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:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   Education Foundations
   CI 2310	Education for Change	3
   CI 3325	Adolescents and Society	3
   CI 4332	Secondary Teaching: Curriculum and Technology	3
   Teaching and Learning
   CI 3340	Teaching for Linguistic Diversity	3
   CI 4343	Instructional Strategies for the Secondary Teacher	3
   CI 4370	Building Relationships in the Secondary Classroom	3
   CI 4372	Teaching in Communities	3
   RDG 3323	Teaching Literacies in the Content Areas	3
   SPED 4344	Educating Students with Mild Disabilities	3
   Clinical Practice
   EDST 4681	Clinical Teaching 7-12	6
   Total Hours		33

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.

    Course List

    Code	Title	Hours
    BIO 1330	Functional Biology	3
    TCCN: BIOL 1306
    BIO 1130	Functional Biology Laboratory	1
    TCCN: BIOL 1106
    BIO 1331	Organismal Biology	3
    TCCN: BIOL 1307
    BIO 1131	Organismal Biology Laboratory	1
    TCCN: BIOL 1107
    CHEM 1341	General Chemistry I	3
    TCCN: CHEM 1311
    CHEM 1141	General Chemistry Laboratory I	1
    TCCN: CHEM 1111
    CHEM 1342	General Chemistry II	3
    TCCN: CHEM 1312
    CHEM 1142	General Chemistry Laboratory II	1
    TCCN: CHEM 1112
    CHEM 2341	Organic Chemistry I	3
    TCCN: CHEM 2323
    CHEM 2141	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I	1
    TCCN: CHEM 2123
    PHYS 1315	General Physics I	3
    TCCN: PHYS 1301
    PHYS 1115	General Physics I Laboratory	1
    TCCN: PHYS 1101
    Total Hours		24

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.

    Course List

    Code	Title	Hours
    CI 2310	Education for Change (CI ELNA)	3
    TCCN: EDUC 1301
    SPED 4344	Educating Students with Mild Disabilities (CI ELNA)	3
    TCCN: EDUC 2301

Course Requirements 

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.