Think Teaching Might Be for You?

Discover whether a career in STEM education is right for you through the UWA-TEACH Program. Offered through a partnership between the College of Education and the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, UWA-TEACH provides flexible pathways to become a certified secondary mathematics or science teacher while earning a STEM degree or graduate credential.

Why Choose UWA-TEACH?

  • Earn your STEM degree and teacher certification simultaneously.
  • Gain hands-on classroom experience beginning early in the program.
  • Graduate prepared for careers in both STEM industries and education.
  • Benefit from small class sizes and faculty mentorship.
  • Receive scholarship opportunities to help reduce education coursework costs.

Choose Your Path

Undergraduate Path

Designed for students majoring in qualifying STEM disciplines who want to earn a STEM Education minor and become certified to teach grades 6–12.

Students graduate with:

  • A bachelor’s degree in their STEM field
  • A STEM Education minor
  • Eligibility for Alabama teacher certification after completing all certification requirements, including the Praxis content assessment and edTPA

Graduates are prepared for careers either in the STEM workforce or as secondary mathematics or science teachers.

Eligible Majors

STEM MajorTeaching Certification
BiologyBiology (Grades 6–12)
General ScienceGeneral Science (Grades 6–12)
MathematicsMathematics (Grades 6–12)

How the Program Works

The UWA-TEACH curriculum combines STEM coursework with education courses that include inquiry-based teaching, classroom observation, and hands-on teaching experiences beginning early in the program.

Students complete both their STEM major requirements and the required UWA-TEACH coursework before participating in a semester-long teaching internship. Upon successful completion of all program and state certification requirements, graduates are eligible for Alabama teacher certification.

Program Curriculum

Introductory Courses
SED 230 – Inquiry Approach STEM (1 Credit)

This course allows students to explore teaching as a career. Following an introduction to the theory and practice behind excellent inquiry-based science and mathematics instruction, students teach lessons in elementary classrooms to obtain firsthand experience in planning and implementation.

SED 231 – Inquiry-Based Lesson Design (1 Credit)

This course offers students the opportunity to plan and teach inquiry-based science and mathematics lessons. Students will learn how to develop inquiry-based lessons and are required to teach these lessons to middle school students.

OR

SED 330 – Combined Inquiry Course (2 Credits)

This course combines inquiry approaches to STEM teaching and inquiry based lesson design into a single course for select students. This course is primarily designed for seniors, but it can also be taken with special permission by college juniors.

Students beginning the program in the spring start with SED 330.

Students earning a C or higher in SED 230/231 or SED 330 qualify for a tuition rebate.

Core Courses
SED 232 – Knowing & Learning Mathematics & Science (3 Credits)

The goal of this course is for students to construct the model of knowing and learning that they will take with them into their classroom. This course focuses on issues of what it means to know and learn science and mathematics, and students develop a powerful toolkit of relevant approaches.

SED 331 – Classroom Interactions (3 Credits)

Students design and implement instructional activities informed by their own understandings of what it means to know and learn mathematics and science, and then evaluate the outcomes of those activities on the basis of student artifacts (i.e., what students say, do, or create). An important focus of Classroom Interactions is on building students’ awareness and understanding of equity issues and their effects on learning. The course introduces ways to use curricula and technologies in classroom settings to build relationships among teachers and students. Students learn how content and pedagogy combine for effective teaching. Field experience required.

SED 332 – Project-Based Instruction (3 Credits)

Students develop an intellectually challenging project-based instructional unit that provides students with the experience of managing lessons and high school students outside a classroom, in a field setting. Integration of mathematics and science content, infusion of technology in representation, analysis, modeling, assessment, and contextualization of content with a focus on designing equitable learning environment are synthesized as students develop an intellectually challenging project-based instructional unit. Field experience is required.

Major-Specific Courses
Biology & General Science
SED 435 – Science Research Methods (3 Credits)

Research Methods simultaneously provides students specific techniques needed to address scientific questions and examples of how to provide this sort of training for students through individualized instruction. The course involves extensive laboratory work and scientific writing.

Mathematics
SED 436 – Functions and Modeling (3 Credits)

Students engage in explorations and lab activities designed to strengthen and expand their knowledge of secondary mathematics topics. Students collect data and explore a variety of situations that can be modeled using linear, exponential, polynomial, and trigonometric functions.

Culminating Experience
SED 459 – Apprenticeship in STEM Teach (6 Credits)

The purpose of the STEM Teaching Internship course is to offer students a culminating experience that provides them with the tools needed for their first teaching position. In STEM Teaching, students are immersed in the expectations, processes, and rewards of teaching. They remain on the school campus a minimum of six hours per day and must complete the STEM Teaching Seminar Course concurrently.

SED 430 – STEM Teaching Seminar (1 Credit)

The STEM Teaching seminar provides a supportive environment where STEM intern teachers share their experiences and work on solutions to problems they may be experiencing.

Students must also complete all coursework required for their STEM major as outlined in the UWA catalog.

Flexible Entry Point

Whether you begin as a freshman, sophomore, or junior, the UWA-TEACH Flexible Entry Point Matrix provides a recommended sequence of courses that allows you to complete teacher certification requirements while staying on track for graduation.

View the UWA-TEACH Flexible Entry Point Matrix.

Alternative A (Graduate) Path

Alternative A is Alabama’s graduate-level route to teacher certification for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree.

The UWA-TEACH Alternative A pathway is designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree in a qualifying STEM field and want to become certified secondary mathematics or science teachers while completing a master’s degree.

Through a combination of graduate-level coursework, clinical field experiences, and a supervised teaching internship, candidates gain the knowledge and hands-on experience needed for success in the classroom. Students also complete the Praxis content assessment, edTPA, and all Alabama State Department of Education certification requirements.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates earn either a Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and are eligible for Alabama Class A teacher certification.

Program Curriculum

Biology Curriculum
  • SED 530 – Inquiry Application Lesson Design in STEM Teaching
  • SED 532 – Knowing & Learning
  • SED 533 – Classroom Interactions
  • SED 534 – Project-Based Instructions
  • SED 535 – Science Research Methods
  • SE 500 – Introduction to Special Education
    • If this course was completed prior to unconditional admission to the Alternative A program, students must complete another approved diversity course.
  • 18 hours of approved Biology graduate electives
General Science Curriculum
  • SED 530 – Inquiry Application Lesson Design in STEM Teaching
  • SED 532 – Knowing & Learning
  • SED 533 – Classroom Interactions
  • SED 534 – Project-Based Instructions
  • SED 535 – Science Research Methods
  • BY 580 – Advanced Genetics & EN 555: Ecological Management
  • SE 500 – Introduction to Special Education
    • If this course was completed prior to unconditional admission to the Alternative A program, students must complete another approved diversity course.
  • 12 hours of approved Science graduate electives
Mathematics Curriculum
  • SED 530 – Inquiry Application Lesson Design in STEM Teaching
  • SED 532 – Knowing & Learning
  • SED 533 – Classroom Interactions
  • SED 534 – Project-Based Instructions
  • SED 536 – Functions and Modeling
  • SE 500 – Introduction to Special Education
    • If this course was completed prior to unconditional admission to the Alternative A program, students must complete another approved diversity course.
  • 18 hours of approved Mathematics graduate electives

Note: SED 530 and SED 532 are prerequisite courses for all other UWA-TEACH coursework. They may be taken concurrently or alongside major-specific courses but must be completed before enrolling in any additional UWA-TEACH courses.

Academic Excellence Scholarship

The Academic Excellence Scholarship helps reduce the cost of required education coursework for eligible undergraduate and Alternative A students enrolled in UWA-TEACH.

Eligible students may receive scholarship funding to support required coursework within their teacher certification program.

Undergraduate Eligibility

Students must:

  • Be enrolled in the undergraduate UWA-TEACH program.
  • Successfully complete SED 230, SED 231 (or SED 330), and SED 232.
  • Meet all scholarship requirements.

Graduate Eligibility

Students pursuing one of the following programs are eligible to apply:

  • Alternative A Biology (Grades 6–12)
  • Alternative A General Science (Grades 6–12)
  • Alternative A Mathematics (Grades 6–12)

Ready to Get Started?

Contact the UWA-TEACH program to discuss your eligibility, develop an academic plan, or learn more about becoming a STEM educator.

Meet the Team

Dr. Jerri Ward-Jackson
Director
[email protected]

Roxcanna Bradley
UWA-TEACH Advisor/Recruiter
[email protected]
Lyon Hall Room B 119

Mr. Craig Winship
Math Master Teacher
[email protected]

Mr. Dylan Pettis 
Science Master Teacher
[email protected]

Mrs. Kim Giles
NSM Liaison
[email protected]

Mrs. Fa’Dericia Washington
UWA-TEACH Administrative Assistant  
[email protected]