Bachelor of Science Degree in Science Education (Biology, 6-12)
The Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education with a specialization in Biology (6-12) prepares students for a rewarding career working with middle and high school students.
Contact Information
Robyn L. Klein
Director of Elementary and Secondary Education Programs and Senior Instructor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Office Phone: 561-297-3877
Campus: Boca
The Bachelor of Science in Biology for grades 6-12 degree program prepares students for a rewarding career working with middle and high school students. Our program aims to connect candidates to the most cutting-edge content knowledge and diverse pedagogical practices. In addition, we are committed to developing self-assured individuals who become motivated, caring, and reflective teachers.
The program is proudly accredited by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and nationally by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
This program is a four-year degree program; however, students who enter with a completed Associate of Arts degree can complete the program within 2-2.5 years. Courses in the program are offered in various formats (e.g., fully online, hybrid, face-to-face), and the tuition costs at FAU are among the lowest in the nation (See full details about tuition rates), making the degree accessible to many.
Students are connected with local school districts for different kinds of field experiences. Students enrolled in courses with fieldwork components are required to apply for field placement and obtain a security clearance badge. Then, students are placed in a classroom to complete their field experiences. Learn more about our field experience program.
Once admitted, students are assigned a faculty advisor, who will advise and guide them through program development (see the Information Sheet at the bottom of the page) and degree completion.
Note: Students completing the degree are eligible for certification in Elementary Education with ESOL/Reading endorsement. Students must submit passing Professional Education and Subject Area Exams before being admitted into the student teaching semester.
Program Overview
Consult the FAU Course Catalog for course descriptions and other details.
NOTE: All College of Education Secondary Degree Programs are Florida Department of Education (DOE) and Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (CAEP) approved. This State and CAEP approval represents the transferability of your teaching credentials from state-to-state. Test scores must be submitted to Office of Academic and Student Services (OASS) prior to the placement deadline.
Professional Education component courses offered in the College of Education: (3 credits each) |
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| EDF 2005 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession (Requires 15-hour field component) |
| EME 2040 - Intro to Technology for Educators |
| EDF 3210 - Applied Learning Theory |
| EDF 3430 - Ed. Meas. & Evaluation |
| TSL 4324 - ESOL Strategies for Content Area Teachers |
| SCE 4360 - Science: Middle & Secondary School |
| RED 4335 - Content Read: Mid & Sec School |
| ESE 3940 - Secondary School Effective Instruction* (Requires 90-hour field component) |
*Must be programmed and taken the fall/spring semester prior to student teaching. Courses in bold are not offered in the summer.
Biology content courses offered through the C.E. Schmidt College of Science: |
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| BSC 1011/L Biodiversity + Lab (4 credits) |
| BSC 1010/L Biological Principles + Lab (4 credits) |
| CHM 2045/L General Chemistry I + Lab (4 credits) |
| CHM 2046/L General Chemistry II + Lab (4 credits) |
| CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry I (3 credits) |
| PSC 2121 Physical Science (3 credits) |
| MAC 2233 Methods of Calculus (3 credits)* (See catalog for possible prerequisite) |
| OCE 3008 Oceanography (3 credits) OR OCB 4633 Marine Ecology (3 credits) |
| PSY 3234 Experimental Design & Statistical Inference (3 credits) |
| PCB 3063 Genetics (4 credits) |
| PCB 4043 Principles of Ecology (3 credits) |
Choose one of the following courses: (3 – 4 credits): |
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| MCB 3020/L General Microbiology + Lab (3 credits) |
| PCB 3023 Cell Biology (3 credits) |
Choose one of the following: (Permission of instructor required) (4 credits): |
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| PCB 4723/L Comparative Animal Physiology + Lab (4 credits) |
| BOT 4503/L Principles of Plant Physiology + Lab (4 credits) |
Electives: (6-7 credits)Choose from the following approved courses including at least 3 credits upper-division. Other upper division electives may be selected with the pre-approval of your advisor. |
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| BSC 2085/L Anatomy & Physiology I / L (4 credits) |
| BSC 2086/L Anatomy & Physiology II / L (4 credits) |
| EVR 2017 Environment & Society (3 credits) |
| ZOO 2203/L Invertebrate Zoology /L (5 credits) |
| PCB 3352 Issues in Human Ecology (3 credits) |
| BOT 3223/L Vascular Plant Anatomy (4 credits) |
| BOT 4404/L Marine Botany (4 credits) |
| MCB 4603 Microbial Ecology (Davie) (3 credits) |
| OCB 4043/L Marine Biology + Field Studies and Lab (4 credits) |
| ZOO 4690/L Comparative Vertebrate Morphogenesis (5 credits) |
| BCH 3033 Biochemistry I (3 credits) |
| CHM 2211/L Organic Chemistry II / L (5 credits) |
Final Semester: (6-12 credits) |
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| SCE 4944 Student Teaching: Science (Full-time internship, to be completed during a fall or spring term) |
***ALL COURSEWORK AND CERTIFICATION EXAMS FTCE: General Knowledge, Biology 6-12 Subject Area Exam (SAE), and Professional Education Exam (PEd) MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO STUDENT TEACHING***
Applications to Student Teach during the fall semester are due by January 31st
Applications to Student Teach during the spring semester are due by September 15th
Revised April 2023
Admission Requirements
60 semester hours completed, with a 2.5 overall Grade Point Average (GPA); and passing scores on the General Knowledge test
Revised April 2023
How to Apply
APPLICANTS
Applicants must first apply to FAU as a First year/freshman (applying immediately after high school) or transfer student (already earned 12 or more college credits after graduation; earned an Associates degree, or seeking a 2nd Bachelor's).
Once admitted to FAU, students who have earned 60 Credit hours, a cumulative 2.5 GPA and have passed all sections of the General Knowledge Test are invited to apply to the College of Education (COE) and the Department of Special Education (DSE) - Bachelor’s in Exceptional Student Education degree program.
Revised April, 2023