Frequently Asked Questions

We are happy to help students explore all of their options so that they can find the program that best fits their individual interests, aptitudes, and goals. Past applicants have expressed interest in, and sometimes ultimately pursued, the following programs (which are not affiliated with the Masters in STEM Teaching program):

• Curriculum & Instruction programs in the College of Education
  • Science Education programs (including an online M.S. for practicing educators and a traditional doctoral program)
  • Mathematics Education programs (including an online M.S. for practicing educators and a traditional doctoral program)
• Content area Ph.D. programs, course-based M.S. programs, and thesis-based M.S. programs in...
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Engineering
  • Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science (EOAS)
  • Mathematics
  • Physics

The Science Education Department offers majors under the College of Education's Curriculum and Instruction degree, including M.S., Ph.D., and Specialist degrees. The Masters in STEM Teaching program is a stand-alone M.S. program in the College of Arts & Sciences. MST offers a major in College STEM Teaching in which the emphasis is on extending and deepening the STEM background of its students through graduate coursework in their STEM content areas, as well as providing strong preparation in the pedagogical aspects of STEM teaching and learning, including high-quality, extended teaching internships. All MST students are required to take content area coursework and to complete multiple teaching internships. In MST, the focus is on STEM disciplinary excellence and mastering the practices of teaching, and students are not required to engage in educational research. 

Both MST and FSU-Teach provide majors in the College of Arts & Sciences that prepare future STEM teachers. However, MST is a graduate-level program that no longer has a secondary teaching track, while FSU-Teach is an undergraduate major that only has a secondary teaching track. MST is housed in the Office of STEM Teaching Activities, the director of which is Dr. Ellen Granger, who is also the Co-Director of FSU-Teach. While faculty from both MST and FSU-Teach work closely together and at times overlap, the two programs are distinct. MST serves graduate students working toward becoming college STEM teachers, while FSU-Teach serves undergraduate students focused on becoming secondary (grades 6-12) STEM teachers. 

Undergraduate students who would like to become certified secondary STEM teachers should contact FSU-Teach. Students who have completed their undergraduate education with a major in a STEM discipline might consider completing the MST program in pursuit of their secondary certification, but MST is NOT a certification program and students would be responsible for independently understanding and pursuing alternative certification channels. MST advisors may be able to provide flexibility in allowing MST students to pursue a course of studies heavy on secondary education elective courses. 

Because MST is a course-based M.S. program, there is no formal thesis defense. In lieu of a master's thesis, students in this program complete a "Teacher Work Sample" (TWS) within their Half-Time Teaching Internship. 

The MST College STEM Teaching major was designed in collaboration with 2-year college administrators to allow students to meet the minimum credentialing requirements for instructors of 2-year colleges in Florida. Whether graduates will be competitive in obtaining such jobs varies by institution. Different institutions may answer to different accreditation councils, and accreditation councils set standards on instructor credentialing. 

The program recognizes a score of 50 on the SPEAK test or a score of 26 on the spoken part of the IBTOEFL as certifying spoken English competency for international students. The SPEAK test (administered by the Center for Intensive English Studies) is to be taken by all international students from countries where English is not the native language when they first arrive on campus, normally in the week before classes. International students will have one calendar year from the time they enter the program to pass the SPEAK test with a 50 or better.

International students will be ineligible to complete their teaching internships until they pass the SPEAK test, and as internships are a requirement of graduation, will be unable to complete their degree. Petitions for exceptions must be approved by the Program Director in consultation with the teaching internship host institution. The Center for Intensive English Studies offers courses in spoken English for students requiring remediation. Students who have not passed their SPEAK test will be required to take spoken English courses every semester until they pass or are certified (e.g., EAP 4830 Spoken English for International TAs, EAP 4831 Advanced Spoken English for ITAs, or EAP 4832 Pronunciation for ITAs).