Masters of Natural Science

(MNS)

 

To be admitted to the MNS degree program, the applicant must hold a valid, standard secondary school science teaching credential. In addition, the applicant must have completed 50 semester hours of science or hold a degree in science. Two specific curricula are available. One curriculum emphasizes academic work in science and science education and research in the later field. The second curriculum emphasizes academic work in the sciences and is non-thesis. The distribution of academic credit in the two curricula follows.
 

Curriculum One - MNS in Science Education	Minimum Credit Hours
Science	17
History of Science	3
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in the Secondary School	3
EDSC 5523 The Science of Learning Theory	3
EDSC 5980 Master's Thesis	4
TOTAL (Minimum)	30

Curriculum Two - MNS Emphasizing Science	Minimum Credit Hours
Major Science	15
Minor Science	8
History of Science	3
EDSC 5513 Teaching Science in the Secondary School	3
EDSC 5523 The Science of Learning Theory	3
TOTAL (Minimum)	32

Each MNS student will be assigned a committee to assist in planning and directing the program. Each committee will have a chair from the student's major area and two additional members. The major area will be one of the sciences or science education. At least one committee member will be a science education faculty in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum.

The MNS degree requires a comprehensive examination. When the degree is granted in science education (Curriculum One), the oral defense of the thesis fulfills that examination requirement. When the student follows Curriculum Two, the examination may be written or oral. All examinations are conducted by the student's committee.