Earn this online master’s degree program at home, designed for educators wanting to teach geology or earth science.
Earth science (geosciences) is one of the fundamental sciences all American high school students are expected to learn before graduation. By making geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy interesting and challenging, you can help engage your students' minds, strengthen their confidence, and lead them to a better appreciation of the world in which they live.
This online master's in science education program can prepare you to teach earth science at the junior high or high school level*.
The program helps ensure your proficiency in natural sciences, general chemistry, earth and space science, ocean systems, and advanced geosciences.
*The specific grade levels you will be eligible to teach depend on your state’s licenses and endorsements.
Eligibility note: WGU's M.A. Science Education programs are for already-licensed teachers. The M.A. Science Education (Secondary Earth Science) program is for certified teachers who already hold a bachelor's degree and wish to add secondary earth science to their existing licenses. This program is not intended for aspiring teachers seeking licensure or certification. If you are seeking your teaching certificate, please view our programs leading to teacher licensure .
85% of graduates finish within
24 months
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
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Tuition per 6-month term is
$3,490
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps you control the ultimate cost of your degree. Finish faster, pay less!
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Graduates who recommend WGU:
97%
The vast majority of alumni say WGU delivered on its promises. In fact, over 50% of students found WGU thanks to a friend's recommendation.
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Specialize in teaching geoscience.
With a M.A. in Science Education (Secondary Earth Science) degree, you could qualify to teach high school geology, as well as teach earth science in junior high and middle schools. Adding a master’s degree to your résumé can increase your career opportunities, employability, salary, and contribution to your department.
An advanced curriculum designed by K–12 education experts.
WGU's online M.A. in Science Education (Secondary Earth Science) degree program is an affordable, flexible path for current teachers who want to add a geoscience specialization or endorsement to their license. (The specific grade levels you will be eligible to teach depend on your state’s licenses and endorsements.) Our curriculum focuses on effective strategies for teaching middle school or high school earth sciences and geology.
WGU is the nation’s largest provider of math and science teaching degrees. Our M.A. for aspiring secondary geoscience/earth science teachers was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from experts on our Education Program Council , who know what it takes to successfully teach earth sciences in junior high, middle school, or high school. (The specific grade levels you will be eligible to teach depend on your state’s licenses and endorsements.)
Key Subject Areas
Your program consists of courses focused on secondary science and geoscience education:
Concepts in Science
Chemistry with Lab
General Physics
Ecology and Environmental Science
Geology I: Physical
Geology II: Earth Systems
Astronomy
The Ocean Systems
Earth Science: Content Knowledge
Science, Technology, and Society
Science Methods—Secondary Earth Science
MA, Science Education Teacher Performance Assessment
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Areas of Study
The competencies you gain through this program will span these crucial topical areas:
Mathematics content
General science content
Geosciences content
Science education
Teacher performance assessment
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The WGU Difference
We reimagined the path to a degree. How it works for you:
It’s doable. Efficient, flexible, individualized, and supportive, WGU puts you in the driver’s seat—allowing you to advance as quickly as you're able.It’s surprisingly affordable. Low, flat-rate tuition and the opportunity to speed up your program allow you to control the cost of your education.It’s worth it. Employers love WGU graduates. And grads report greater satisfaction, career advancement, and income growth after earning a WGU degree.
See how we do it
A supported, personalized experience.
WGU is different from other online universities—in the best possible ways! Take a quick look at what we mean:
Faculty
Learning
Assessment
In-Classroom Experience
Alumni Support
Faculty
SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.
An entire team of faculty members has one goal in mind: your success. Your Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing regular program guidance and instruction from the day you start, to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide regular, subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, throughout each course you take.
Learning
YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.
Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.
Assessment
PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.
WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, you take the assessment. Take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home—via webcam, any time of day!
In-Classroom Experience
REAL-WORLD: Experience in a classroom.
Most of your program will be completed online but all teacher licensure programs—and many graduate-level programs for already-licensed teachers—also include the opportunity to observe and practice in a K–12 classroom setting. We’ll help you set everything up at a school near you.
Alumni Support
ALWAYS a Night Owl: WGU for life.
Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.
The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
Accredited
Western Governors University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which provides the accreditation of many other major institutions, such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of Idaho, and Brigham Young University, to name just a few.
Respected
“After graduating from WGU, and through all the rigor and quality of instruction that I received in the educational field, I was awarded Hawaii District Teacher of the Year in 2012.”
Amoreena Nestman
Recognized
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2017 placed WGU’s Teachers College in the top 1% nationwide for the quality of its secondary teacher-preparation programs. This follows several other NCTQ recognitions, including the nation’s #1 best value for teacher education in 2015.
Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.
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