Biology Education Major

Program Director: Alexander Mains

Program Coordinator: Dr. Wendy Larson

Degree Types: Bachelor of Science (default) or Bachelor of Arts (alternative)

The Biology Education major is a Bachelor of Science or Arts degree program designed to prepare students for a career as a secondary teacher or to provide the essential background for entrance into certain graduate programs. Students planning to attend graduate school should consult with their advisor and plan a program of study that meets the requirements of a specific program and a particular school.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of this program:

• Graduates will demonstrate deep content knowledge in Biology by achieving a passing score on the Praxis licensing test and earning proficient or higher scores on the student teaching rubric’s subject-specific teaching criteria for Biology. In addition to this, Biology Education graduates will be able to:
  • Effectively communicate in both written and oral formats.
  • Demonstrate a broad, relevant knowledge base in biological science.
  • Exhibit analytical and critical thinking skills.
  • Demonstrate the ability to search for and access academic sources of information, to synthesize the information, and to evaluate it for relevance and reliability.
  • Demonstrate technical skills appropriate to their professions.
  • Recognize the role of the individual and society in understanding and improving the natural environment.
• Graduates will design and implement standards-aligned lessons infused with effective instructional strategies that accommodate diverse learning needs as evidenced by coursework assessments and the student teaching rubric’s instructional planning and lesson delivery criteria.
• Graduates will establish a positive and inclusive classroom environment that fosters student engagement and high levels of student learning as measured by student teaching observations and by the dispositions rubric’s classroom environment criteria.
• Graduates will utilize formative and summative assessments to analyze student learning and adjust instruction accordingly demonstrated by coursework assessments and submitted reflections on data-informed decision-making.
• Graduates will exhibit professional conduct, ethical decision-making, and a commitment to continuous improvement reflected by the dispositions rubric’s professional development criteria.

There are additional academic policies which apply to all education majors. Please review those policies on the Education: Undergraduate Programs  page.