Dec 26, 2024

2013-2014 General Catalog (Spring 2014)

2013-2014 General Catalog (Spring 2014) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Biological Science—Composite Teaching - BA

College of Science

Department of Biology

Admission Requirements For This Major
New freshmen admitted to USU in good standing qualify for admission to this major. Acumulative 2.75 GPA and 60 credits of coursework are required for admission to the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP). Transfer students from other institutions or other USU majors need a cumulative 2.75 GPA to be admitted to the major. They also need 60 credits of coursework to be admitted to the STEP. Students should contact the School of TEAL for information on additional admission criteria.

The Program
A bachelor’s degree in the Biological Science—Composite Teaching Major includes: University Studies, as required by the College of Science; the Composite Teaching Major; and the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP). Students majoring in the Biological Science—Composite Teaching Major will complete courses which provide an in-depth understanding of biological principles.

The Biological Science—Composite Teaching Major program is fully accredited by the Utah State Office of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Career Opportunities
Through the bachelor’s degree program in the Biological Science—Composite Teaching Major, students are prepared for public school teaching at the secondary level. Students completing the program are eligible to apply for secondary licensure in the State of Utah. Utah also has reciprocal agreements with many other states.

Students desiring licensure to teach more than biology should consider also completing a teaching minor in an area such as chemistry. Students may also wish to take extra classes to complete a regular Biology degree. In many instances, this only requires a moderate addition of required coursework. This could enhance a student’s opportunities in nonteaching biology-related fields and postgraduate education. For further information, students should contact Dr. Richard Mueller, Eccles Science Learning Center 245L, (435) 797-2479, or by e-mail to: richard.mueller@usu.edu

Graduation Requirements:

Students must complete the Minimum University Graduation and University Studies General Education and Depth Requirements.

General Education Requirements :

GEO 1110
in conjunction with
CHEM 1120
will fulfill the Exploration requirement
The required Biology coursework will fulfill the BLS requirement
The required Physics coursework will fulfill the BPS requirement

University Studies Depth Requirements :

BIOL 5250
and
SCED 4200
will fulfill the Communications Intensive requirement
STAT 3000
will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive requirement
SCED 3210
will fulfill the Social Sciences requirement

Bachelor of Arts Degree Language Requirement

Bachelor of Arts Degree

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent).
Or
Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920 and COMD 4780 , and by passing an exit interview.
Or
Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent).
Or
Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students.
Or
TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Biological Science—Composite Teaching Major, BS/BA

To graduate, a candidate for the Biological Science-Composite Teaching Major must accumulate an overall cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a grade of C- or better in BIOL 1610 and BIOL 1620 . The Pass-Fail option is not acceptable for any course required for the degree, except where a course is only graded pass/fail but D grades are permitted within the restrictions of the 2.75 GPA.The Biological Science—Composite Teachng Major leads to licensure to teach in secondary schools. Note: All USU teacher education candidates will be required to take and pass the PRAXIS content exam approved by the Utah State Office of Education in their major (and minor if applicable) content area prior to student teaching. The Biological Science—Composite Teaching course requirements are as follows:

Required Courses (30 credits)

Physiology Course with Lab Requirement (4-5 credits)

Students must take from the following list one upper-division physiology course with an integrated or separate laboratory:

Courses with integrated laboratories:

Courses with separate lecture and lab; one of the following two lecture courses and BIOL 5610 must be taken to meet the requirement:

Required Physical Science Courses (20-31 credits)

Chemistry Requirement (9-17 credits) (see footnotes 2,3)

Geology Requirement (3-4 credits) (see footnote 3)

Physics Requirement (8-10 credits)

Mathematics and Statistics Requirement (7 credits)

Required Courses for the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) (35 credits)

Note:

To begin the admission process to the STEP, students should see their advisor at least two semesters before they begin Level 1 coursework. STEP admission deadlines are March 1 for fall and October 1 for spring. For details, contact Dr. Richard Mueller, Eccles Science Learning Center 245L.

Level 1:

ITLS 4015 - Technology Tools and Integration for Teachers 1-3 (1 credit required)
SCED 3100 - Motivation and Classroom Management 3
SCED 3210 - Educational and Multicultural Foundations (DSS/CI) 3
SCED 3300 - Clinical Experience I 1
SCED 3400 - Teaching Science I 3 ⁵

Level 2:

Level 3:

Note:

1. Students who complete BIOL 4600 do not need to take BIOL 2420 , but are encouraged to take another physiology course to broaden their knowledge.

2. To improve employment and career options, the full two-year chemistry sequence required of Biology Emphasis Majors is highly recommended and will meet the requirements for a Chemistry Teaching Minor. See advisor for details.

3. Students who complete the coursework for a Chemistry Teaching Minor will not need to take a geology course, but are encouraged to do so to broaden their knowledge. See advisor for details.

4. Students should be certain that they have the proper background to enroll in MATH 1210 . See the General Catalog for prerequisties or contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

5. SCED 3400 and SCED 4400 are only taught once a year. Therefore, it is important for students to consult with their advisor to fit these couses in the correct sequence into their plan of study.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits	120
Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)	2.00 GPA
Credits of C- or better	100
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above)	40
USU Credits (30 USU credits, 20 of which must be upper-division courses, 10 of which must be courses required for student’s major)	30 USU credits
Completion of approved major program of study	See college advisor
Credits in minor (if required)	12
Credits in American Institutions (ECN 1500 ;HIST 1700 , HIST 2700 or HIST 2710 ; HONR 1300 ; POLS 1100 ; or USU 1300 )	3
General Education Requirements and University Studies Depth Requirements