Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Education (Middle Level Education; Teacher Certification in Science, Grades Four through Eight)

Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours

Admission Requirements

  1. All students pursuing teacher certification must apply and be accepted to the Office of Educator Preparation.

General Requirements

  1. To satisfy graduation requirements for teacher certification, students must have an Overall GPA of at least 2.75, as well as grades of “C” or better in all courses within the Major(s), Teaching Field(s), Certification area(s), and/or in the Education Minor.
  2. Students entering Texas State with fewer than 16 hours completed after high school graduation will be required to take US 1100. All others will be exempt from taking this course but will be required to earn an additional free elective, if needed, to reach the 120 minimum total hour requirement for the awarding of a degree.
  3. Any degree program of 122 hours or more may be considered a five-year program. To complete the predetermined sequence of courses in 4 years, students will most likely need to attend summer sessions.

  4. The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.

  5. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires multiple background checks for progression through the Educator Preparation Program. Based on information recorded in your criminal history, you may be ineligible for issuance of a teaching certificate upon completion of the Educator Preparation Program. If you have a criminal history, you may obtain a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation from TEA. For more information, go to:  https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs/.

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
US 11001ENG 1320 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1302])3
ART 2313, DAN 2313, MU 2313, or TH 2313 (Creative Arts Component Code 050 [TCCN HUMA 1315])3BIO 1331 (TCCN BIOL 1307)3
ENG 1310 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1301])3BIO 1131 (TCCN BIOL 1107)1
MATH 1315 or 1319 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 1314 or 1324])3CHEM 1341 (TCCN CHEM 1311)3
BIO 1330 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1306])3CHEM 1141 (TCCN CHEM 1111)1
BIO 1130 (TCCN BIOL 1106)1COMM 1310 (Component Area Option Code 090/091 [TCCN SPCH 1311])3
ENG Literature (Component Area Option Code 090/094 [TCCN ENGL 2322, 2323, 2332, 2333, 2327, or 2328])3Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 0803
 17 17
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
American History Component Code 0603American History Component Code 0603
POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2306])3PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1301 or 2306])3
CHEM 1342 (TCCN CHEM 1312)3POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305])3
CHEM 1142 (TCCN CHEM 1112)1MATH 2321 (TCCN MATH 2313)13
PHYS 1365 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN PHYS 1310])3MATH 2328 (TCCN MATH 1342)3
Science Electives33 
 16 15
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
Education Core6CI 43553
 SPED 43443
 BIO 44034
MATH 3315 or CI 23553PHYS 1340 or 1350 (TCCN ASTR 1304 or 1303)3
BIO 2450 (TCCN BIOL 2416)24Science Electives33
BIO 44024 
 17 16
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
Middle School Field-Based Block:9EDST 46806
  
  
  
CI 33403 
BIO 44084 
 16 6
Total Hours: 120
2

Students should take BIO 2450 prior to/during the first semester of their Junior Year.

1

 While not recommended, previously completed courses in some areas can be substituted for the following degree requirements:

3

Science Electives must be chosen from the following: BIO 2@, BIO 3@, BIO 4@, GEOL 3@, OR GEOL 4@.