Updated September 2025
Provide evidence for one of the three options listed:
- Take and submit the scores for the GRE.
OR
- Submit two English language research publications in which you are an author.
- At least one needs to be science education related.
- At least one of these publications you must be one of the top three authors.
OR
- Submit a writing sample by responding to the following two essay prompts. Use APA 7th formatting.
- Explain, in detail, a contemporary problem/issue in science education and current, or proposed, attempts to address the problem (max. 1000 words, not including references).
AND - Write a response to one of the scenarios below describing authentic and current initiatives in science education. Please select one (max. 1000 words, not including references).
- In a grant funded STEM project, we have been working for a few years to find ways to engage kids and caregivers in engaging in STEM with the hope they’ll realize that it is approachable and something the kids might consider doing as a degree or for a career someday. We have had pretty good success with developing a variety of kits and activities to engage families and get them started on this pathway but we have faced challenges along the way too. One of the challenges is getting families from traditionally underserved communities to participate. We have done things that we think can help – we’ve gone into these communities to offer programming through local organizations and helped with transportation, food, etc. However, there still seems to be a strong bias toward more privileged families participating. We know you don’t know everything that we’ve tried, but what would be some of your top ideas for how to best engage families from these communities with these opportunities?
- Frequently, classroom science teachers indicate that they don’t have the resources (curriculum, time, materials) to teach science as inquiry. We know from the research that sometimes it is not just a resource issue, but knowledge about, and practice with, teaching science in a manner that aligns with reforms. For these reasons, teachers need to be supported and encouraged to engage in opportunities for professional development. For this prompt, you are part of a project team created to provide rural K-12 teachers professional development focused on examining teachers’ learning about reform-based scientific and engineering practices, such as modeling, design, and argumentation. Select a grade band (elementary, middle, or secondary) and describe how you would set up a program to support these teachers to learn about Science and Engineering Practices. How will you gather data to determine if the teachers are benefiting from the professional development and if their practices are changing?
For your reference, you may include any of the following eight science and engineering practices in your plan.
- Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
- Explain, in detail, a contemporary problem/issue in science education and current, or proposed, attempts to address the problem (max. 1000 words, not including references).