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Chemistry - High School Education (9-12) Concentration

The chemistry education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator’s License in High School (Secondary) Education, with a concentration in chemistry.

Preparing You for Success

You participate in classroom field experiences in your first year, then you gain additional field experiences your sophomore and junior years. These prepare you for the senior year student teaching experience. Bradley faculty and your supervising teachers are valuable mentors throughout the process. You also work closely with the chemistry department, which gives you a deep understanding of chemistry you can share with students.

The chemistry and biochemistry department is accredited by the American Chemical Society and the teacher education department is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. It also is a member of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The high school education program is nationally recognized by the National Council for the Social Studies, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association and National Council of Teachers of English.

By the time you graduate, your experiences include:

  • Courses in chemistry and other sciences
  • Hands-on experience using state-of-the-art lab equipment
  • Professional development and licensure in high school (secondary) education
  • More than 500 hours of field experience and student teaching in local classrooms
  • Instruction and mentorship from faculty who taught on six continents, published 30 books on education and served in educational leadership at state and national levels
  • Research opportunities with faculty
  • Use of classroom technologies such as Smart Boards, virtual reality, 3-D printing and wearable devices
  • Networking and professional growth through weekly seminars, departmental employment, the Chem Club and Chem Demo Crew

Making your Mark

All high school education students who completed the program and graduated boast a 100 percent pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. That success means you can enter the teaching profession or graduate school after graduation. As an educator, you can consider future graduate studies in curriculum and instruction or other fields.

Common Curriculum Requirements

Required Courses - 50-51 hrs.

  • CHM 110: General Chemistry I - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 111: General Chemistry I Laboratory - 1 hr.
  • CHM 114: Chemistry of the Elements - 1 hr.
  • CHM 116: General Chemistry II - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 117: General Chemistry II Laboratory - 1 hr.
  • CHM 252: Organic Chemistry I - 4 hrs.
  • CHM 253: Organic Chemistry Laboratory I - 1 hr.
  • CHM 256: Organic Chemistry II - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 257: Organic Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 hr.
  • CHM 292: Chemical Informatics - 1 hr.
  • CHM 326: Analytical Chemistry - 4 hrs.
  • CHM 360: Biochemistry - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 380: Seminar I in Chemistry and Biochemistry - 0 hr.
  • CHM 386: Seminar II in Chemistry and Biochemistry - 1 hrs.
  • CHM 470 or 570: Physical Chemistry I - 3 hrs.
  • CHM 480 or 580: Seminar III in Chemistry and Biochemistry - 1 hrs.
  • BIO 151: Molecules to Cells - 3 hrs.
  • BIO 152: Molecules to Cells Laboratory - 1 hr.
  • PHY 110: University Physics I - 4 hrs.
    and PHY 201: University Physics II - 4 hrs.
    or PHY 107: General Physics I - 4 hrs.
    and 108: General Physics II - 4 hrs.
  • MTH 121: Calculus I - 4 hrs.
    and MTH 122: Calculus II - 4 hrs.
    or MTH 115: Brief Calculus With Applications I - 4 hrs.
    and MTH 116: Brief Calculus With Applications II - 3 hrs.

Concentration Requirements

Required Courses - 4 hrs.

  • CHM 471: Physical Chemistry Laboratory I - 1 hr.
  • MTH 111: Elementary Statistics – 3 hrs.

Elective Courses (choose one from each category) - 6 hrs.

  • Category A
    • CHM 416: Environmental Chemistry - 3 hrs.
    • GES 101: Principles of Earth Science - 3 hrs.
  • Category B
    • CHM 332: Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.
    • CHM 420: Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs.

For more information, see Teacher Education - High School Education program in the College of Education and Health Sciences.