching in Higher Education (certificate)


At a Glance: program details



Do you want to become a better science teacher? You can gain a sophisticated understanding of teaching and education research that will help you build your career. Learn how to become a change agent who can contribute to positive reform in science education.

Program Description

Certificate Awarded: Scientific Teaching in Higher Education (certificate)

The graduate certificate program in scientific teaching in higher education provides graduate students with the skills and knowledge needed for implementing and evaluating evidence-based teaching at the college level.

As part of the program, students gain experience teaching science in a higher education setting, take teaching-related coursework and complete a culminating experience under the guidance of a scientific teaching faculty mentor. This culminating experience can be either a significant teaching experience, including the use of evidence-based teaching, or discipline-based education research focused on undergraduate science education.

Many higher education faculty and instructors in STEM disciplines have not had formal training in teaching science, even though high quality teaching is often cited in university and college mission statements.

This certificate provides you with a more sophisticated understanding of teaching and education research in the context of college-level science classrooms. We believe this will empower you to become a “change agent” as we strive toward positive reform in undergraduate science education.

This program will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to implement and evaluate evidence-based teaching at the college level.

Graduate students currently enrolled in a program at ASU are eligible to apply to this certificate program.

Career opportunities

Professionals with expertise in scientific teaching are in high demand in academia and educational institutions from community colleges to research universities. The skills and knowledge obtained in this program are also valuable for careers in federal and state agencies responsible for educational policy, in industry, and in nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

  • educators in nonprofit organizations and government agencies
  • professors or instructors in universities and colleges
  • science teachers in elementary and high schools
Program components

The program has three major components:

  • course work in teaching and education
  • teaching experience, including use of evidence-based teaching
  • capstone experience (choose one of the following experiences and see drop-down menus below for more details)
    • significant teaching experience
    • curriculum development
    • discipline-based education research
Director
J. Bryan Henderson

Degree Requirements

15 credit hours including the required applied project course (BIO 593)

Required Core (2 credit hours)
BIO 530 Scientific Teaching (2)

Electives (10 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)
BIO 593 Applied Project (3)


Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants must submit the following:

  1. graduate admissions application and application fee
  2. official transcripts
  3. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

International students who need an F1 or J1 visa first need to apply to and be accepted into a graduate degree program prior to being considered for the certificate program. International students residing in the USA on other types of visas must adhere to all Graduate College policies and procedures regarding admission to be considered for admission to this certificate program.


Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs

Apply to a program

Visit our campus

Career Opportunities

Professionals with expertise in scientific teaching are in high demand in academia and educational institutions, and the skills and knowledge they obtain in this program are also valuable for careers in federal and state agencies that are responsible for educational policy, in industry and in nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

  • educators in nonprofit organizations and government agencies
  • professors or instructors in universities and colleges
  • science teachers in elementary and high schools

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.