Physics Education Learning Opportunities
Experiential learning is a significant aspect of the Physics Education program at MSU Moorhead. Through exploration of local classrooms, tutoring, social gatherings and more, you’ll uncover countless abilities and opportunities.
Research experience positively impacts your job marketability, as well as applications for advanced research in graduate programs. Faculty mentors are able to write informed and enthusiastic letters of recommendation if you have conducted research in their lab.
As a Physics Education major, you’ll spend time observing, assisting and teaching in local classrooms and have a great deal of field experience prior to your final semester of student teaching. As you are immersed in classrooms of different grade levels and with varying teaching styles, you will be able to develop your own effective teaching method.
The Physics and Astronomy Department offers you the opportunity to be a Learning Assistant for courses you have already taken. It’s a competitive selection process and a privilege that not only deepens your topic knowledge but provides valuable experience communicating science and strengthening your teaching skills.
You have the opportunity to help run outreach activities for the public and K-12 students. Whether helping present sound and light activities to elementary students, circuits with middle school students or robotics with high school students, you will gain skills communicating to others about science. You can also help with a variety of events like Science Olympiad, Science Fair and Expanding Your Horizons. In addition, the Society of Physics Students develops and performs a yearly physics demonstration show for the public.
Faculty and students alike not only attend local, regional and national conferences, they also participate by presenting their research. All of our students present at MSUM’s Student Academic Conference. Other recent opportunities where students have attended and presented include:
Sigma Pi Sigma is MSUM’s physics honors society, which usually holds an annual induction ceremony in the spring for physics honors. (Sigma Pi Sigma chapter number 306 was originally chartered as the Tri-College University Chapter on April 30, 1973).
MSUM’s Society of Physics Students (SPS) is consistently honored and recognized as a Distinguished Chapter from SPS National. This active student organization enjoys a seven-year streak for national awards won by physics students. The group is committed to physics-related outreach in the form of physics demonstrations designed to educate and entertain students and the general public, specifically the annual Halloween show and the SPS Demo Show. They also provide a supportive peer network; facilitate tours and field trips; sponsor guest speakers; and arrange and fund conference participation.
SPS MSUM