The Science Education Graduate Program at the University of Michigan School of Education

• How can we improve science learning opportunities for all students?
• How do we design learning environments and curriculum materials that support diverse teaching and learning styles in science?
• How can new educational technologies help teachers and students improve learning in science?
• What should teachers and students know about the role of language and other representations in science learning to improve student outcomes?
• How can we design teacher education opportunities to help teachers learn to teach through inquiry-oriented science?

Faculty and students in the Science Education programs at the University of Michigan work side-by-side with practitioners to explore solutions to questions like these. The specialization in science education provides a broad perspective from which students and faculty can examine these issues. Advanced knowledge in the sciences and science education along with interdisciplinary study are required to understand and investigate the complex problems facing science education today. The program encourages interdisciplinary work in close cooperation with the university’s science departments and with research programs in other areas of education and the human sciences. In the science education program at Michigan, you will have the opportunity to work along side world-class faculty and other top-notch graduate students to develop your capabilities as a science educator.

Science Education: Program Overview

How can you design instructional materials to support diverse students in learning science through inquiry? How can new learning technologies support students in doing science inquiry? What should teachers and students know about the role of language and other representations in science learning? How do you design science teacher preparation programs to promote teaching for understanding? How do you design professional development programs to support practicing teachers? How do you design assessments to measure the learning outcomes on new inquiry-based curricula? Faculty and students in the Science Education Specialization at the University of Michigan School of Education are exploring questions like these, and developing innovative curriculum to support diverse students learning enduring ideas in science through inquiry. Exciting research projects focus on the uses of learning technologies in science teaching and learning, the preparation and professional development of elementary, middle school, and high school science teachers, and the adaptation of science reform programs to urban classrooms. Some of the current projects include:

• Designing science instructional materials that support diverse learners in inquiry and promote deep understanding of content
• Embedding the use of learning technologies to support students
• Promoting complex scientific thinking with emerging technologies
• The use of technology in supporting teacher and student learning.
• The design of science teacher preparation programs that promotes teaching for understanding
• The role of language in teaching and learning science
• Defining critical multimedia literacies for teachers and students in science education
• Describing and modeling key processes in systemic reform and renewal of science education.

The University of Michigan graduate specialization in science education provides a broad perspective from which students and faculty can examine these issues. When you join the Science Education program at the University of Michigan, you will join a program that leads the way in exploring new ideas to promote student learning and improve the teaching and learning of science.

If you are a motivated learner who learns through engagement with challenging ideas and real-world experiences and an individual who wants to impact the teaching and learning of science in schools, then the School of Education Science Education Specialization may be of interest to you. The specialization will prepare graduate students to tackle difficulty challenges facing the teaching of science in classrooms. The specialization prepares the graduate students to use theoretical and research-based ideas to change science classrooms.

This degree specialization is housed within the Educational Studies program, which fosters links among students and faculty in a number of specializations sharing a commitment to the integration of theory and research on teaching, learning, and educational access in P-12 settings.

The School of Education offers Science and Education degrees at both the Master's and Doctoral levels.

Doctoral degree in Science Education:

The Doctoral Specialization in Science Education at the University of Michigan prepares scholars and researchers to explore important issues in science education that have an impact on the teaching and learning of science. A primary focus of the doctoral specialization at the University of Michigan is exploration of important questions that can impact children, science teachers and science classrooms as well as informing other scholars in the field of science education. As a student you will develop and refine your own research questions and agenda in concert with others dedicated to the same goal. You will study important topics in science education and then immerse yourself in real-world research alongside nationally recognized specialists in their field. Experts in the field of science education will guide and support your work.

Advanced knowledge in the sciences and science education along with interdisciplinary study are required to understand and investigate the complex problems facing science education today. Specializing in science education requires in-depth understanding of several fields. These include: a science discipline, educational psychology, sociology, history and philosophy of science, and curriculum design.

Teaching and research assistantships are available for qualified applicants. Teaching assistantships, available for those individuals with science teaching experience at the elementary, middle, or high school levels, involve working with science methods and practicum classes and/or the supervision of student teachers. Research assistantships involve work on a variety of externally funded projects. The Science Education area has close ties to both the Learning Technology area and the Teacher Education area within the Educational Studies program.

After completion of your Ph.D. in Science Education, you will be prepared for leadership positions in higher education, public and private research, and school leadership.

It is also worth noting that, as a unit within Michigan's Educational Studies Program, the Science Education PhD program is a national partner in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of teaching.

Master’s degree in Science Education:

The Mater’s Specialization in Science Education at the University of Michigan prepares educational specialists to solve important problems in science education. As a student you will develop and refine your knowledge and capabilities to address these problems. You will study a variety of topics in science education as well as other educational areas. Through field experience and internships, you will apply your new understandings to schools, classrooms, and informal settings. Experts in the field of science education will guide and support your work. After completing your master’s in Science Education, you will be prepared for various leadership positions public and private schools, museums, environmental educations centers or other educational organizations.

Science Education: Admissions Information

Are you interested in applying to our program? If so, you've come to the right place. Just follow the steps below. Links will open up in a new window, close the window to return to this page.

1. Do you have any questions you would like answered before you apply? If so, view the School of Education Frequently Asked Questions or contact the program. If not, continue on to item 2.

2. Fill out a Rackham program inquiry form to get you into our system, so we can inform you of the latest recruiting events and other admissions updates. You can fill out a program inquiry form by clicking here (be sure to close the new window to return to this page).

3. Application Process: You will need to complete an application to the Horace H. Rackham Graduate School, which is the overall administrative unit for graduate programs. It is mandatory that you use the Rackham Web application to apply to our programs.

You also need to send us a statement of purpose, official transcripts from every institution you have attended, three letters of recommendation, and your GRE scores. International students should also send in their TOEFL scores.

We created an application checklist for your use in keeping track of where and when you sent application materials. We recommend that you download and print up an application checklist.

Application Checklist (Adobe PDF)

Fee waivers are available through the Rackham Graduate School for prospective students who qualify for Specialized Fee Waiver Groups. Please check Rackham's fee waiver Web page to see if you are eligible for one of these groups.

Note: The Office of Student Services matches documents to an application using the name appearing on the Rackham application. If the name on your documents, i.e., transcript, letter of recommendation, etc., is different from the name appearing on your application, please be sure to indicate all former last names or other first names on the Rackham application. Contact the Office of Student Services if you have information about your name that you did not include on the Rackham application.

4. Application Deadlines:

For the latest deadline, please see our deadlines page. Please submit all materials by the application deadline.

5. We hope you will get acquainted with us through our web materials, e-mail correspondence, and when possible, a personal visit. Be sure to check out the University of Michigan Web site, the Rackham Graduate School Web site, and the rest of the resources in this program site along with the School of Education Web site. In addition, you may want to view the SOE Bulletin.

There are opportunities through both the School of Education and the Rackham Graduate School for merit and need based fellowships. To find out more, we encourage you to review the Graduate Financial Aid Resource Guide. The Office of Fellowships and Recruitment is the contact for the Rackham Graduate School (734-764-8119).

We are delighted to learn of your interest in the University of Michigan and this program. We encourage you to visit the campus to discuss your interests with faculty and students. Visits are most helpful if made prior to or during the application process. In addition to arranging individual campus visits, you are encouraged to attend the annual Graduate Information Day. This is a great opportunity for you to meet with School of Education faculty and staff, some of our current students, and other prospective students. We wish you the best of luck in pursuing your graduate studies and encourage you to contact us (above) if you have any questions about the University of Michigan or your program.

Still have questions? If so, please visit the School of Education Frequently Asked Questions, or contact the Office of Student Services.

Questions about the status of your application? Check your application data and status online, via Wolverine Access. Please allow 7 days after submitting your application before checking your web application status on Wolverine Access. To do this you will need to use a login ID and password, and confirm some personal data before viewing your application:

For applicants who are current students or employees

1. Log into Wolverine Access using your existing UMICH uniqname login and click "New and Prospective Student Business."

"For applicants who are new to the University you will need to create a secure login using a UM Friend Account and then log into Wolverine Access at https://friend.weblogin.umich.edu/

1. Create a Friend Account by clicking on the following link: Create a Friend Account.

NOTE: If you have questions about creating a UM Friend Account you may go to http://www.itd.umich.edu/itcsdocs/s4316

2. Log into Wolverine Access at https://wolverineaccess.umich.edu/ and click "New and Prospective Student Business."

If you have any further questions, contact the Office of Student Services at (734) 764-7563 or ed.grad.appl@umich.edu.

Science Education: People

To assist those interested in the various concentrations, here are the names of faculty members, student ambassadors, and recent graduates involved with the Science Education specialization. If you have a general question about the program, or would like to talk to a current student about the program, please visit the Science Education Contacts page.

Faculty: To view a faculty member's research interests, click on their name (links open up a new window).

Betsy Davis

Joe Krajcik

Jay Lemke

Nancy Songer

Affiliated faculty:

Barry Fishman

Annemarie Palincsar

Chris Quintana

Science Education Doctoral Program student ambassadors

Contact one of our Science Education Doctoral program ambassadors here. Ambassadors are students who have agreed to answer your questions about the program. We know there are times when you really want to hear about the program from a student's perspective, and these students have agreed to share their experiences. If you have general Science Education questions, please contact the program directly here. Remember: In order to alert you to recruitment events and the latest admissions updates, be sure to also fill out a graduate program inquiry form.

Ambassadors:

Jay Fogleman - PhD Student in Science Ed

fogleman@umich.edu

I'm researching professional development that supports teachers enacting inquiry-based curricula. I'm a doctoral student with family that includes school-aged children, living in Dexter, a small village outside of Ann Arbor.

 

Recent Graduates

Barbara Crawford - Cornell University - Dissertation

David Fortus - Michigan State University - Dissertation

Amelia Gotwals - Michigan State University - Dissertation

Barb Ladewski - Dissertation

Hee-Sun Lee - Tufts University

April Luehmann - University of Rochester - Dissertation

Scott McDonald- The Pennsylvania State University - Dissertation

Katherine McNeill - Boston College -Dissertation

Debra Petish - Dissertation

Julia Plummer - Arcadia University

Ann Rivet - Columbia University - Dissertation

Rebecca M. Schneider - University of Toledo - Dissertation

Michele Spitulnik - University of California, Berkeley - Dissertation

Mary Starr

Mark Templin - University of Toledo

Hsin-Kai Wu - National Taiwan Normal University

BaoHui Zhang- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore - Dissertation

Science Education: Research

Within the Science Education specialization at the University of Michigan, you will have opportunities to work with faculty members who are exploring a range of substantive questions in science education.

Here is a list of some of the projects that Science Education faculty and students are working on now, or have been involved with in the past.

Science Education Projects and Centers (Links on this page will open in a new window. To return to this page, please close the window.)

The Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education (HiCe)

BioKIDS: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species

CASES for New Elementary Science Teachers

The Center for Curriculum Materials in Science Education

Investigating and questioning my world through science and technology, IQUEST

Guided Inquiry Project

Complete list of specialization courses in Science Education (MA, PhD)

ED 750 Learning and Social Cognition in Science and Technology (Songer, Krajcik)

ED 713 Seminar on Science Education (Staff)

ED 737 Designing Science Education Learning Environments (Krajcik, Songer)

ED 830 Historical and Philosophical Roots of Science Education (Lemke)

ED 831 Theory, Research and Classroom Practices in Science Education (Songer, Krajcik)

ED 832 Theory and Research on the Development of Expertise of Science Teachers (Davis)

ED 833 Theory, Research and use of Technological Tools in Science (Krajcik, Songer)

ED 898: Professional Development Seminar (Staff)

Educational Studies
Program Course Planning Sheet
For students admitted beginning Fall Term 2001

SCIENCE EDUCATION -- DOCTORAL LEVEL

Minimum: 60 hours

THESE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS MUST BE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED WITH YOUR ADVISOR

The Program Course Planning Sheet is to be submitted to the Office of Student Services (OSS) signed by your advisor at least one term prior to the term you plan to achieve candidacy.   For specific candidacy dates, contact OSS (Room 1033 School of Education) or view the School of Education web site: http://soe.umich.edu/deadlines/candidacy/index.html .

At the completion of the Science Education specialization, this student has:

_____ the equivalent of a master's degree in science (for secondary education  focus)

--OR--

_____ at least 20 credit hours in science (for elementary or middle school  focus)

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

•  Contact the ES Program Office (Room 1225) when you are ready to begin the preliminary     examination process regarding the forms and program deadline dates

•  You must be registered in the term in which you submit Part A and Part B.  

Part A:   Scholarly Paper

Part B:   Written Exam

Total Credit Hours at Candidacy   _____      Total RFT * at Candidacy   _____

* RACKHAM FEE TOTALS (RFT'S):   Doctoral students are required to complete a total of 68 fee hours toward a doctoral degree. Students admitted to a doctoral program with an earned master's degree (from an accredited institution) that is relevant to your doctoral program will be required to complete 50 fee hours at UM.   (Note:   Consult with the Office of Student Services about this requirement early in your doctoral program or refer to the Rackham Graduate Student Handbook of Policies and Procedures.)

CANDIDACY REGISTRATION:   In accordance with the School of Education's Time To Degree Policy, a candidate will be required to make a candidacy registration once every two years from the term of achieving candidacy OR their last candidacy registration to remain active.   It is also possible that a candidacy registration may be required as part of an assistantship/fellowship/award offer, as a condition for readmission, or as a condition for the approval of an extension of time.   A candidate is required to make an 8-hour candidacy registration in a full term (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer) to defend the dissertation.   If you have any questions about candidacy registrations or the School of Education's Time to Degree Policy, please contact the Office of Student Services, 1033 SEB, (734) 764 - 7563.   

Signature of Student:   _____________________________________   Date:   _________

Signature of Advisor:   _____________________________________   Date:   _________

Office of Student Services Approval:   _________________________   Date:   _________

Educational Studies Approval:   ______________________________    Date:   _________

Educational Studies
Program Course Planning Sheet
For students admitted beginning Fall Term 2006

SCIENCE EDUCATION - MASTER'S LEVEL

Minimum: 30 hours

THESE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS MUST BE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED WITH YOUR ADVISOR

Name: ______________________________________

Term Admitted: _________________________

Advisor: ______________________________

The Program Course Planning Sheet is to be submitted to the Office of Student Services during the term in which you plan to graduate.   For specific dates, contact the Office of Student Services, Room 1033 School of Education, 734-764-7563.

Advisor Signature: __________________ Date: ________________

Program Chair Signature: ___________ Date: ________________

Revised: August 14, 2006 (subject to change)