Complete 15 credits of electives from the following two groups or courses:

1.

Completion of the required coursework (including four approved electives at the graduate level totaling 15 or more credits). Students must achieve a grade of B or better in all courses. SOU permits up to 15 credits of graduate-level courses (quarter hours or their equivalent) to be transferred into the program with advisor approval.

2.

Successful completion of the exit interviews regarding leadership and teaching in environmental education. The 30-40 minute interviews are conducted with two or more faculty members or instructors following the culminating field educational program delivered by the students (Fall in the Field) using the published scoring guides.

3.

All students must complete an oral examination which is attended by the student’s Evaluation Committee which consists of a minimum of three Graduate Faculty, at least two of which are from the Environmental Education faculty or the Biology program.An outside representative from the Graduate Faculty will also attend the Oral Examination.The role of the fourth member is to assure the student is treated fairly and that the standards of SOU are upheld.The oral examination typically takes one-and-a-half hours.It is the responsibility of the student to coordinate a time and place for the examination.

For those students completing the program with a thesis or project, the following applies.Students must apply for completion by thesis or project by the end of the second quarter of coursework at SOU with the Program Coordinator and have secured an advisor at the time of application.Students conducting research in the field of environmental education complete a thesis while those producing a product complete a project.The thesis or project substitutes for one of the science electives.

1.

Teacher licensure. Students may apply for the dual Environmental Education master’s degree/Oregon Initial teacher license. Licensure is available at either the middle/high school level (3/4) or the upper elementary/middle school level (2/3). At the 3/4 level students may seek endorsements in either Integrated Science or Biology and must meet the prerequisite coursework before beginning student teaching. Students seeking licensure at the 2/3 level must meet course prerequisites for that program. Refer to the Education department webpage for a list of the course prerequisites for each program. Teacher licensure requires coursework and student teaching in addition to the requirements for the Environmental Education degree though less than if pursuing both the degree and licensure separately.

2.

Certificate in Nonprofit Management (CNPM). For those intending to work with a non-profit organization or initiate their own program, the CNPM provides vital skills and experiences. The CNPM may be earned with only 18 credits in addition to those required by the Environmental Education master’s program. Refer to the Certificate in Nonprofit Management (CNPM)  section of the catalog for a complete description of the program.