Biology Major for the High School Teaching License (9-12) / Bachelor of Arts
Program: BA-BIOL-1
Total Credit Hours: 120
Major Credit Hours: 69
The Department of Biology features a fully approved Biology program that prepares candidates to teach grades 9-12 in Illinois public and private schools. The program is approved by the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education and includes all the requirements for a major in Biology. Biology majors in this concentration must declare majors in both Biology and Secondary Education. See advisors in the Department of Biology and the Department of Education for specific approval and a list of required courses.
Teacher Candidates seeking a Professional Educator License with a Biology Endorsement must complete all requirements of the Department of Education and the following coursework in the content area as well as professional education courses. Only grades of “C” and above are acceptable in professional education courses and any courses counted toward any endorsement or license. A “C-” or lower grade will require that the course be repeated.
Degree Requirements
Biology Department Policies
A grade of “C-” or better must be earned in a prerequisite course in order to advance to the next course in the sequence. Biology majors may take a Biology class only two times. If a student has not achieved a minimum of a “C-” after the second attempt, the student may not repeat the class. The Biology Department will award three hours of credit for the General Education class BIOL 10000 Introduction to Biology when students have received a score of 4 or 5 on AP tests. No credit is awarded for major classes based on AP scores.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses in Biology Major for Teacher Licensure | ||
| Required Courses in Biology: | ||
| BIOL 11000 | General Biology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 11100 | General Biology 1 Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 11500 | General Biology 2 | 4 |
| BIOL 11600 | General Biology 2 Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 22000 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 22100 | Genetics Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 22400 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 22600 | General Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 23300 | Principles of Environmental Science | 4 |
| BIOL 31500 | General Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| BIOL 31600 | General Ecology Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 35500 | Molecular Biochemistry with Clinical Correlates | 3 |
| or BIOL 35700 | Nutritional Biochemistry with Clinical Correlates | |
| BIOL 35600 | Molecular Biochemistry Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 40600 | Molecular Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 49600 | Biology Senior Capstone | 2 |
| Other Requirements: | ||
| BIOL 38500 | Biology Journal Club | 1 |
| CHEM 11000 | General Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 11100 | General Chemistry 1 Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 11500 | General Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 11600 | General Chemistry 2 Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 23000 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 22100 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 23500 | Organic Chemistry 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 22600 | Organic Chemistry 2 Lab | 1 |
| MATH 20900 | Calculus 1 | 4 |
| or MATH 20400 | Calculus for the Life Sciences | |
| PHYS 10500 | Introduction to Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 20000 | College Physics 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 20100 | College Physics 1 Lab | 1 |
| Total Hours | 69 | |
Professional Educator License
Secondary education majors must complete the professional educator program of study in their subject area. See content area for Secondary Licensure content requirements.
Additional Coursework
Although not specifically required for the major, the following courses are strongly recommended for the B.A. degree if the student intends to pursue a graduate degree:
PHYS 20000 College Physics 1
PHYS 20100 College Physics 1 Lab
Advanced Writing Requirement
The advanced writing requirement of the General Education curriculum is satisfied by the successful completion of:
BIOL 38500 Biology Journal Club
BIOL 49600 Biology Senior Capstone