Catalog - Table of Index

Biology Major

Secondary Education Certification

Degree BS, Biology
Department Chair Cosima Wiese, PhD

The secondary education program in biology (BIO/SECED) is designed to prepare junior high school and secondary school teachers of biology. Our BIO/SECED program has been continually refined to keep pace with developments in the profession. It is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and leads to a teaching certificate valid in Pennsylvania (grades 7–12) and is transferable to many other states. A unique aspect of the program is that it prepares teachers to effectively deal with students with disabilities who are likely to be included in their classes.

Effectively, students majoring in BIO/SECED must complete two majors, one in teacher education and one in biology. Accordingly, they have two academic advisors who cooperate to keep students on track. Each semester, they must meet with both of their advisors.

Pre-service teachers in BIO/SECED must successfully complete the liberal arts core curriculum, a series of generic teacher education department (TED) courses and field experiences, the courses and experiences required by the SECED specialization, and a content area major in biology.

BIO/SECED majors must satisfactorily complete a series of field experiences that begin during the second semester of the first year and continue every semester until graduation. By graduation, our pre-service teachers will have spent at least 700 hours in community classrooms. During students’ final semester they must complete a 15-week student teaching assignment (two separate placements). All field experiences and teaching assignments are arranged by Misericordia University. Transportation to and from field experience and student-teaching assignments is the responsibility of the student.

Students who successfully complete the BIO/SECED program are eligible for recommendation by Misericordia University to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for state teacher certification. This recommendation and the successful completion of other requirements established by the state, including meeting the pass scores specified by the state on the National Teacher Examination, qualify graduates for an “Instructional I” certificate. Once certified in Pennsylvania, our graduates usually have no difficulty becoming certified in other states.

Sequence of Required Courses

First Year

First Semester	Total Credits	17	Second Semester	Total Credits	17
CHM 133	Chemical Principles I	4	TED 111	Introduction to Education	3
TED 101	First-Year Seminar or	0	TED 121	Education Technology	3
TED 102	Transfer Seminar	0	TED 191	First-Year Field	0
BIO 101	General Botany and		BIO 102	General Zoology	4
	Biological Principles	4	CHM 134	Chemical Principles II	4
ENG	Eng Lit Core (Amer or Brit Lit req.)	3	MTH 152	Calculus II	3
MTH 151	Calculus	3
ENG 103	English Composition	3

Sophomore Year

First Semester	Total Credits	18	Second Semester	Total Credits	19
TED 231	Learning	3	TED 251	Curriculum	3
TED 241	Development	3	TED 261	Teaching	3
TED 292	Sophomore Field I	0	TED 271	Classroom Management	2
BIO 241	Genetics	4	TED 293	Sophomore Field II	0
BIO 251	Comparative Anatomy		BIO 243	General Microbiology	4
	And Histology	4	CHM 244	Organic Chemistry	4
CHM 243	Organic Chemistry	4	ENG	English Lit Core	3

Junior Year

First Semester	Total Credits	19	Second Semester	Total Credits	19
TED 352	Curriculum/Secondary	1	TED 374	Classroom Management/	1
TED 363	Methods/Secondary	2		Secondary
TED 394	Junior Field	0	TED 395	Junior Practicum	1
BIO 345	Developmental Biology or		BIO 346	General Physiology	4
BIO 435	Cell Biology	3	PHY 222	General Physics II	4
CHM 353	Biochemistry I	3	FA	Core	3
PHY 221	General Physics I	4	HIS	Core	3
PSY 123	Introduction to Psychology	3	PHL 100	Introduction to Philosophy	3
HIS	Core	3

Senior Year

First Semester	Total Credits	17	Second Semester	Total Credits	12-15
TED 443	Parent Conferencing	1	TED 497	Student Teaching	9-12
TED 401	Senior Seminar	0	RLS	Core	3
TED 496	Senior Field	0
BIO 425	Ecology	4
PHL	Core	3
SOC 101	Comparative Sociology	3
RLS	Core	3
FA	Core	3

Total required for graduation 141 credits

Education Course Descriptions (TED) Biology Course Descriptions (BIO)