Chemistry/Biology - Secondary

Combined major offered by the Department of Biology, College of Science and Engineering and the Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering

This major is recommended for students interested in becoming secondary school science teachers and must be accompanied by the professional preparation program in secondary education offered through Woodring College of Education. Courses required for a state teaching endorsement must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better.

Biology is the study of living organisms. As scientists, biologists have three prime motivations: (1) intellectual curiosity about biological systems, (2) the philosophy that creating and disseminating reliable knowledge has intrinsic worth and (3) the confidence that research into the history of life on earth and how biological systems work can be used to solve problems faced by our society today. Thus, we intend for our intensive academic program to stimulate our students’ curiosity and appetite for life-long learning about biology.

There is close student-faculty contact and relatively small classes. The students have direct access to modern laboratory equipment and instrumentation, and there are opportunities for research work under the direction of a faculty advisor.