OVERVIEW

Biology with Initial Teacher Licensure

Students within our Biology major can pursue initial licensure as high school Biology teachers. This program provides students with both a broad introduction to high school teaching and specific instruction in the theory, research and practice of secondary science teaching.

The Secondary Education Teaching Licensure in Biology program seeks to prepare outstanding educators with a strong foundation in Biological content. Students engage in field-based experiences in the school setting supervised by our faculty through on-site pre-practicum experiences coupled with each teaching course and a formal teaching practicum as the capstone experience.

The Curriculum

Biology with Initial Teacher Licensure Concentration

Students interested in pursuing Initial Teacher Licensure must apply for formal admission to the program. For information about undergraduate requirements in teacher preparation, see the section titled: Teacher Preparation Programs
(Undergraduate) The Bachelor of Science in Biology with Initial Teacher
Licensure includes all of the requirements for the Biology major. Among the 6 Biology electives, teacher candidates must take BIOL 3450 Cell Biology, One of the 6 Biology electives must also satisfy the Capstone requirement. MATH
1700 Applied Statistics must be taken as one of the two math courses at or above the level of MATH 1300. In addition, Biology teacher candidates must also take the following courses, two of which count towards the 6 Biology electives:
GEOG 1000 Earth Systems Science 3 cr.
BIOL 2860 Introduction to Secondary School Teaching* 3 cr.
SPED 3800 Secondary Programs for Adolescents with Disabilities* 3 cr.
ENGL 4700 Teaching Reading and Writing Across the Content Area* 3 cr.
BIOL 4850 Methods in Teaching Science** (counts as one of 6 Biology electives) 3 cr.
BIOL 4860 Biology Practicum in a Secondary School I (counts as one of 6 Biology electives) 3 cr.
BIOL 4870 Biology Practicum in a Secondary School II (taken concurrently with BIOL 4860 for a total of 300 hrs. of Practicum experience) 3 cr.
*Students must have an overall GPA of 2.5 to take any of these courses.
**Students must have an overall GPA of 2.75, 3.0 in the major courses and passing score on the MTEL Communication and Literacy and Subject Area Exam.

High school Biology teaching is a high-demand field seeking qualified, educated graduates. Our program is nationally accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and boasts graduates working in high schools throughout the region.

DEPARTMENT HOME PAGE

HOW TO APPLY

For more information and to apply, go to www.fitchburgstate.edu/admissions.