Mar 29, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2016-2017 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Biology, Secondary Education Concentration, BS


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Departments: Biological Sciences  
                        Secondary Education and Professional Programs  

Students preparing to teach in high school or middle school must complete this BS degree in biology and a minor in either secondary education/high school (grades 8-12) or secondary education/middle school (grades 5-8). Successful completion of either of these programs, in addition to the Biology, Secondary Education concentration, will lead to Massachusetts Initial Teacher Licensure. Please refer to the catalog entry for the Department of Secondary Education and Professional Programs for specific teacher licensure and program requirements. Students who wish to obtain a minor in secondary education with a view toward licensure in biology must fulfill the Secondary Education Concentration within the biology program and will be required to pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure® (MTEL) in biology. Information on the MTEL® can be found at www.mtel.nesinc.com.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) provides a list of subject matter knowledge that is required for license. The list is available at www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr7.html.

Grade Requirement


Students must receive a minimum grade of “C-” for the biology core courses, as listed below. Beyond the core, only one biology (BIOL) course with a grade below “C-” may be applied toward the major requirements. To qualify for graduation with a degree in biology, the student must have a major grade point average (GPA) of 2.3 or higher. The following courses may not be applied toward the Biology major and thus cannot be computed as part of the major GPA: BIOL 100, BIOL 110, BIOL 111, BIOL 112, BIOL 115, BIOL 117, BIOL 119 and BIOL 128.  

Course Requirements


Elective (3-4 credits)


In addition to the biology core sequence and subject area requirements, students must complete one additional biology (BIOL) course at the 200-level or above. Courses taken outside of Bridgewater State University require departmental approval.

Total minimum credits: 70


Teaching Practicum


The biology departmental approval to participate in the teaching practicum is signified by the signature of the biology department chairperson on the application to engage in the practicum, provided the following criteria are met:

  • Minimum biology GPA of 2.8
  • Any grade of “D+” or lower in a biology elective course has been repeated for a minimum grade of “C-” or substituted with an approved biology elective with a minimum grade of “C-“ 

Core Curriculum Requirements


A minimum of 120 earned credit hours is required for graduation. These earned hours include the Core Curriculum Requirements as specified in the Undergraduate Academic Programs  section of this catalog and at the Core Curriculum website, www.bridgew.edu/corecurriculum. For additional graduation requirements, see the Undergraduate Academic Policies  section of this catalog.

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