About
Seminars on Science is the American Museum of Natural History’s online professional learning program for educators. Since 2000, Seminars on Science has engaged over 10,000 educators around the world in cutting-edge research and provided them with valuable classroom resources.
The program offers six-week online graduate courses in the life, Earth, and physical sciences. The courses are asynchronous, providing students with the flexibility to complete weekly activities at their own pace. The course format includes case studies, textbook readings, videos, interactive simulations, image galleries, and vibrant discussions that connect students to the Museum’s scientists, laboratories, expeditions, and specimens. Each course is co-taught by an experienced educator and research scientist in a manner consistent with the Next Generation Science Standards. Sessions are offered year-round, and graduate credit is available for all courses through partnerships with colleges and universities.
Independent evaluation shows that students come away from Seminars on Science with a deeper understanding of science content and scientific inquiry, and are able to put the program’s digital resources to effective use in their classrooms. They also prefer Seminars on Science to locally available professional development programs.
Seminars on Science has received support from organizations including The Atlantic Philanthropies, NASA, NOAA, NSF, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.