“I chose Antioch University New England because it is the only program in the country where I was able to receive my Masters in science (Environmental Studies) and become certified to teach. This was very important to me because it gives me flexibility if an amazing job outside of formal classrooms is available; my Master’s degree has not pigeonholed me to work strictly within the confines of formal education.”
Read a Q&A with Kristine Burke, MS in Environmental Studies, Science Teacher Licensure student
Please check out our related programs in Environmental Studies & Education
Environmental Education (MS in Environmental Studies)
Be part of a new vision for science education.
Our students graduate as outstanding science teachers and are in high demand.
Become a science teacher who works with your students to explore compelling classroom and community-based problems. Create playful, active, and rigorous science classrooms where students design their own scientific investigations in order to explore intriguing questions, all the while meeting educational standards. Learn to teach for excellence and engagement, with empathy and respect.
Learn to design and teach problem-solving and inquiry-based lessons in one of our three lab schools during your first semester, develop learning-centered month-long units on science topics of your choice during Curriculum Design, design, and teach experiential science lessons to middle and high school students in another one of our lab schools. Student teach and develop an online professional teaching portfolio that will enable you to create a compelling job application.
This degree is offered by AU New England.
Program Overview
This concentration is the only science teacher licensure graduate program in the country that is housed in an environmental studies department. Ours is one of the first environmental studies departments in the country. Consequently, our graduate students are eager and equipped to infuse their middle-level science (grades 5-8) and life sciences (grades 7-12) with ecology, environmental science, and natural history.
We root science teaching in our own observations, inquiry, and explorations of science, teaching, and learning. In doing what scientists do, we grow our understanding of what it means to create and develop practical and enduring engagements with the subject matter of science. This program also lays the groundwork for approaching science teaching as an ethical enterprise and vocation.
Because you will be earning an MS in Environmental Studies along with your science teaching licensure, you can pursue both formal and non-formal education careers. And for those of you who want to teach during your summers off, you can also find opportunities in non-formal educational settings like summer camps, outdoor adventure programs, science museums, nature centers, and environmental learning centers.
Degree Requirements
Length of Program:
This coursework for this program can be completed in 5 semesters. Classes are held on Thursdays & Fridays, and occasional weekends. Full-time student teaching can take place almost anywhere in the country during the final semester.
Coursework:
To earn the MS degree with licensure in either Life Sciences or Middle-Level Science you must successfully complete a minimum of 36 credits, meet the general education requirements, and satisfy the prerequisites listed below. These prerequisites do not have to be satisfied before you apply or begin the program.
Core Areas (9 credits, select 3 out of 4 courses):
- Earth Systems and Climate Change (3) – Required
- Community Ecology of the New England Landscape (3) – Required
- Political Economy and Sustainability (3)
- Leadership for Change (3)
Concentration courses (18 credits):
- Conceptual and Human Development (3)
- Curriculum Design (3)
- Foundations of Science and Environmental Education (3)
- Problem Solving Science (3)
- Teaching Exceptional Children (2)
- School Law (1)
- Science Teaching Methods (3)
- In consultation with a student’s academic adviser, other courses may be selected from the complete suite of concentration course offerings
Skills courses (3 credits)
- Intro to GIS (3)
- Advanced GIS (3)
- Applied GIS (3)
- Communication in the Digital Age (2)
- Consulting Skills (1)
- Dispute Resolution (1)
- Diversity, Justice & Inclusion (2)
- Field Study Trips (2-3)
- Natural Resource Inventory: field Techniques (2)
- Proposal Writing and Project Management (3)
- Service Learning Seminar (1)
- with permission of the academic adviser, students may substitute 2-3 credits of skills with a concentration course
Capstone – Student Teaching (6 credits)
Most course offerings rotate over a 2-year cycle; Professional Science Masters students should select courses in consultation with their academic adviser to meet additional requirements; Students who select 1 and 2 credit courses should plan carefully with their academic adviser to avoid additional cost; Students entering under a recognized partnership with AUNE should discuss degree requirements with their academic adviser.
Requirements prior to graduation:
In addition to a solid academic background in at least one science area, you must satisfactorily complete (“B” or better) science area courses from an accredited undergraduate or graduate institution (within the last 10 years of beginning the program) before you can be recommended for licensure to the State of NH. The prerequisites do not need to be completed before attending; however, they must be satisfied for recommendation to the NH Department of Education for licensure.
Career Outlook
Our graduates teach life, physical, earth, and environmental science in the middle school, and biology, AP environmental science, and ecology in the high school. All our licensure graduates instill their curricula with an environmental science sustainability and ecology orientation.
For years, 100% of AUNE’s Science Teacher Licensure graduates seeking teaching roles have been hired as science teachers, often within 30 days before or after graduation. There is a critical shortage of middle level and high school science teachers in most states, and a demand for new science teachers is projected into the foreseeable future.
Teacher licensure alumni also direct after-school programs, direct and/or teach in environmental camps and outdoor leadership programs during their summer breaks, as well as write environmental and ecology curricula.
Internships
Teacher licensure students must complete one 6-credit, 15-week full-time student teaching assignment. Student teaching occurs during the fifth and final semester. All students also participate in a weekly seminar, either virtually or at AUNE.
Student teaching can happen in public and private middle and high schools throughout the country. While most of our students find sites in New England, recent graduates have also student taught in California, Colorado, Washington, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. A small sampling of New England-based student teaching sites follows.
New Hampshire
- Contoocook Valley High School, Peterborough, NH, high school biology
- Keene High School, Keene, NH, biology, environmental science, earth science, and oceanography
- Keene Middle School, Keene, NH, 7th grade life science with emphasis on research design, and experimentation
- Kingswood Regional High School, Wolfeboro, NH, honors biology and physical science
- Monadnock Regional High School, East Swanzey, NH, 8th grade physical science
- South Meadow Middle School, Peterborough, NH, general science and mathematics
- Westmoreland School, Westmoreland, NH, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade earth, space, biology, and physical science
- Soughegan High School, Amherst, NH, biology and geology
Maine
- Belfast Area High School, Belfast, ME, biology, environmental science
- Camden-Rockport High School, Camden, ME, middle and high school research biology, laboratory biology, and earth science
- Isleboro Central School, Iselboro, ME, 7th-12th grade biology and marine sciences
- Lakes Region, Bridgton, ME, biology
- Mary E. Taylor Middle School, Camden, ME, general science
Massachusetts
- R.J. Grey Junior High School, Action, MA, 8th grade general science
- Francis W. Parker Charter School, Ayer, MA, 10th-11th grade biology; 9th-10th grade chemistry
- Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, MA, biology (basic and intensive)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Dorchester, MA, 6th and 8th grade general science, hydrology, and astronomy (bilingual science teaching)
- Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA, high school biology and environmental studies
- Shutesbury Elementary School, Shutesbury, MA, 6th grade life science
- Wayland Middle School, Wayland, MA, 7th grade life science
- Pentucket Regional Middle School, West Newbury, MA, 8th grade earth science
Vermont
- Brattleboro Area Middle School, Brattleboro, VT, life, physical, and earth science
- Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro, VT, life science, earth science
- Compass School, Westminster West, VT, life science
- F.H. Tuttle Middle School, Burlington, VT, 6th grade science/mathematics
- Guilford Central School, Guilford, VT, 7th-8th grade general, physical, earth, and life science
- Vergennes Union Junior High School, Vergennes, VT, middle school science and mathematics
- Wilmington High School, Wilmington, VT, biology, and astronomy
Admissions / Cost / Aid
How to Apply
- Complete the online admissions application, including:
- Essay questions, admissions and program-specific
- Resume/curriculum vitae (CV)
- Non-refundable $50 application fee
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities where you earned a degree or certificate.
- email transcripts to [email protected], or
- mail to:
Office of Admissions
Antioch University New England
40 Avon Street
Keene, NH 04341-3516
- Two letters of recommendation are required, from people who are in a position to evaluate your professional or academic work. The person making the recommendation may not be related to you.
- There are additional requirements for International applicants.
- Interview with a faculty member of the department to which you seek entry if selected. This can be in person, by phone, or via Skype.
Official transcripts should be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:
Office of Admissions
Antioch University New England
40 Avon Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03431-3516
All application materials submitted become part of an applicant’s file and cannot be returned.
Application Deadlines
Antioch University New England processes applications for most programs on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as early as possible. All application materials should be received in Admissions by the dates listed below. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Department.
Environmental Studies Master’s Programs:
| Program | Term | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| MS Environmental Studies (All Concentrations) | Fall | July 15 |
| Spring | December 1 |
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ADMISSION PROCESS
Licensure Guidelines and Protocols
- Applicants must provide documentation of passing scores on a nationally recognized standardized test of basic skills, most commonly, the Praxis reading, writing, and math tests (Praxis Core). It may also be possible to fulfill this requirement by submitting passing scores on an out of state test comparable to Praxis Core.
- Graduates of Antioch University New England’s education programs with a NH State Licensure Pathway who have met professional standards and completed NH state licensure requirements by their graduation date will be recommended by AUNE for NH State Licensure.
- NH State law stipulates that the AUNE recommendation shall remain valid with the state for no more than 3 years from the date of the recommendation by the institution.
- Graduates who have not completed AUNE’s licensure requirements will have three years from their graduation date to meet the professional standards in order for AUNE to make the licensure recommendation to the State of NH.
- If it has been three years or more since the date of graduation, AUNE graduates pursuing NH State Licensure can no longer be nominated by AUNE for a license and must pursue an Alternative Pathway to Licensure.
Criminal Record Checks
NH state law [RSA 189:13-a(IX)(b)] requires criminal history record checks, for students who enroll in an educator preparation program at an institution of higher education. Additional criminal history record checks, administered by the placement district(s), are required for student teachers and interns. Additionally, local school districts may require a background check prior to the start of any field experience, and students must comply with the local policies. The cost of all background checks are out-of-pocket costs borne by the student. Your AUNE admissions counselor will provide you with the correct form for your licensure area.
Basic Academic Skills Assessment
All applicants to a New Hampshire Professional Educator Preparation Program must provide documentation of passing scores on a nationally recognized standardized test of basic skills, most commonly, the Praxis reading, writing, and math tests (Praxis Core). It may also be possible to fulfill this requirement by submitting SAT, ACT, or GRE scores to the NH Department of Education for confirmation of passing scores for the year the test was completed. Comparable state-level tests, like The Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure can also be considered. Please ask your admissions counselor for further guidance if you have questions about this requirement. Complete Praxis Testing Requirements for licensure in New Hampshire can be found at www.ets.org/praxis/nh/requirements
Tuition & Financial Aid
A college education is an investment in your future. Let us help you understand the costs and explore the resources available to help make your college education even more affordable. The majority of AUNE students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public, and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants – are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AUNE.
Cost
| Department/Program Name | Tuition Cost per Credit | Total Program Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | ||
| Degrees: | ||
| Resource Management and Administration, MS Leadership & Management of Sustainable Systems | $1,046 | 30 |
| Resource Management and Administration, MS *concentrations in International Sustainable Development & Climate Change, or Sustainable Development and Climate Change | $1,046 | 36-38 (with Professional Science Management designation) |
| Environmental Studies, MS *consult academic catalog for concentrations available within the degree | $1,046 | 36 |
| Environmental Studies, PhD | $1,400 | 69 |
Upcoming Events
Environmental Studies Info Session | AUNE
Environmental Studies Info Session | AUNE
Environmental Studies Info Session | AUNE
Recent News
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Antioch’s RMA Program Teaches Students to Address Complex Challenges in Changing Landscapes
by Kim Snyder on January 11, 2022
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Antioch PhD Candidate Clara Fang Receives Switzer Fellowship for Work in Equity and Inclusion in the Climate Movement
by Hunter Gagnon on November 16, 2021
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Environmental Studies Student Wins First Place: Eagle Hill Graduate Student Poster Award
by Antioch University on October 18, 2021