|
|
2024-2025 University Catalog
Science Education - Biology Concentration, BS
|
|
|
About the Science Education Program
A College of Science degree in Science Education prepares future science teachers for certification at the middle and high school level. Students customize their focus by selecting a major area of study in biology, chemistry, physics, or earth and space science within an interdisciplinary science framework. The Science Education degree ensures students are thoroughly educated in their content discipline and modern theories of learning and education. Graduates are in high demand as STEM education and careers continue to grow in demand.
This program meets state and national licensure standards and is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the State of Indiana, State Board of Education. See Teacher Licensure Information in the plan below.
Science Education Major Change (CODO) Requirements
Degree Requirements
124 Credits RequiredCurriculum and Degree Requirements for College of Science
A College of Science degree is conferred when a student successfully completes all requirements in their degree program. Students will complete coursework or approved experiential learning activities to meet the following three degree components:
- Major
- Science Core Curriculum
- Electives
Students may use any of the following options to meet College of Science degree requirements:
- Purdue Coursework
- AP, IB, and CLEP credit. The use of AP and IB coursework varies between College of Science degree plans.
- Transfer Credit. Students should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Resource page for all available transfer options.
College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of the proceeding options and thus students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and to regularly consult their MyPurduePlan to view the use of each option in their degree plan.
Most College of Science degree programs contain elective credits students may use to pursue courses that relate to their interests or which support their major area of study. The elective area of a degree plan may also be used to complete minors, second majors and certificates such as the Entrepreneurial Certificate. Any Purdue course may be used to meet the elective area of a student’s degree plan.
College of Science Core Requirements
All Students starting Purdue University Fall semester, 2007 or later are required to pursue the 2007 Science Core curriculum.
The College of Science Core Curriculum requires the completion of approved coursework and/or experiential learning opportunities in the following academic areas:
Earning Core Curricular Requirements through Experience
Students may meet selected core curriculum requirements through approved experiential learning opportunities. Interested students should contact their academic advisor for more information on this option and incorporating experiential learning into their four-year program of study. For more information on earning requirements through experience, please click here.
Departmental/Program Major Courses
Biology Concentration 2.50 GPA: Overall GPA for Biology Concentration courses with the Departmental/Program Major Courses must be 2.50 or greater. This includes all courses under the Science Education Core plus all courses in the Biology Concentration.
Required Science Education Core Courses (25-30 credits)
Overall GPA for Biology Concentration courses with the Departmental/Program Major Courses must be ≥ 2.50. This includes all courses under the Science Education Core plus all courses in the Biology Concentration. Required Chemistry Course (4-5 credits)
Biology students must take CHM 12901; Chemistry, Earth/Space, and Physics students choose CHM 11500 or CHM 12500. Required Computing Option (3-4 credits)
Choose one. Required Calculus Courses (6-10 credits)
Choose one sequence available for your concentration. (satisfies Quantitative Reasoning for core) Option 1 (all concentrations)
Option 2 (all concentrations)
Required Physics Courses (8 credits)
Choose one sequence available for your concentration. (satisfies Science for core) Option 1 (Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space)
Option 3 (Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space)
Option 4 (Earth/Space only)
Required Statistics Course (3 credits)
Choose one available for your concentration. Biology Concentration (37 credits)
Overall GPA for Biology Concentration courses with the Departmental/Program Major Courses must be ≥ 2.50. This includes all courses under the Science Education Core plus all courses in the Biology Concentration. Biology Core (19 credits)
Upper-Level Biology Coursework (10-12 credits)
Must have at least 10 credits of coursework, including courses which meet each of the following categories: ”Intermediate,” ”Group A,” “Group B,” “BIOL 500-level,” and “Base Lab Requirement.” Courses may double-dip among requirements; if used multiple places, course credits will only count once towards the required 10 credits of Upper-Level Biology Coursework. Any excess Upper-Level Biology Coursework beyond 12 credits will count as free “electives.” Intermediate Selective (0-4 credits)
Choose one of the options below. All options are also listed under either Group A or Group B selective. A course may double-dip among requirements; if used multiple places, course credits will only count once towards the required 10 credits of Upper-Level Biology Coursework. Group A Selective (at least 2 credits)
Course may overlap with other major requirements. Group B Selective (at least 2 credits)
Course may overlap with other major requirements. BIOL 500-level Selective (0 or 2-3 credits)
Select one 3-credit BIOL 500-level course from Group A or Group B (course may double-dip between requirements). Additional Selective Courses (0-7 credits)
Additional courses if needed to reach 10 credits total Upper Level Biology Coursework. Can either be additional courses from Groups A or B or the ‘Base Lab Requirement’ above, or from the lists below. Undergraduate Research (0-2 credits)
A maximum of 2 credits total (combined BIOL 49400/49900) can count towards the “Upper-Level Biology Coursework” tally (any credits beyond two count as free “electives”). NOTE: if using Undergraduate Research towards the “Base Lab Requirement”: Objectives A and/or B, FOUR credits must be accumulated, plus the Research Mentor’s approval as one or both Objectives. However, only TWO credits contribute to the “Upper-Level Biology Coursework” minimum of 10 credits. Academic Seminars/Other Courses
Organic Chemistry (8 credits)
Professional Education Requirements (43-44 credits)
All required Professional Education, and Learner Specialty Pathway courses are calculated into the 2.5 Overall Teacher Education GPA requirement with no grade lower than a ”C”.
Learner Specialty Pathway Selective
Choose one course from one of the learner specialty pathway areas below. Students can elect to take additional coursework to complete a full concentration if they choose, but is not required. See the links for concentration requirements.
If you desire additional information regarding the Learner Specialty Pathway Concentrations, please reach out to your academic advisor or visit the Learner Specialty Concentrations tab found here.
Other Departmental /Program Course Requirements (9-21 credits)
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE CORE REQUIREMENTS
^ - Labeled as a Science Core Selection in the four year plan of study * - Requirement may be met with a zero credit experiential learning option. See your advisor for more information. Composition & Presentation
Written Communication
Met with EDCI 20500 . (satisfies Written Communication and Information Literacy for core) Technical Writing And Presentation* (0-6 credits)
Students may elect to take one course (COM 21700), a combination of courses, or experiences to meet the TWTP requirement. The list of approved courses and experiences can be found here . (satisfies OC for core) Special Note: Students completing both COM 11400 (elective) and COM 21700 (Technical Writing and Presentation requirement) may use both courses to meet degree requirements. *Students wishing to meet the Technical Presentation and/or Technical Writing requirement through experience are required to complete the Experiential Learning Contract process. International Students Only: International students whose primary high school/equivalent instruction was not in English may meet this requirement with a course option only. Computing
Met with required major coursework (CS 15900, CS 17600, CS 17700, CS 18000, or TDM10100 and TDM10200). Cultural Diversity (Language & Culture)^* (0-6 credits)
Choose courses from this list to fulfill each Option below (select courses COULD satisfy Humanities for core). - Language & Culture Option I - Met with EDCI 28500
- Language & Culture Option II
- Language & Culture Option III
General Education^ (6 credits)
Choose courses from this list to fulfill each Option below (select courses COULD satisfy Behavioral/Social Science for core). - General Education Option I - met with EDPS 23500
- General Education Option II
- General Education Option III
Great Issues In Science (3 credits)
Choose one from this list . Laboratory Science
Met with required major coursework (BIOL 12100/13100/13500). Mathematics
Met with required major coursework (MA 16100/16200; MA 16500/16600; MA 16010/16020). Science, Technology and Society
Met with BIOL 12100 in major. (satisfies STS for core) Statistics
Met with required major coursework (STAT 50300). Team-Building and Collaboration
Met with EDCI 49800 in major. GPA Requirements
- 2.0 average in courses used for Biology Core and Upper-Level Selectives required to graduate.
- 2.5 average in Biology concentration courses required to graduate.
- 2.0 Graduation GPA is required for the Bachelor of Science degree.
- 2.5 Overall GPA is required for the Teacher Education Program.
Teacher Licensure Information
Successful completion of the Purdue University Science Education-Biology Concentration Program, Science Education-Biology, BS, and the State of Indiana licensure requirements results in an Indiana initial instructional License in Life Sciences (5-12), and Blended and Online Teaching (5-12). Contact the Office of Teacher Education and Licensure for additional information regarding Teacher Education and licensure requirements.
Office of Teacher Education and Licensure
Teacher Education Program (TEP) Requirements and Milestones
Indiana Licensure information - Each student must meet all degree, program, and licensure requirements prior to being recommended for licensure.
- 2.5 Overall GPA is required for the Teacher Education Program.
- Students must successfully progress through Milestone A to enroll in any Professional Education **Restricted Methods course.
- Successful completion of all Major, Professional Education (including all Foundations Courses with linked Foundations Portfolio Common Assessments and **Restricted Methods Courses), Learner Specialty Concentration/Pathway, and degree courses are required prior to Milestone C. Program limitations restrict additional courses to be taken simultaneously with or following student teaching without advance authorization.
- Successful completion of all Foundations Portfolio Common Assessments are required prior to Milestone D.
- Blended and online Teaching licensure requirements are embedded into coursework for all Undergraduate Licensure Programs.
- Beginning July 1, 2025 - According to the Indiana State Board of Education, students seeking an Initial Indiana License in a content area involving literacy instruction, including special education, must obtain an early literacy endorsement, Science of Reading (P-5), as required under IC 20-28-5-19.7.
Course Requirements and Notes
- Courses cannot double count between General Education, Culture and Diversity, and Great Issues requirements.
College of Science Pass/No Pass Option Policy
- Only electives and courses at the 50000-level general education requirement may be taken under the pass/no pass option.
- The pass/no pass grade mode may be entered for courses which are not required by a student’s major(s), minor(s) or science core curriculum.
- Grade mode Passing is equivalent to at a minimum grade of C- had a letter grade been awarded.
- Students may elect to use the pass/no pass option for no more than 20% of the 124/120 credit requirement for graduation and for no more than two courses per academic year (Fall-Summer).
- The pass/no pass option cannot be elected for a course that has already been completed with a letter grade. University Regulation.
- Students may take elective credit while abroad using the P/NP mode. In the case of universities which only post P/NP, the University will apply a calculation process to determine a letter grade.
- Department of Languages and Cultures P/NP policy and Language Placement results. Students must take advanced coursework for a letter grade to receive credit for lower-level language courses.
College of Science Transfer Credit Policy
College of Science degree programs vary widely in their approval and use of non-Purdue originated credit (AP, IB, CLEP, and transfer credit). Students work closely with their academic advisors and degree plan audits to review the use and approval of each non-Purdue credit option. University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website.
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
- Information Literacy (IL)
- Oral Communication (OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
- Science #1 (SCI)
- Science #2 (SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
- Written Communication (WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry. For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.
To obtain the Civics Literacy Proficiency, students will complete an educational activity as part of their chosen Civics Literacy Pathway and pass the Purdue Civics knowledge test. The knowledge test can be completed at any time while the pathway is being perused. There are three different pathways:
- Civics Event pathway - Attend six approved civics-related events and pass the required exam; or
- Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required exam; or
- Approved course pathway - Complete one of the following approved courses and pass the required exam.
More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.
Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Additional Information
- This degree is intended to give students many options. Students need to consult with a College of Science Academic Advisor regarding requirements.
World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
|
|
|
