Program Requirements
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN BIOLOGY TEACHING
A minimum of 36 semester hours is required for the MS degree with specialization in biology teaching. Students pursuing this specialization must have a BS degree in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, earth and space science or physics), and a current ISBE teaching certificate (Type 09 certificate or a BS degree with a Type 03 certificate and a minimum of 32 semester hours of science content). The candidate must also be currently employed as a science teacher at an Illinois school (with at risk status) with one year or more of teaching experience in science.
The student will be required to take a proficiency examination in biology at the beginning and end of their program. In addition, the student will be required to conduct an approved action research project including submitting a written paper as well as present and defend the project. The action research project will be developed under the supervision of the graduate advisor and conducted in a school setting with district approval.
If the student has completed the equivalent of BIOS 570x (or BIOS 572x and BIOS 573x), and ETR 521 and ETR 522 (or BIOS 670) as an undergraduate with a grade of C or better, the courses may be waived as a requirement in the graduate program and other course work substituted with the approval of the student’s graduate committee.
REQUIRED COURSES
Program Core: 27 hours
BIOS 570X - General Biochemistry (3 hrs)
ETR 521 and ETR 522 – Educational Statistics I and II (6 hrs)
EPS 523 – Application of Psychological Research to Educational Practice (3 hrs)
*BIOS 605 - Institute for Science Teachers in Biology (3 hrs)
*BIOS 684 - The Processes and Practices of Science (3 hrs)
PHYS 605 – Institute for Science Teachers; Instructional Technology (3 hrs)
BIOS 761 – Seminar (minimum of 2 semester hours credit)
BIOS 770 – Independent Study (4-6 hrs) or BIOS 699 – Masters Thesis (4-6 hrs)
Biology Electives: 9 hrs minimum graduate level courses within the Department
* new course
IMSP Project: MS in Biology: Specialization in Biology Teaching
Schedule of Classes: Sequence of Courses Remaining for Completion of the Program.
| Term | Biology Strand | Pedagogy Strand | Research |
| Summer 2 (2010)(4 or 7 hrs) | Topics in Biochemistry (CHEM 600E; 3hrs) | Institute for Science Teachers; Instructional Technology (Advanced) (PHYS 605; 3hrs) | Seminar (BIOS 761; 1 hr) |
| Fall 2 (2010) ( 4 hrs) |
Statistics Course (ETR 522; 3 hrs) Independent Study; Action Research in Biology Teaching (BIOS 770; 1 hr) | ||
| Spring 2 (2011) ( 4 hrs) |
Biology Elective; 3 hrs | Independent Study; Action Research in Biology Teaching (BIOS 770; 1 hr) |
|
| Summer 3 (2011) ( 5 hrs) |
Biology Elective; 3 hrs | Independent Study; Defend Action Research Project (BIOS 770; 2 hrs) | |
| Fall 3 (2011) ( 4 hrs) |
Biology Elective; 3 hrs | Seminar (BIOS 761; 1 hr) |
|
| December 2011 | Graduation | ||
* Based on a needs assessment for instructional technology, candidates will be placed in the appropriate level. Candidates will only be required to take the instructional technology course once for the program.