Department of Biology Teacher Certification

1.& 2 - The two main paths

1. Primary Education (teaching grade school)

You will major in Elementary Education.  You would also seek a minor in one of the three concentrations listed below.  Your adviser would be in the education department.  The three concentrations, and the required biology courses that fit each of the three concentrations, are listed below.  The required courses are enough credit hours to fulfill the requirement for a minor

2. Secondary Education (middle school and high school)
A common path through the Biology Department is to major in Biology or Biology-Chemistry.  Then take the Life Science Teaching track to get all of the science courses needed to teach Life Science in Middle & High School.

In addition to the courses for a major in Biology, you also take the courses you need to get certified in secondary education.

For example. I majored in Biology and minored in secondary education.  Majoring in Biology I took all of the courses required of any biology major.  I then took the biology courses that fit the concentration "Teaching Life Science".  The combination added up to enough credits to qualify for a major in biology.  I then took a minor in secondary education and got my teaching certificate for secondary education teaching life science.  To see the requirements for majoring in Biology or Biology-Chemistry, click here.

ADVISER: 
          A. For primary education, your primary adviser will be in the education department.  You would also have an adviser in the Biology, Chemistry or Environmental Science Department.
          B. For secondary education, your primary adviser will be in the Biology, Chemistry or Environmental Science Department.  You would also have an adviser in the education department.

LIFE SCIENCE TEACHING

This program of study coupled with Core 6 covers all six areas required by the state for a license to teach Life Science at the middle school, jr. high and high school levels.  These areas are:

1. Cells                                            2. Heredity
3. Evolution                                     4. Biological Organization
5. Animal Behavior                          6. Interdependence of Organisms

If  for Secondary education, you obtain either a major or a group-major (Biology or Biology-Chemistry) in the Natural Science Division.  You then take the courses for a secondary education minor.

If for Elementary education the 21 biology credit hours listed below fulfill the requirements for a biology minor for elementary education majors.

You must take:
A. 21 credit hours of Biology
B. in those 21 hours you must have 8 credits of Bio 111-112: "General Biology"
C. You will also take at least 13 credit hours of Biology electives distributed as follows:
    1. 3-4 credit hours from cellular-subcellular level course listed below:
        Bio 121: Anatomy & Physiology I    3 credit hrs.
        Bio 323: Intro Microbiology    4credit hrs.
        Bio 327: Human Medical Physiology   4credit hrs.
        Bio 337: Genetics     4credit hrs.
        Bio 345: Histology     3 credit hrs.
        Bio/Chm 379: Biochemistry    4credit hrs.
        Bio 343: Cellular & Molecular Biology   3credit hrs.
   2. 3-4 credit hours from an organismal level course listed below:
        Bio 122: Anatomy & Physiology II   3
        Bio 218: Intro Forensic Science    3
        Bio 220: Amphibian Research   1-3
        Bio 225: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy  4
        Bio 231: Entomology      3
        Bio 232: Invertebrate Zoology    3
        Bio 234: Herpetology   3
        Bio 236: Ornithology & Mammalogy   3
        Bio 346: Animal Behavior    3
  3. 3-4 credit hours from the population level course listed below:
        Bio 233: Ecology      3
        Bio 346: Environmental research
        Bio 339: Conservation Biology   
        Bio 479: Restoration Ecology
 

Biology Home page