The 120-credit Bachelor of Science program in Adolescence Education: Biology prepares a new generation of biology teachers to cultivate and enhance student success in biology comprehension and application. This program equips you with the skills, knowledge and foundation to motivate middle and high school students at various skill levels to learn the fundamentals of science, the environment, living organisms, experimentation and research. The program includes supervised practice teaching in actual classrooms at two grade levels (7 to 9 and 10 to 12), allowing you to observe certified teachers, interact with students, and understand the adolescent mindset as it relates to biology.

After you complete all degree requirements, successfully pass New York State licensure tests (EAS, CST and edTPA) and you have completed all required teacher certification workshops, you will be awarded Initial teaching certification by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) in the Adolescence Education: Biology program. Please refer to the NYSED certification website (www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/) for the most up to date changes in certification requirements.

As a biology education major, you will be prepared to introduce the science of living organisms to students in grades 7 to 12. You will study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying processes fundamental to all life: energy utilization, growth, development and reproduction. You will explore the evolutionary and ecological principles that govern the interaction of all living things, including such topics as population growth, natural selection, animal behavior and food webs. You will learn how to read and interpret scientific papers, how knowledge is acquired and presented in the laboratory sciences, and how to communicate such knowledge to young students. In addition to a thorough grounding in the life sciences, you will strengthen your understanding of the disciplines that play a crucial role in biological investigations: math, chemistry and physics.