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STEM specialization for PK-12 educators
The University of St. Thomas' School of Engineering and School of Education collaborate to provide the STEM Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education. This graduate certificate is designed for in-service PK-12 educators who want hands-on experience in STEM education with engineering. This program is a rigorous introduction to integrated STEM engineering content, with an emphasis placed on how to apply the material in PK-12 classrooms.
Courses in this program may be taken separately or as part of the STEM Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education and may be transferred into the University of St. Thomas Master of Arts in Educational Studies graduate program.
For questions about how to apply, please contact:
Graduate Student Services
email: [email protected]
phone: 651-962-5500
For questions about the curriculum, please contact:
Kelsey Irizarry
Director, Center for Engineering Education
email: [email protected]
phone: 651-962-5508
Funding support is now available for PK-12 educators to earn a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education from the University of St. Thomas.
The program investment of $4,800 covers 12 graduate credits of hands-on learning you'll bring directly to your classroom. Through a competitive grant opportunity, educators may receive full funding support to cover the entire cost of the program. The program is open to all teachers with grant funding for 12 educators. We encourage early application, as submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Specialize in Engineering Education
The Engineering for Educators STEM graduate certificate program consists of four courses (12 graduate credits).
Required core courses:
Choose one engineering elective:
Get the Facts
View this short video to gain an overview of the Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education program for Pre K - 12 educators. Start bringing STEM to your classroom today!
$1,200.00* per 3-credit course
SPECIAL DISCOUNT:
All students in the Engineering for Educators Certificate program are eligible to receive the special discounted graduate tuition rate of $1,200 per 3-credit course. The regular tuition for St.Thomas graduate courses outside of this program is $3,930 per course for Spring 2025 - meaning enrollees in this program save over 70%!
* The Murray Institute for Catholic Education offers additional tuition funding for eligible applicants that work within Catholic Schools or parishes within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. If you are an eligible Catholic teacher, please contact Annie Foley at [email protected] if you have questions about applying for tuition funding.
If you choose to park on the University of St. Thomas campus, you must either have a permit or pay for hourly parking. Graduate students have several options for parking:
$1,200.00* per 3-credit course
SPECIAL DISCOUNT:
All students in the Engineering for Educators Certificate program are eligible to receive the special discounted graduate tuition rate of $1,200 per 3-credit course. The regular tuition for St.Thomas graduate courses outside of this program is $3,930 per course for Spring 2025 - meaning enrollees in this program save over 70%!
* The Murray Institute for Catholic Education offers additional tuition funding for eligible applicants that work within Catholic Schools or parishes within the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. If you are an eligible Catholic teacher, please contact Annie Foley at [email protected] if you have questions about applying for tuition funding.
If you choose to park on the University of St. Thomas campus, you must either have a permit or pay for hourly parking. Graduate students have several options for parking:
If you have questions about the application process, please contact Graduate Student Services at [email protected].
Dive into the engineering disciplines with experiences and curriculum in electronics, machine design, manufacturing engineering, computer programming, thermodynamics, statics, fluids and mechanics of materials. Engaging engineering professors relate the content to the classroom and curriculum.
Contact course instructor Dr. Deb Besser with any questions.
This hands-on course is designed for educators. Topics include an overview of current P-12 engineering, exploration of pedagogy and content, links to academic standards and assessment of classroom initiatives. Educators will learn of programs, methods and other educators who have introduced engineering into P-12 classes across several disciplines. Engineering resources for teachers will be presented. Educators will create a unit or module focused on a hands-on engineering activity for P-12 students in their licensure area.
Contact course instructors Dr. Debbie Monson or Dr. Deb Besser if you have any questions.
The engineering design process for PK-12 educators: design projects, hands-on computer labs, lectures and field trips will introduce students to how the engineering design process is applied in a variety of fields. Students will learn how to create engineering drawings, apply an engineering design process, use computer-aided-design (CAD) technology and work with rapid prototyping tools. Strategies for incorporating engineering design projects into the K-12 classroom will be discussed.
An introduction to electricity, intended to help those who would like to better understand, use, and teach basic electrical concepts and tools. Topics will include: Physical principles of energy in electrical form (voltage, current, resistance, power), key laws of circuit theory (Ohm's law, Kirchoff's laws, conservation of power), common electronic components (sources/batteries, resistors, capacitors, diodes, LEDs, etc.), basic circuit design and analysis, circuit prototyping and construction (breadboards, soldering, etc.), typical lab tools (hand tools, multimeter, oscilloscope, function generator, etc.) and a brief introduction to concepts of digital electronics. This course offers a mix of theory and hands-on learning, as well as an exploration of techniques, tools, and resources for teaching electrical concepts.
Contact course instructor Prof. Andrew Tubesing with any questions.
This course explores the fundamentals principles that have enabled the digital computing revolution in communications, computing, entertainment, and monitoring systems. Educators will learn about the binary number system, Boolean logic, design of digital systems, the architecture of a microprocessor, interfacing it with external circuitry/sensors and communicating with the processor through a computer programming language.
Contact course instructor Dr. Kundan Nepal with any questions.
Unlock the secrets of how materials marvels, like graphene, shape memory metal, Kevlar, and diamond, attain their exceptional properties. Educators will explore why the materials around us display the collage of properties they do, and how we can engineer materials to attain the properties we desire. This course will step through the various properties of materials (mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, magnetic and deteriorative) and reveal how each of these is intimately linked with the underlying structure of the material. A final project will be due at the end of the course.
Contact course instructor Dr. Brittany Nelson-Cheeseman for more information.
This course covers the basic principles and processes of how things are made. The topics covered will be a survey of how materials go from their initial acquisition from the earth to useful products. This will include traditional metal shaping processes (casting, forming, machining, etc.), traditional plastic shaping processes (thermoforming, injection molding, extrusion, etc.) and new processes such as micro- and nano-manufacturing and 3D printing.
Contact course instructor Dr. John Wentz with any questions.
Introduction to statics, strength of materials, and structures. Topics include Newton’s Laws, equilibrium equations, analysis of determinate systems, load tracing, stress, strain, deformation, cross-sectional properties, shear and bending moments, axial member analysis and structural systems behavior. Each unit includes historic and critical issue connections. Emphasis is placed on how the material is used in the built environment and is relevant to P-12 education settings.
Contact Dr. Deb Besser with any questions.
"The rigorous content of the courses had me utilizing all my skills as a life-long learner. The professors were fantastic about making sure that I understood what I needed to [know] and more importantly that the material fit my classroom. This experience has increased my confidence in bringing engineering lessons into the classroom."
Anne currently teaches Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
"Everything I learned in my first class in the Engineering for Educators program has had an immediate impact in my classroom. This program has helped me develop new and better ways to foster creative confidence in my students, has grown my own abilities as a creative person and has help me raise the bar for the whole STEM program at my school."
