University of Montana Catalog 2023-2024

Biology B.A. - Biological Education

Individuals interested in teaching in K-12 schools must complete a degree in the content area they want to teach plus the Teacher Education Program through the Department of Teaching and Learning. Individuals must complete the teaching track within that degree program, which may contain different course requirements than the non-teaching track since the sequence of courses is designed to meet state standards. Upon completion of the degree program with the teaching track and the secondary licensure program, one will be eligible for a standard Montana teaching license in this content area.

Bachelor of Arts - Biology; Biological Education Concentration

General Education Requirements

Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog. 

Summary

Biology/Microbiology Lower-Division Core17
Upper-Division Core Courses Required by the Biological Education Concentration10
Plant-Based Organismal Course Requirement4-5
Animal-Based Organismal Course Requirement3-4
Required Courses Outside of the Major31
Mathematics - Calculus
Mathematics - Statistics
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Geosciences
Education
Advanced College Writing Requirement3
Secondary Teaching Licensure
Total Hours68-70

 

Degree Specific Credits: 68-70

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.75

Note: This concentration provides students with coursework in Biology and related sciences and mathematics needed to be certified by the State of Montana to teach secondary Biology (in middle and high school). This concentration is appropriate for students interested in teaching Biology in a larger, more urban school. In order to be licensed to teach secondary Biology, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program through the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education.

Biology/Microbiology Lower-Division Core

Note: The lower-division core should be completed before attempting most upper division major courses. AP Biology credit with a score of 3 may be substituted for either BIOB 160N/BIOB 161N or BIOB 170N/BIOB 171N.

Complete all of the following courses:
BIOB 160NPrinciples of Living Systems3
BIOB 161NPrinciples of Living Systems Lab1
BIOB 170NPrinciples of Biological Diversity3
BIOB 171NPrinciples of Biological Diversity Lab2
BIOB 260Cellular and Molecular Biology4
BIOB 272Genetics and Evolution4
Total Hours17

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Upper-Division Core Courses Required by the Biological Education Concentration

Complete all of the following courses:
BIOE 370General Ecology3
BIOE 371General Ecology Lab (equivalent to 271)2
BIOM 360General Microbiology3
BIOM 361General Microbiology Lab2
Total Hours10

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Plant-Based Organismal Course Requirement

Complete one of the following courses:4-5
General Botany
Plant Physiology
and Plant Physiology Lab
Total Hours4-5

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Animal-Based Organismal Course Requirement

Complete one of the following courses:3-4
Developmental Biology
Comparative Animal Physiology
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Total Hours3-4

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Required Courses Outside of the Major

Mathematics - Calculus

Note: Students should choose M 171 if they plan to take additional calculus courses or if they plan a double major or minor in a field that requires more calculus (e.g. astronomy, math, physics, biochemistry, computer science).

Complete one of the following courses:4
Applied Calculus
Calculus I
Total Hours4

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Mathematics - Statistics

Complete the following course:
STAT 216Introduction to Statistics4
Total Hours4

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Chemistry

Complete all of the following courses:
CHMY 121NIntroduction to General Chemistry4
CHMY 123Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry4
CHMY 124Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab2
CHMY 485Laboratory Safety1
Total Hours11

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Physics

Complete one of the following Physics courses:5
Algebra- and Trigonometry-based Physics:
College Physics I
and College Physics I Laboratory
Calculus-based Physics:
Fundamentals of Physics with Calculus I
and Physics Laboratory I with Calculus (requires M 171)
Total Hours5

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Environmental Geosciences

Complete one of the following courses:
GEO 105NOceanography3
or ERTH 101N Earth Systems Science
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Education

Note: The course number EDU 497 covers many different teaching method courses. The section of EDU 497 entitled "Methods: 5 - 12 Science" for 3 credits is required for the Biological Education option.

Complete the following course:
EDU 497Teaching and Assessing4
Total Hours4

Minimum Required Grade: C- 


Advanced College Writing Requirement

Complete all of the following courses:
BIOE 371General Ecology Lab (equivalent to 271)2
BIOO 434Plant Physiology Lab1
or BIOO 320 General Botany
Total Hours3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Secondary Teaching Licensure

Note: For endorsement to teach Biology, a student also must gain admission to the Teacher Education Program and meet all the requirements for secondary teaching licensure. For more information, see the Teaching and Learning Department