Loyola University Chicago

Numerous job opportunities are available for students interested in becoming secondary science teachers. In Illinois there is a critical need for science teachers in grades 6 – 12. This dual-degree program takes five years to complete. Students in the program earn B.S. and M.Ed. degrees along with state certification for middle- and high-school grades.

Students can declare this program at the time of admission or no later than their junior year. While certification is also offered at the undergraduate level, it is practically impossible for the undergraduate student to complete these requirements in four years, especially if they did not decide on this path as a freshman.

This dual-degree option is an appealing option with greater opportunities for advancement and a higher salary base for successful graduates.

• Degree Requirements
• Progress through the Program
• Suggested Course Sequence
• School of Education Website

Progress through the Program

The student must declare for the program no later than the beginning of his/her junior year. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better to be admitted to the program.

Beginning the second semester of their junior year, the student will take 9 hours of graduate-level courses that will apply toward the 128 hours needed for the B.S. in Biology degree. The student will complete 30 hours of graduate-level work required for the M.Ed. degree. The student must take and pass the Illinois State Board of Education test of Basic Skills and the Content Examination in biology.

As students progress through this program, they will be compiling a portfolio of their work to be presented at the completion of all coursework.

Degree Requirements

Students pursuing the B.S. in Biology/M.Ed. in Secondary Education dual degree must complete the following required courses. To view a suggested course sequence for this program, click here.

Core Curriculum Requirements (54 Credit Hours)

• Communicative Arts (1 course – 3 credit hrs.):
  • CMUN 101. Public Speaking
• History (2 courses – 6 creit hrs.):
  • HIST 101
  • HIST 102-107 (HIST 103 meets the "American Studies" requirement.)
• English Composition (2 courses – 6 credit hrs.):
  • ENGL 105
  • ENGL 106
• Literature (3 courses - 9 credit hrs.)
• Mathematical Sciences (Biology major covers requirements)
• Philosophy (3 courses – 9 credit hrs.):
  • PHIL 120
  • PHIL 275. Knowledge & Science
  • PHIL 285. Ethics for Teachers
• Social Science (2 courses – 6 credit hrs.):
  • SOCL 126. Science, Technology & Society
  • PLSC 101. American Politics (Meets the "American Studies" requirement.)
• Theology (3 courses - 9 credit hrs.)
• Foreign Language (6 credit hours, if required)

Biology Requirements (39 Credit Hours)

• BIOL 101 & BIOL 111 (4 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 102 & BIOL 112 (4 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 251 & BIOL 252. Cell Biology (5 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 265 & BIOL 266. Ecology (5 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 282 & BIOL 283. Genetics (5 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 205/368. Plant Biology (4 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 319. Evolution (3 credit hrs.)
• BIOL 395. Invertebrate Biology (3 credit hrs.)
• Research Requirement: BIOL 299. Research or BIOL 390. Molecular Biology Lab or BIOL 395. Lab Techniques (2-4 credit hrs.)
• Biology Elective: CIEP M64. Secondary Science Teaching Methods (3 credit hrs.)

Ancillary Biology Requirements (30 Credit Hours)

• CHEM 101 & CHEM 111 (4 credit hrs.)
• CHEM 102 & CHEM 112 (4 credit hrs.)
• CHEM 223 & CHEM 225 (4 credit hrs.)
• CHEM 224 & CHEM 226 (4 credit hrs.)
• PHYS 111 & PHYS 131 (4 credit hrs.)
• PHYS 112 & PHYS 132 (4 credit hrs.)
• MATH 131 & MATH 132 (6 credit hrs.)

M.Ed. Program Requirements

• CIEP 351. Curriculum and Teaching
• CIEP M64. Methods of Teaching Secondary Science
• CIEP 414. Instructional Methods
• CIEP 423. Advanced Literacy Instruction
• CIEP 450. Educational Psychology
• CIEP 401. Exceptional Child
• CIEP 425. Classroom Assessment
• CIEP 562. Student Teaching
• ELPS 420. Philosophy of Education (May be taken in Rome)