Biology, B.S. (Certifiable for secondary teaching)

This major is designed for students who wish to teach biology at the secondary level. The program includes consideration of all major concepts and areas of biology. Within some of the areas, students may select different courses to build on knowledge gained in their first and second years of study. Students are continuously encouraged to see connections in biological events from the standpoint of all sciences. The specialization also includes a professional education component. Because of the breadth of required courses, it is also possible for students in secondary education to enter a variety of other careers in research, health, and industry, as well as graduate study.

A student who majors in biology is not required to complete a minor but is urged to minor in one of the other laboratory sciences or general science.

Portfolio Requirement

All majors in the Department of Biology are required to complete a student portfolio. Minimally, the student portfolio must include a current resume, a current Student Graduation Evaluation (available from the Department of Biology) or transcript, a narrative describing the student's goals for undergraduate education and graduate educational or career plans, and writing samples from one or more upper-level courses in the major. To fulfill the portfolio requirement in biology, the student portfolio must be reviewed with one or more faculty members in biology as a course requirement in BIO 200, as a required component of BIO 390, 391, 491, and all independent studies and internships, and prior to application for graduation, as evidenced by submission of a Portfolio Requirement Completed form (available from the Department of Biology and signed by the major advisor) to the biology chair.