College of Science and Mathematics-University of South Carolina

The college also administers an interdisciplinary program in marine science. Special opportunities for research and graduate study are provided by the following research bureaus and institutes: The Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research, which operates a modern laboratory at the Hobcaw Barony, a 17,500-acre tract of land near Georgetown; and the Institute for Biological Research and Technology which provides expertise in biotechnology. In addition, the College of Science and Mathematics administers the Regional NMR Facility and the Electron Microscopy Center, which are open to all USC faculty and graduate students for training and research in electron microscopy of biological and nonbiological materials. For further information about these bureaus, institutes, and centers, please see "The University" section of this bulletin.

The Center for Science Education coordinates graduate and in-service programs for precollege teachers of science and mathematics. Further information is given in "The University" section of this bulletin and below.

Since 1950, students and faculty of the University of South Carolina have benefited from its membership in Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a consortium of 85 colleges and universities and a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ORAU works with its member institutions to help their students and faculty gain access to federal research facilities throughout the country; to keep its members informed about opportunities for fellowship, scholarship, and research appointments; and to organize alliances among its members.

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), the DOE facility that ORAU operates, undergraduates, postgraduates, as well as faculty enjoy access to a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Students can participate in programs covering a wide variety of disciplines, including business, earth sciences, epidemiology, engineering, physics, geological sciences, pharmacology, ocean sciences, biomedical sciences, nuclear chemistry, and mathematics. Appointment and program lengths range from one month to four years. Many of these programs are especially designed to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in science- and engineering-related disciplines. A comprehensive listing of these programs and other opportunities, their disciplines, and details on locations and benefits can be found in the ORISE Catalog of Education and Training Programs, which is available at www.orau.gov/orise/resgd.htm or by calling either of the contacts below.

ORAU’s Office of Partnership Development seeks opportunities for partnerships and alliances among ORAU’s members, private industry, and major federal facilities. Activities include faculty development programs such as the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, the Visiting Industrial Scholars Program, consortium research funding initiatives, faculty research, and support programs as well as services to chief research officers.

For more information about ORAU and its programs, contact:

Gerard M. Crawley
ORAU Councilor for the University of South Carolina
803-777-2505

Monnie E. Champion
ORAU Corporate Secretary
865-576-3306;

or visit the ORAU homepage (www.orau.org).

Degrees and Certificates Offered

The College of Science and Mathematics offers programs of study leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy; Master of Arts; Master of Mathematics; Master of Science; and, in cooperation with the College of Education, a Master of Arts in Teaching, an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts, and a Master in Teaching. For further information about admission and degree requirements, please consult "The Graduate School" section of this bulletin and the individual departments listed under the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Education.

Center for Science Education

The Center for Science Education, in conjunction with the departments in the College of Science and Mathematics, is responsible for developing and coordinating interdisciplinary teacher education courses and programs in science and mathematics. These courses are listed and described below under "Science and Mathematics for Educators" and carry the interdisciplinary SMED designator.

The Center for Science Education also assists individual departments in offering content-specific courses within their disciplines that are designed for in-service teachers. These courses, carrying individual departmental designators, include:

BIOL 770, 771, 772, 775, and 776

CHEM 702, 703, 704, 705, 706, and 709

GEOL 531, 700, 702

MSCI 777 and 778

MATH 701-I, 702-I, 703-I, 704-I, 712-I, 736-I, 752-I, and 780-I

PHYS 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, and 787

Science and Mathematics for Educators (SMED)

510–Life Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary and middle school curricula; phylogenetic organization of major kingdoms, characteristics of plants and animals, including humans; ecological principles; communities; energy needs, resources, flow and balance; heredity and adaptation.
510L–Life Science for Teachers Laboratory. (1) (Coreq: SMED 510, permission of instructor)
520–Earth Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary and middle school curricula; solar system; earth-moon-sun relationships; geologic time; earth materials; emphasis on surface processes and an introduction to internal processes.
520L–Earth Science for Teachers Laboratory I. (1) (Coreq: SMED 520, permission of instructor)
530–Physical Science for Teachers I. (3) Topics appropriate for elementary and middle school curricula; chemical and physical change; states and transformations of matter; atoms, elements, molecules, mixtures, and compounds; laws of motion; heat, light, and sound energy; electricity and magnetism.
530L–Physical Science for Teachers Laboratory I. (1) (Coreq: SMED 530, consent of instructor)
541–Classical and Modern Physics for Teachers I. (3) (Prereq: science teaching certificate, algebra, trigonometry) Mechanics, electromagnetism, wave motion, sound, heat, optics, relativity, quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics. No previous background in physics is assumed. Laboratory activities designed specifically for the pre-college teacher will be required.
542–Classical and Modern Physics for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 541, science teaching certificate, algebra and trigonometry) Continuation of SMED 541.
705–Special Topics in Integrated Science for the Elementary School. (1—3) Identification and study of those science topics that will form a local/regional elementary science curriculum; each offering to be a unique blend of topics designed for a specific school district or consortium of districts.
710–Life Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 510) Topics appropriate for middle school curricula: cell biology; phylogenetic organization of all major kingdoms; principles of development, physiology, reproduction, genetics and evolution; biogeochemical cycles.
710L–Life Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 710)
720–Earth Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 520) Topics appropriate for middle school curricula: origin and evolution of universe, galaxies and solar system; quantitative age determinations; Earth’s internal structure and processes–earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, and plate tectonics.
720L–Earth Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 720)
721–Marine Science for Teachers. (3) Topics in marine science: ecology of freshwater and saltwater ecosystems; coastal geologic processes; coastal zone management. Classroom and field experiences using marine science instructional materials.
722–Space Science for Teachers. (3) (Prereq: SMED 520) Origin, evolution, and properties of solar system and universe; observation of the night-time sky; planetary motion; technology of space study and exploration. Laboratory and field activities for elementary/middle school classroom.
723–Weather Science for Teachers. (3) Concepts in meteorology and climatology, including basic weather elements and patterns, technology in weather observation and prediction, and human impact on the atmosphere. Laboratory and field activities for the elementary/middle school classroom.
729–Special Topics in Science for Teachers. (1—3) Topics not likely to be incorporated into regular offerings, offered as seminars, workshops, and formal courses. Variable credit, depending on contact hours. May be taken more than once.
730–Physical Science for Teachers II. (3) (Prereq: SMED 530) Topics appropriate for middle school curricula: atomic structure; periodic table of elements; radioactivity; chemical bonding, principles, and reactions; electromagnetic spectrum; applications of chemistry and physics to life and earth sciences.
730L–Physical Science for Teachers Laboratory II. (1) (Coreq: SMED 730)
769–Special Topics in Mathematics for Teachers. (1—3) Special topics in mathematics offered as seminars, workshops, and formal courses.

This web site updated September 2001 by Thom Harman, and copyright © 2001-2002 by the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina. All Rights Reserved.
URL http://www.sc.edu/bulletin/grad/GColSciMath.html

Overview

Science and Mathematics for Educators (SMED)