Secondary Education Requirements for Science (General Science/Biology)
Students who plan to teach at the high school level should major in a secondary subject matter field. Secondary teaching certification requirements include the college core (outlined elsewhere in this catalog for the B.A., B.S., or B.M. degree), additional teacher education core courses, the specialty area courses (outlined under the respective department sections of this catalog), and all professional education courses including EDU 300, EDU 300.1, EDU 436, EDU 450, EDU 372, EDU 446, EDU 484, PSY 203 and PSY 204.
Bachelor of Arts General core: 46 hours of courses are required for admission to teacher certification: ENG 101-102, six hours of English literature, MAT 131 or higher, PSY 201, COM 101 or 230, HIS 101 or 201, HIS 102 or 202, three hours of fine arts, four hours of a lab science, six hours of Foreign Language (intermediate level), three hours of a social studies elective (history, political science, geography, anthropology, economics sociology) and three hours of history, philosophy or English elective.
Biology Major:
A minimum of 40 hours (at least 20 upper-level) is required of BIO/HRP courses. A minor in either chemistry or mathematics is strongly recommended; however, a chemistry minor is required for students in the preprofessional track (see below). All biology majors must take the following biological sciences core curriculum: BIO 111, 112, 113, and 480; a minimum of 12 hours of chemistry to include CHE 111-112 and 211; a minimum of six hours of mathematics to include MAT 131 or any two courses higher than MAT 13 1; and PSY 351.
Students may choose one of the following tracks to ensure the completion of relevant or necessary courses for certain careers in biology.
Biology Major, Teacher Licensure (secondary education) track:
The following courses are required in addition to the biological sciences core: BIO 234-235, 260, 310, 320; PHS 151 and 201. To complete the biology major, teacher licensure students will select a minimum of eight hours from the following courses: BIO 309, 405, 416, 419, and 430. Students may also wish to use summer courses at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory as part of their hours in the major. Teacher licensure students must also complete all professional requirements mandated by the State of Mississippi licensure standards, as advised by the Department of Education.