Biology with Teaching, B.S.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Biology with Teaching.
The B.S. with Teaching in Biology is part of Temple's innovative "TUteach" secondary education teacher-training program. The B.S. with Teaching provides broad training in Biology and prepares students for a career in secondary school teaching, further graduate study or an entry level position as a biologist. The education courses in the B.S. with Teaching include supervised teaching in school district classrooms and emphasize inquiry-based approaches to learning. Students in the B.S. with Teaching degree program become eligible for a Pennsylvania teacher certification when they complete all the requirements for the degree that include theoretical and practical courses in education specifically designed for science and mathematics majors. In order to be recommended for Pennsylvania teacher certification, students must graduate with:
- a B.S. with Teaching degree
- meet GPA and testing requirements of the state of Pennsylvania.
Students will be scheduled once each semester to meet with the TUteach advisor to ensure that students have knowledge of academic programming, internships opportunities, and testing options that include test preparation. The state of Pennsylvania has specific candidacy requirements. The TUteach advisor will also help the students complete and submit the candidacy documents. All students joining the program in their freshman year must complete the PAPA examination or acquire the PAPA waiver within their first 72 credits. Transfer students, from within Temple and those from other institutions, will build a tailored program with the academic and testing benchmarks structured for efficient degree completion with the TUteach advisor. Students are encouraged to complete the appropriate PRAXIS II examination prior to student teaching. Students are encouraged to take internship courses to expand their teaching portfolio or select elective courses that will extend their knowledge of science and teaching practice.
Undergraduate Contact Information:
Susan Varnum, Program Director
Professor of Chemistry
Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs and Science Education
College of Science and Technology
629 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-6390 or 215-204-4073
susan.varnum@temple.edu
George Mehler, Master Teacher/Faculty Advisor (Science Education)
Assistant Professor of Practice
College of Science and Technology
628 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-4074
george.mehler@temple.edu
Kenneth Ruff, TUteach Faculty Advisor, Academic Programs Director
Assistant Professor of Practice
College of Science and Technology
656 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-3628
kruff@temple.edu
Dr. Robert Sanders, Ph.D., Chair
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 255
215-204-8851
Dr. Joel Sheffield, Content Advisor
Juniors/Seniors, Research Questions
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 311
215-204-8839
jbs@temple.edu
Dr. Angela Bricker, Content Advisor
First Year Students/Sophomore Year Students
Biology-Life Sciences Building, Room 248C
215-204-8578
abricker@temple.edu
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
- University Requirements (124 total s.h.)
- MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
- All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple as part of their major. Following is a list of courses that can be used to satisfy the writing-intensive requirement:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Genetics (S) Cell Structure and Function (F) Scientific Writing for Biology: The Art of Communicating Differentiated Literacy Instruction in the Disciplines (grades 7-12) - Students must complete the General Education (GenEd) requirements.
- See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the GenEd curriculum.
- Students who complete TUteach majors typically receive a waiver for 1 Human Behavior (GB), 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
- Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.
- College Requirements
- 90 credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST) or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
- 45 Upper Level (2000+) credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST) or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
- First Year Seminar Requirement: All students in the College of Science & Technology (CST) are required to take a 1 credit first year seminar course, SCTC 1001 CST First Year Seminar. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CST College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
- Major Requirements for Bachelor of Science (94-97 s.h.)1
At least 9 courses required for the major must be completed at Temple. At least 5 Biology courses and 3 Education courses must be completed at Temple. Though not required, students are strongly encouraged to increase training and field work experience by enrolling in SCTC 1385, SCTC 2385, or SCTC 2389. Students will also benefit from directed laboratory projects offered through SCTC 3185. These courses are offered every semester.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Biology BIOL 1111 Introduction to Organismal Biology 4 or BIOL 1911 Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology BIOL 2112 Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology 4 or BIOL 2912 Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology BIOL 2296 Genetics (S) 4 BIOL 2227 Principles of Ecology 3 BIOL 3091 Research Methods (S) 3 BIOL 3096 Cell Structure and Function (F) 4 Three upper level Biology electives at the 2200 level or above 2 9-12 Chemistry Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory IHonors General Chemical Science I
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F)Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry II
and General Chemistry Laboratory IIHonors General Chemical Science II
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory II (S)Select one of the following: 4 Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory IOrganic Chemistry for Majors I
and Organic Majors Laboratory IOrganic Chemistry for Honors I
and Organic Honors Laboratory I (F)Select one of the following: 4 Organic Chemistry II
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory IIOrganic Chemistry for Majors II
and Organic Majors Laboratory IIOrganic Chemistry for Honors II
and Organic Honors Laboratory II (S)Mathematics MATH 1041 Calculus I 4 or MATH 1941 Honors Calculus I Select one of the following: 4 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences Calculus II Honors Calculus II Physics PHYS 2021 General Physics I 4 or PHYS 2921 Honors General Physics I PHYS 2022 General Physics II 4 or PHYS 2922 Honors General Physics II College of Science and Technology SCTC 1013 Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences 3 SCTC 1389 Step 1 and 2: Inquiry-Based Lesson Design in Science and Mathematics Modified for English Learners 2 SCTC 3001 History of Science 3 SCTC 3312 Coding STEM Lessons 3 1 Education EDUC 2179 Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science 3 EDUC 4388 TUteach Apprentice Teaching 6 EDUC 4802 TUteach Apprentice Teaching Seminar 1 MGSE 3796 Differentiated Literacy Instruction in the Disciplines (grades 7-12) 3 MGSE 2189 Classroom Interactions (S) 3 or SCTC 3485 Science and Mathematics in the Classroom MGSE 4189 Project-Based Instruction (F) 3 or SCTC 4485 Integrating STEM Practice in Diverse Teaching Environments SPED 2231 Introduction to Special Education 3 Total Credit Hours 94-97 Course List Code Title Credit Hours (F) - Fall only course (S) - Spring only course 1 The certification requirements need to meet Pennsylvania Department of Education standards and are subject to change. All students are strongly recommended to check with the TUteach Advisor in the College of Science and Technology, to affirm the requirements that pertain to their specific major. In addition, students should check the Undergraduate Bulletin web site for the most current information about these programs or the TUteach web site. It is also recommended that all students meet with an advisor before enrolling in classes specific to these majors and leading to certification as a teacher. This is to assure that a candidate's intended program of study will be compatible with the new requirements.
2 See course descriptions for exceptions.
3 All students are required to take a minimum of one credit.
Note: A grade of C or higher in CHEM 1032 is required to take BIOL 1111 and BIOL 2112. A grade of C or higher in BIOL 1111 and BIOL 2112 is required to take upper-level Biology courses, and a C- or higher is required unless otherwise specified in all other courses for the major, including course prerequisites. BIOL 3091 is not available for major credit.
Calculation of Major GPA
Courses listed under the major requirements for the degree will be included in the calculation of the major GPA. Courses that could not apply toward the major as an elective or required course would not be counted in the calculation of the major GPA. This would include BIOL 1011, for example.
Distinction in Major
To graduate with a Distinction in Biology with Teaching, students must meet the following requirements:
-
Achieve a 3.50 GPA or better for the aggregate of courses required for the B.S. in Biology with Teaching.
-
Achieve a 3.20 GPA or better in the Biology coursework.
-
Achieve a 3.90 GPA in the following courses:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours SCES 2189 Classroom Interactions 3 or SCTC 3485 Science and Mathematics in the Classroom SCES 4189 Project-Based Instruction 3 or SCTC 4485 Integrating STEM Practice in Diverse Teaching Environments EDUC 4802 TUteach Apprentice Teaching Seminar 1 EDUC 4388 TUteach Apprentice Teaching 6 -
Write a final research paper either in a topic combining both major content and pedagogy or a topic focused on research in Biology. They must present their research for evaluation and present at a departmental research poster session before graduation. Consult the undergraduate TUteach advisor for more details.
Suggested Academic Plan
Bachelor of Science in Biology with Teaching
Requirements for New Students starting in the 2020-2021 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I (F) | ||
| MATH 1041 or 1941 | Calculus I | 4 |
| SCTC 1001 | CST First Year Seminar | 1 |
| SCTC 1013 | Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| SCTC 1389 | Step 1 and 2: Inquiry-Based Lesson Design in Science and Mathematics Modified for English Learners | 2 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 1111 or 1911 | Introduction to Organismal Biology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science II (S) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Honors Calculus II | ||
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 2112 or 2912 | Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Majors I | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Honors I (F) | ||
| EDUC 2179 | Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science | 3 |
| SPED 2231 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Genetics [WI] (S) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Majors II | ||
| Organic Chemistry for Honors II (S) | ||
| MGSE 3796 | Differentiated Literacy Instruction in the Disciplines (grades 7-12) [WI] | 3 |
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 3096 | Cell Structure and Function [WI] (F) | 4 |
| PHYS 2021 or 2921 | General Physics I | 4 |
| SCTC 3001 | History of Science | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 3091 | Research Methods (S) | 3 |
| PHYS 2022 or 2922 | General Physics II | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Genetics [WI] (S) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Classroom Interactions (S) | ||
| Science and Mathematics in the Classroom | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper-Level 2200+ Biology Elective1 | 3-4 | |
| Upper-Level 2200+ Biology Elective1 | 3-4 | |
| SCTC 3312 | Coding STEM Lessons2 | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Project-Based Instruction (F) | ||
| Integrating STEM Practice in Diverse Teaching Environments | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 2-0 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper-Level 2200+ Biology Elective1 | 3-4 | |
| EDUC 4388 | TUteach Apprentice Teaching | 6 |
| EDUC 4802 | TUteach Apprentice Teaching Seminar | 1 |
| Elective Credits | 1-0 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 11 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 124 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||
| 1 | If the student has taken the necessary prerequisite courses, some of the Biology elective courses may be taken before the Fall semester of Year 4. While not required, BIOL 3101 Evolution is highly recommended as one of three Biology electives. |
| 2 | All students are required to take a minimum of one credit. |