Ball State has a rich and long tradition of being a teachers’ college. Our teaching major in chemistry will prepare you to meet Indiana state licensing requirements for teaching chemistry in grades 9-12.
As a graduate employed by a high school, you will help students grasp the fundamentals of chemistry and prepare them for further study in post-secondary environments.
Achieving Academic Excellence
Patricia Lang
Kicking down walls is Patricia Lang’s specialty—figuratively, at least. She was among the first female scientists at Ball State. Now, her mission is to recruit and retain minority students in STEM programs. Learn more about her work
What You Will Learn
- teaching methods
- educational theories
- principles for teaching at the secondary level
- advanced topics in chemistry
What It’s Like to Pursue a Teaching Major in Chemistry at Ball State
Our knowledgeable faculty and staff are committed to serving our students. We take great pride in our faculty-student interactions, incorporating faculty supervision in all laboratories, encouraging cooperative learning, and providing numerous opportunities for both formal and informal student-faculty engagement.
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The Chemistry Research Immersion Summer Program (CRISP) is one of the largest undergraduate research programs in chemistry in the nation. An average of about 40 students each summer have participated in CRISP over the past several years.
CRISP students do research, attend research group meetings, and have the opportunity to present their findings at weekly research meetings. All of the students in the program also present a poster describing their research at the CRISP poster session at the end of the summer session.
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We have a variety of state-of-the-art scientific equipment which our students are encouraged to use. Many of our instruments are the same kind you would find on the popular show CSI.
You will not watch idly as your professors use all this sophisticated equipment—you will work with the equipment yourself.
In addition, our department uses the University Imaging Laboratory, which includes electron microscopy facilities.
Departmental instrumentation includes:
- 400 and 300 MHz multinuclear NMR spectrometers
- FT-IR Spectrometers
- Gas Chromatographs
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatographs
- Fluorescence spectrometers
- Flame AA/AE and graphite furnace AA
- Differential Scanning Calorimeter
- Laser Flash Photolysis
- GC/MS
- Ultimate 3000 Rapid Separation LC unit coupled to an LTQ XL linear ion trap mass spectrometer
Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) is open to all students. This vibrant, award-winning group meets monthly to do service for the community and Ball State. SAACS members promote an interest in chemistry, address issues facing chemistry students, and promote an awareness of the responsibilities and challenges of today's chemists.
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Our small class sizes give students the opportunity to get the focused, one-on-one attention from instructors they need to succeed academically. Students also work closely together in our organizations, research labs, and in the community to promote chemistry education.
As a student in our secondary education program, you’ll benefit from experiences and expertise of your home department, taking courses in content and content pedagogy—the methods and practices for teaching specific content—and learning from experts in the field of your chosen teaching major. In Teachers College, you’ll explore other important aspects of teaching and interact with teaching majors in other disciplines. Learn more about the Teachers College.
Major Requirements
This program prepares you to teach chemistry at the high-school level in the state of Indiana. You will take a blend of chemistry classes through our department (content courses) and teaching theory and practices from the Teachers College (pedagogy courses).
You will also need to meet course requirements set by our University Core Curriculum.
Credits
Total: 120
- University Core Curriculum: 36
- Major-Specific Courses: 49-53
Courses
A few of the classes you will take include:
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
- Introduction to the Teaching of Science
- Using Science Methods and Materials
You will also need to take classes in physics and calculus.
For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, please see our Course Catalog.
View Catalog
What Can You Do with a Teaching Major Degree in Chemistry?
This four-year program meets the high school chemistry and physics certification standards of Indiana.
You’ll be prepared to teach the following subjects at the high-school level:
Paying for Your Education
On top of the dozens of funding options offered through Ball State’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, our department awards scholarships to our own students. Find a scholarship.
Ready to Apply?
Admission to Ball State is selective, and we carefully evaluate all application on an individual basis. Applying for admission is easy. Use our convenient, comprehensive, and secure online application.
Want to Learn More?
The best way to get a true feel for Ball State is to spend some time here, so we encourage you and your family to schedule a campus visit. Take a tour, attend an information session, meet with a professor in our area, and ask plenty of questions. Or, if you’d rather speak to someone directly by phone or email, please feel free to contact us.