FSU Teach Biology

College: Arts and Sciences
Degree: BS
Specialized Admission: No

Description of Major

** This major has been suspended and cannot be selected by students admitted to the University for Fall 2025 and beyond. **

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*

FSU-Teach is an innovative approach to teacher education that involves collaboration between scientists, mathematicians and education faculty at Florida State University. Biology students in the FSU-Teach program will develop deep biology knowledge and the knowledge, skill, and experience needed to be an effective science teacher. The program will pay for tuition for the first two Education/Teaching prerequisite courses. Work study positions with scientists, mathematicians and local schools are available. For more information, see our Web site, http://fsu-teach.fsu.edu/ .

This is a double-major only program. FSU-Teach majors are first admitted into their primary, discipline-specific major and must meet the state-wide common program prerequisites for that major, in this case, Biological Science. Later, students apply for admission into a secondary major within the College of Education called Secondary Science or Mathematics Teaching (SSMT). Upon graduation, students are awarded the B.S. degree with majors in Biology/FSU-Teach and SSMT.

Prospective transfer students should contact as-admissions@fsu.edu (Arts & Sciences Admissions) with specific questions about admission and mapping requirements.

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework
All of the following courses also apply toward General Education, major and/or collateral requirements. The following are required in preparation for the upper-division major. Contact the department for information on approved substitutes.

BSC X010, X010L (3, 1) Biological Science I, Lab
BSC X011, X011L (3, 1) Biological Science II, Lab
CHM X045, X045L (3, 1) General Chemistry I, Lab
CHM X046, X046L (3, 1) General Chemistry II, Lab
CHM X210, X210L (3, 1) Organic Chemistry I, Lab and CHM X211, X211L (3,1) Org. Chem. II, Lab OR PHY 2053C (4) College Physics A with Lab and PHY 2054C (4) College Physics B with Lab OR, CHM X210, X210L (3,1) and PHY 2053C(4) (preferred); Students should contact the department regarding selecting courses to meet this requirement.

MAC X311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
MAC X312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II or approved statistics (STA 2071 at FSU-- Preferred)
*SMT X043 (1) Step 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching
*SMT X053 (1) Step 2: Inquiry-Based Lesson Design

* Transfer students will be able to take SMT X043 and SMT X053 while enrolled at FSU.

Note. State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for approved alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .

Requirements

Requirements for graduation in the College of Arts and Sciences include:
The College of Arts and Science requires proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate (2220 or equivalent) level or sign language through the advanced (2614 or equivalent) level.

Progress in this major and formal admission to FSU-Teach and Teacher Education.
FSU native and transfer students will progress to upper-division (junior) status in the College of Arts and Sciences in the same manner as other Biological Science majors: an AA degree or 52 earned credits (including at least half of the General Education requirements, including English composition and mathematics), at least a 2.50 GPA and completion of appropriate milestones.

To be recognized as “formally admitted” into this major, students must meet the following requirements:
1) certification to upper division (or transfer admission into major as a junior);
2) completion of 18 hours of General Education courses or an AA degree;
3) satisfactory completion of “Step 1” and “Step 2” prerequisite courses;
4) a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.50;
5) completion of all of the common prerequisite courses for the major

It is strongly suggested that students take and earn a passing score on all four parts of the FTCE General Knowledge Test before applying to Educator Preparation. Otherwise, once 1-5 above are complete, the student must apply to Educator Preparation online at https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0kqpP1dhZaBXJ3f .

Requirements for majors in the Department of Biological Science

Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the "College of Arts and Sciences" chapter of this General Bulletin.

1) Formal Admission:
a) All State Common Program Prerequisites listed as Term 1-4 Milestones must be completed with a “C” range (C minus, C, or C+) grade or better. Students earning less than the necessary grade in any of these courses will be required to retake those courses until the standard is met.

Note: retaking a course may delay graduation and incur increased fee liability (i.e., repeat course surcharge and excess credit surcharge).

b) Registration in all 3000 and 4000-level biological science courses is allowed only after meeting the following criteria:
i) Satisfactory completion ("C minus" or better) of BSC 2010/L (Biological Science I with lab) and BSC 2011/L (Biological Science II with lab), and
ii) Satisfactory completion ("C minus" or better) of CHM 1045/L and CHM 1046/L or CHM 1050/L and CHM 1051/L (General Chemistry I and II with labs)

2) Academic Performance Required for Retention and Graduation:
a) All courses applicable to the major, including biological science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer programming and statistics must be completed with a grade of "C minus" or better;

b) Designation, continuation, and graduation with a major in Biology/FSU-Teach from the department of Biological Science requires a minimum combined 2.50 GPA in all courses, excluding the Term 1-4 State Common Program Prerequisites milestone courses, including biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer programming and statistics;

c) A student who has received more than one unsatisfactory grade (U, F, D minus, D, or D+) in courses required for the major, excluding the Term 1-4 State Common Program Prerequisites milestone courses, taken after enrolling at FSU, will be required to change to a major outside of the department of Biological Science.

d) A student with a major in the department of Biological Science who applies for readmission to the college must meet the biological science degree requirements of the catalog in force on the date of readmission.

Major Program of Studies at FSU: (78 hours)

Required Biology and Collateral courses for the Biology Major: (52 hours)

This major requires the following for graduation:
1) Completion of a minimum of 26 hours of biological science courses, with grades of C minus or higher. At least 20 of these hours must be taken at FSU.
2) Completion of a minimum of 3 biological science lab or field courses with grades of C minus or higher.
3) Completion of collateral courses in chemistry, math, and physics with a grade of C minus or higher.
4) A minimum combined 2.50 GPA (no forgiveness) in all courses required for the major, including collaterals, taken at FSU or elsewhere.

Required Lower Division Biological Sciences Courses (8 hours)
BSC 2010 (3) Biological Science I
BSC 2010L (1) Biological Science I Lab
BSC 2011 (3) Biological Science II
BSC 2011L (1) Biological Science II Lab

Other Required Biological Sciences Courses (15 hours)
PCB 3063 (3) Genetics
PCB 4674 (3) Evolution
BSC 3016 (3) Eukaryotic Diversity
* ISC 3523C (3) Research Methods
PCB 3134 (3) Cell Structure and Function

*ISC 3523C will substitute for BSC 3402L for Biology/FSU-Teach students.

Area Requirements (at least 6 hours).
Two courses representing two different areas:

Area I: Cell and Molecular Biology
MCB 4403 (3) Prokaryotic Biology
PCB 4253 (3) Developmental Biology
PCB 4024 (3) Molecular Biology

Area II: Physiology
PCB 4701 (3) Human Physiology
PCB 4843 (3) Fundamentals of Neuroscience
BOT 4503 (3) Plant Physiology

Area III: Ecology and Environmental Sciences
BSC 3052 (3) Conservation Biology
PCB 3043 (3) General Ecology
ZOO 4513 (4) Animal Behavior

Collateral Courses: (14-18 hours)
These courses may be used to meet General Education and minor requirements or taken in addition to them.

Option 1:
CHM 2210 (3) Organic Chemistry I
PHY 2053c (4) College Physics A or PHY2048c (5) General Physics A
MAC 2311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology or MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Option 2:
CHM 2210 (3) Organic Chemistry I
CHM 2211 (3) Organic Chemistry II
MAC 2311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology or MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Option 3:
CHM 3217 (3) One Semester Organic Chemistry
PHY 2053c (4) College Physics A or PHY2048c (5) General Physics A
MAC 2311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology or MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Option 4:
CHM 3217 (3) One Semester Organic Chemistry
CHM 3218 (3) One Semester Biochemistry
MAC 2311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology or MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Option 5:
PHY 2053c (4) College Physics A or PHY2048c (5) General Physics A
PHY 2054c (4) College Physics B or PHY2049c (5) General Physics B
MAC 2311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology or MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Required courses for the Education major: (29 hours)
SMT 1043 (1) Step 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching
SMT 1053 (1) Step 2: Inquiry-Based Lesson Design
SMT 3100 (3) Knowing and Learning
SMT 4301 (3) Classroom Interactions
ISC 3523C (3) Research Methods
ISC 3402 (3) Historical, Social, and Critical Perspectives of Disciplinary Engagement in STEM*
SMT 4664 (3) Project Based Instruction
RED 4335 (3) Content Area Reading for Secondary School Teachers
TSL 4324 (3) ESOL Instruction in the Content Area**
SMT 4930 (1-4) Seminar - variable credit
SMT 4945 (5) Apprentice Teaching (student teaching internship)

*ISC 3402 fulfills an Upper Division Writing requirement.
**TSL 4324 is a Formative Experience Course

Digital Literacy:
ISC 3523C (3) Research Methods fulfills this requirement for this major.

Oral Communication Competency: (0-3 hours)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement is met through SMT 4664 (3) Project Based Instruction for this major.

Minimum Program Requirements - ­Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36*
Prerequisite Coursework 0 beyond other requirements*
Major Coursework 77 - 87
Foreign Language 0 - 12 (depending on placement)
Digital Literacy 0 beyond prerequisites
Oral Competency 0-3
Electives to bring total hours to 120

*The 22 hours of prerequisite coursework may also be used to satisfy General Education and major requirements.

Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.

Remarks

1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.

Employment Information
Salary Information: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Middle school or high school teacher of biology. Students may also pursue graduate school and career options related to the traditional Biology major

Representative Employers: Public and private schools; research facilities; medical facilities; government organizations; private industry.