Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Biology (Secondary Education; Teacher Certification in Life Science, Grades Seven through Twelve, with Double Major in B.S. Education)

Minimum required: 120-121 semester credit hours

Admission Requirement

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

General Requirements

  1. 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.
  2. This degree program is designed to prepare students for secondary teacher certification in Life Science and requires that students pursue a double major by declaring and completing requirements for both the major in Biology and the major in Education, which includes the following courses:
    Education Foundations
    CI 2310Education for Change3
    CI 3325Adolescents and Society3
    CI 4332Secondary Teaching: Curriculum and Technology3
    Teaching and Learning
    CI 3340Teaching for Linguistic Diversity3
    CI 4343Instructional Strategies for the Secondary Teacher3
    CI 4370Building Relationships in the Secondary Classroom3
    CI 4372Teaching in Communities3
    RDG 3323Teaching Literacies in the Content Areas3
    SPED 4344Educating Students with Mild Disabilities3
    Clinical Practice
    EDST 4681Clinical Teaching 7-126
    Total Hours33
  3. Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
  4. Nine credit hours must be writing intensive (WI).
  5. 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
  6. If two years of the same foreign language were taken in high school, then no additional language hours will be required for the degree. In the absence of such high school language, two semesters of the same modern language must be taken at the college level.
  7. Students entering Texas State with fewer than 16 credit hours completed after high school graduation will be required to take US 1100. All others will be exempt from taking this course. Students may be required to earn an additional elective to reach the 120 minimum total credit hour requirement for the awarding of a degree.
  8. All students seeking teacher certification must apply for and be admitted to the Educator Preparation Program in order to enroll in education coursework and student teaching in the Junior and Senior years.  Refer to the requirements for Admittance to the Educator Preparation Program through the Office of Educator Preparation.  (Hyperlink is https://next.mycatalog.txstate.edu/undergraduate/education/office-of-educator-preparation/)
  9. 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/.

  10. For transfer students, 24 semester credit hours in biology, chemistry and physics (or their equivalents) may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Biology Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.

    BIO 1330Functional Biology3
    TCCN: BIOL 1306
    BIO 1130Functional Biology Laboratory1
    TCCN: BIOL 1106
    BIO 1331Organismal Biology3
    TCCN: BIOL 1307
    BIO 1131Organismal Biology Laboratory1
    TCCN: BIOL 1107
    CHEM 1341General Chemistry I3
    TCCN: CHEM 1311
    CHEM 1141General Chemistry Laboratory I1
    TCCN: CHEM 1111
    CHEM 1342General Chemistry II3
    TCCN: CHEM 1312
    CHEM 1142General Chemistry Laboratory II1
    TCCN: CHEM 1112
    CHEM 2341Organic Chemistry I3
    TCCN: CHEM 2323
    CHEM 2141Organic Chemistry Laboratory I1
    TCCN: CHEM 2123
    PHYS 1315General Physics I3
    TCCN: PHYS 1301
    PHYS 1115General Physics I Laboratory1
    TCCN: PHYS 1101
    Total Hours24
  11. For transfer students, 6 semester credit hours in Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Associate of Arts in Teaching Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Education at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.
    CI 2310Education for Change (CI ELNA)3
    TCCN: EDUC 1301
    SPED 4344Educating Students with Mild Disabilities (CI ELNA)3
    TCCN: EDUC 2301

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
BIO 1330 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1306])3BIO 1331 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1307])3 
BIO 11301BIO 11311 
CHEM 1341
CHEM 1141
4CHEM 1342
CHEM 1142
4 
US 11001Communication Component Code 0103 
POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2306])3COMM 1310 (Component Area Option Code 090/091 [TCCN SPCH 1311])3 
Communication Component Code 0103POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305])3 
 15 17 
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHoursSummerHours
BIO 24504Choose one from the following:4American History Component Code 0603
PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1301 or PHIL 2306])13 American History component Code 0603
MATH 2321 or 2471 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 2313 or MATH 2413])3-4  
CHEM 2330
CHEM 2130
4MATH 2328, 2331, or 24723-4 
 CI 23103 
 Choose 4 hours from the following:4 
   
   
 
PHYS 2325
PHYS 2125 (TCCN PHYS 2325 & PHYS 2125)
  
 14-15 14-15 6
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
Education Core:6Block I:9 
   
   
BIO 44164  
Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 0803Choose 4 hours from the following:4 
Component Area Option Codes 0903  
   
   
   
 Creative Arts Component Code 050 [HUMA 1315]3 
 16 16 
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
BIO 4408 or 430524-3Clinical Practice: Student Teaching6 
BIO 43013  
Block II:9  
   
   
   
 16-15 6 
Total Hours: 120-121
1

While PHIL 1305 or PHIL 1320 are strongly preferred, the department will allow other Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 courses to satisfy this requirement.

2

Neither BIO 4305 nor BIO 4408 count as advanced electives in any other degree program in Biology.