2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Nov 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Biology, BS; Teacher Preparation in Biology Concentration


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study

A student may seek secondary teaching licensure in biology. This program consists of courses required for the biology major as well as additional education coursework and the professional semester consisting of 12 hours in the senior year. If an additional endorsement in chemistry or physics is desired, the student must minor in that discipline and meet all state-mandated core requirements for that endorsement. Interested students should meet with secondary science education faculty for advising on preparation for secondary science teaching.

Civitae Core Requirement (39-40 credits)


Civitae Core Curriculum  

Biology majors in Teacher Preparation may count Civitae Core courses satisfying major requirements as also satisfying their respective Pillar and Perspectives requirements.  The following are the courses in this major that may be used in this way:

  • EDUC 245  can satisfy the Human Behavior and Social Institutions Pillar requirement
  • MATH 171  can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Pillar requirement
  • CHEM 111  can satisfy the Scientific Reasoning Pillar requirement
  • MATH 301 ​ can satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning Perspectives requirement
  • EASC 300  can satisfy the Scientific Reasoning Perspectives requirement 

Courses satisfying major requirements that are designated as Civitae Core courses subsequent to the print deadline of this Catalog will not appear in the above listings but will be eligible to also satisfy Civitae Core requirements, subject to the same rules as the others.  (If doing so would otherwise decrease the total credits required for the degree below 120, General Elective credit must be substituted to restore the total.) 

Additional Degree Requirements (4 credits)


Major Requirements (50 credits) (plus 9 credits counted in Civitae)


Area Requirements (12 credits)


All students must successfully complete at least one class from each area below.

Biology Elective Requirements (10 credits)


Students must complete at least 10 additional Biology elective credits from BIOL 206-BIOL 499, with a minimum of 3 credits from BIOL 400 to BIOL 491. These biology electives may be selected from additional courses in the areas or from the elective courses offered on a rotating basis.

However, to meet Virginia teaching licensure requirements, the Teacher Preparation in Biology Concentration requires that these electives, or the above area requirements, include a course in each of the following topics:

  • Botany (satisfied by BIOL 309 or BIOL 460 with a field botany focus)
  • Zoology (satisfied by BIOL 303, BIOL 306, BIOL 315, BIOL 370, BIOL 371, or BIOL 374)
  • Anatomy/physiology (satisfied by BIOL 206, BIOL 207, BIOL 301, or BIOL 302)

General Electives


General Electives for BS degree: 3 credits

Total Credits Required


BS in Biology with Teacher Preparation in Biology Concentration 127-128  

*For additional endorsement to teach Chemistry, Minor in Chemistry 22-23 credits
*For additional endorsement to teach Physics, Minor in Physics 20 credits

*Students seeking endorsement in these areas must meet criteria established by the State Department of Education.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study