Biology: Secondary Education BA/BS

The Teacher Education program prepares candidates for certification in grades K-12. The Secondary Education program requires 27 credits of Education course work in professional foundations and studies and 13 credits during internship. Students apply for admission to the program after successfully completing nine credits of Education course work in professional foundations. During the course of the studies, candidates may be asked to reapply to the program if their GPA falls below 3.0 in general course work and 3.0 in their selected content area(s) of endorsement.

Teaching endorsement areas are attached to a Standard Instructional Certificate (grades K-12), according to Idaho Teacher Certification standards. All endorsements require a minimum of 45 semester credits, with the exception of dual endorsements where 30 semester for a major endorsement and 20 semester credits for a minor endorsement is required. The following LC State areas are approved for teaching field majors: Biology, Chemistry, Communication Arts, Earth Science, English; Kinesiology-Physical Education K-12 and Health 6-12; Mathematics; Natural Sciences; Psychology; and Social Science with a History emphasis (see degree requirements for each major). Teacher candidates must successfully pass the related Praxis II exam in their teaching content area(s).

For marketability purposes, students are encouraged to pursue endorsements and minors in a second teaching field; consult with an advisor for the proper procedure. Secondary Education majors must have a content area advisor and a Secondary Education advisor.

Graduates from other colleges or universities seeking secondary teacher certification must fulfill all Secondary Education professional course work requirements in addition to meeting all academic major or minor teaching field requirements for subject area endorsement.

Students in the Teacher Education Certification program are expected to provide evidence through performance that they have met Idaho's requirements for certification and become dedicated and knowledgeable professionals, content specialists, competent educational designers, capable educational facilitators, insightful educational evaluators, reflective professionals, and culturally responsive professionals before being recommended for teacher certification.

Advising

Secondary Teacher Education candidates must have two advisors; one for their academic major and one for teacher certification.

General Education Requirements

Written Communication
Select one of the following:6.00
WRITING AND RHETORIC I
and WRITING AND RHETORIC II
COLLEGE WRITING AND RESEARCH
Oral Communication
Select one from the following:3.00
FUNDAMENTALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION
SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Mathematical Ways of Knowing
Select one of the following:3.00-5.00
COLLEGE ALGEBRA
COLLEGE ALGEBRA AND TRIGONOMETRY
CALCULUS I
Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing
Select one course from two categories:6.00-8.00
Literature
LITERATURE AND IDEAS
WORLD CLASSICS
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE
MYTHOLOGIES
Arts
INTRODUCTION TO ART
THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURE
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS
SURVEY OF MUSIC
MUSIC IN AMERICA
WORLD MUSIC
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER
HISTORY OF JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC STYLES
SURVEY OF THE THEATER
Language
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II
Scientific Ways of Knowing
CHEM-111PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I4.00
PHYS-111GENERAL PHYSICS I4.00
Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing
PSYC-205LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY3.00
Select one of the following:3.00
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
WORLD PREHISTORY
INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
WORLD HISTORY I
WORLD HISTORY II
UNITED STATES HISTORY I
UNITED STATES HISTORY II
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Diversity
Select one of the following:3.00-4.00
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
WORLD PREHISTORY
INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
RACE AND ETHNICITY
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
NATIVE AMERICAN WRITTEN LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
WORLD HISTORY I
WORLD HISTORY II
UNITED STATES HISTORY I
UNITED STATES HISTORY II
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
ETHICS AND IDENTITY
SOCIAL-CULTURAL ASPECTS OF SPORTS
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
Integrative Seminar: Ethics & Values
Select one of the following:3.00
ID 300A - 300Z (see course descriptions for options)
HELLS CANYON INSTITUTE
Foreign/Heritage Language
Select 16 credits of language if selecting Bachelor of Arts Degree16.00
Total Credits38.00-43.00

Program Requirements

Secondary certification candidates must meet the graduation requirements for their major and the Secondary Teacher Education Program and must have two advisors. (see below)

Biology Program
BIOL-181ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, DIVERSITY OF LIFE4.00
BIOL-182CONCEPTS IN CELLULAR MECHANISMS4.00
BIOL-331ECOLOGY3.00
BIOL-341GENETICS4.00
BIOL-372COMPUTATIONAL BIOSTATISTICS4.00
CHEM-112PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II4.00
CALCULUS I (Required if not taken as core)
PHYS-111GENERAL PHYSICS I4.00
PHYS-112GENERAL PHYSICS II4.00
Select one of the following:
BIOL-213PLANT AND ANIMAL FORM AND FUNCTION4.00
or BIOL-227 HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
Select one of the following:4.00
MAMMALOGY
ORNITHOLOGY
ICHTHYOLOGY
ENTOMOLOGY
FIELD BOTANY
Selectives
Select any BIOL courses numbered 200 or higher 13.00-4.00
Secondary Education Certificate
See Secondary Education Certificate Requirements below
Total Credits42.00-43.00
1

See Catalog section "Teacher Education Division: Secondary Teacher Certification" regarding certification requirements for this major. Selective course choices could be affected.

Secondary Education Certificate Requirements

Application for admission to the Teacher Education Program is required after successful completion of the first three Phase I courses.

Phase I - Professional Foundations of Education
ED-214PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION 13.00
ED-225TECHNOLOGIES FOR TEACHING, K-123.00
ED-318ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 13.00
ED-321EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 13.00
ED-345CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING3.00
SE-322INCLUSION STRATEGIES K-12 (may be taken in Phase I or Phase II)3.00
Phase II - Professional Studies in Education
ED-445INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, 6-123.00
ED-447TEACHING METHODS IN THE CONTENT AREA2.00
RE-309DISCIPLINARY LITERACY3.00
Phase III - Instructional Methods in Education
ED-452INTERNSHIP SEMINAR1.00
ED-460PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 6-1212.00
Total Credits39.00
1

Additional requirements must be met for teacher certification. See your Teacher Education Division advisor for details.

No grade lower than a “C-” will be accepted in any General Education core, Content Major, or 200-level Professional Foundations course. No grade lower than a “B-” will be accepted in any 300- or 400-level education courses in the Secondary Education Program.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission into the Secondary Teacher Education Program. Candidates must also maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in their content area classes.

Sequential Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
CHEM-111 PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I 4.00
COREOral Communication 3.00
ENGL-101 WRITING AND RHETORIC I 3.00
COREMATH-143, MATH-147 or MATH-170 3.00-5.00
 Credits13.00-15.00
Spring
CHEM-112 PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II 4.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
ENGL-102 WRITING AND RHETORIC II 3.00
MATH-253 STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE SCIENCES 3.00
PSYC-205 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 3.00
 Credits16.00
Second Year
Fall
BIOL-181 ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, DIVERSITY OF LIFE 4.00
COREDiversity 3.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
PHYS-111 GENERAL PHYSICS I 4.00
Program RequirementSelect BIOL course in 200/300/400 level 4.00
 Credits18.00
Spring
BIOL-182 CONCEPTS IN CELLULAR MECHANISMS 4.00
BIOL-213
PLANT AND ANIMAL FORM AND FUNCTION
or HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
4.00
COREIntegrative Seminar: Ethics & Values 3.00
CORESocial & Behavioral Ways of Knowing 3.00
PHYS-112 GENERAL PHYSICS II 4.00
 Credits18.00
Third Year
Fall
BIOL-331 ECOLOGY 3.00
BIOL-341 GENETICS 4.00
BIOL-372 COMPUTATIONAL BIOSTATISTICS 4.00
Program RequirementBIOL-401, BIOL-402, BIOL-403, BIOL-404 or BIOL-450 4.00
 Credits15.00
 Total Credits80.00-82.00

Secondary Education Certificate Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ED-214 PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION 3.00
ED-225 TECHNOLOGIES FOR TEACHING, K-12 3.00
ED-318 ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 3.00
ED-321 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 3.00
ED-345 CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING 3.00
 Credits15.00
Spring
ED-445 INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, 6-12 3.00
ED-447 TEACHING METHODS IN THE CONTENT AREA 2.00
RE-309 DISCIPLINARY LITERACY 3.00
SE-322 INCLUSION STRATEGIES K-12 3.00
 Credits11.00
Second Year
Fall
ED-452 INTERNSHIP SEMINAR 1.00
ED-460 PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 6-12 12.00
 Credits13.00
 Total Credits39.00

Graduates with a BA/BS in Biology: Secondary Education go on to obtain careers in a variety of fields:

  • Secondary Biology Teacher (6-12)
  • Adult and Continuing Education
  • Research
  • Lab Technician
  • Training Specialist
  • Business and Industry
  • Instructional Coach