Chemistry, Secondary Education
What Can I Do In My Major?
Overview
Do you want to share your love of chemistry with others? Graduates of the Chemistry (BS) - Secondary Education degree at Appalachian State University are prepared to teach chemistry at the high school level. Based on the reputation of the Department of Chemistry and Appalachian’s Reich College of Education teacher preparation program, students often receive multiple job offers and can work at the high school of their choice.
Appalachian’s Department of Chemistry is an accredited program of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and students are able to graduate with an ACS certificate. Its programs are multi-disciplinary and combine innovative and intellectually challenging curriculum, scholarship and service/engagement opportunities that employ state-of-the-art technologies. About half of all chemistry majors conduct research directly with a faculty member and present at national or regional conferences. There is no graduate program in chemistry at Appalachian, so the 29 faculty members focus entirely on undergraduates.
Related Careers
The following list contains job titles of Education majors. Use this as an ideas list, and remember that it represents some, but certainly not all, of the careers you might consider. Some of these jobs also require education beyond a bachelor’s degree.
Chemistry teacher, 9-12
Adult Education Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator/Specialist *
Educational Administrator*
Environmental Educator
Grant Writer*
Instructor, College/University *
Laboratory technologist
Park Naturalist
Sales Representative, scientific/medical products
Science Writer*
Tutor
Chemistry Educational Researcher*
*additional experience or advanced degree required
Some Employers of Education Majors
Business and Industry
CampsColleges and Universities
Community Centers
Educational Publishers
Hospitals
Libraries
Non Profits
Public and Private Schools
State and Federal Government
Youth Services
Related Major Skills
Ability to teach students with different learning levels
Computer skills
Communciating with parents or guardians
Decision making
Explaining ideas clearly
Flexibility Lesson planning
Organization
Planning
Summarizing ideas
Team player Creativity
Writing and presenting information
Preparing for Your Career
• Develop excellent interpersonal skills to work with diverse populations
• Look for internships and jobs in to gain knowledge and experience
• Participation in internships and summer jobs in a relevant setting
How can I know if a Chemistry, Secondary Education degree is right for me?
• Complete a self-assessment inventory at the Career Exploration Office in the Student Union to see how your interests, values, and personality match this major and related career fields.
• Schedule an appointment with a career counselor on careers.appstate.edu/Handshake
• Obtain direct experience by doing a job shadow
• Conduct an informational interview with a professional in the field