Integrative Biology B.S. *

Location(s): Tahlequah, Broken Arrow

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OSRHE Program Code: 115
CIP Code: 260101

Major Code: 7060
Option Codes:

7064 - Biology Education
7062 - Fisheries and Wildlife
7061 - Organismic

Transfer Agreements

TCC Biology AS to NSU Integrative Biology-Organismic BS

TCC Biotech AS to NSU Integrative Biology-Organismic BS

Purpose

Biology is the study of living organisms and their interactions. There are many fields of study within biology such as anatomy, biochemistry, botany, cell biology, ecology, genetics, microbiology, physiology and zoology. NSU offers courses in all of these areas, permitting students to select courses that will best suit their interests and career goals. With so much rapid change in biology, the career opportunities are excellent. Many students go on to pursue further education and higher degrees in biological sciences, dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry and veterinary medicine. Others enter the job market directly as junior high and high school teachers, laboratory technicians and park rangers.

Specialty Accreditation - Biology Education Option

NSU’s educator preparation programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), www.caepnet.org, (1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023, 202-223-0077), and/or the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (840 Research Parkway, Suite 455, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-522-5399), www.ok.gov/oeqa.

Credential Requirements - Biology Education Option

In addition to completing all program requirements, teacher candidates must pass the following certification tests to earn Oklahoma certification: the appropriate Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT); and the Praxis Professional Assessment for Teachers (PPAT). There are fees associated with certification testing which is administered by an outside agency under contract with the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. NSU’s Education Certification office can assist with information regarding university recommendation for certification.

Student Learning Outcomes

Attain biological foundation knowledge.
Specialize in a biology subfield.
Demonstrate the methods and technologies of modern biology.
Demonstrate knowledge of living systems.
Analyze novel data or information and formulate independent conclusions.
Prepare for employment in some field of biology, graduate research, or further training in the health professions.

Biology Education Option (above outcomes plus:)

Demonstrate depth and breadth of understanding of fundamental concepts of science.
Plan standards-based instruction.
Teach effective science lessons that can lead learners to a deep understanding of science concepts.
Apply appropriate safety rules in science teaching.

General Education Requirements

A minimum of 46 hours of academic work in general education is required during the freshman and sophomore years. For students transferring with the Associate of Arts degree or Associate of Science degree from a public institution in Oklahoma, all general education requirements will be satisfied with respect to degree requirements. However, some majors may require other specific general education courses as program prerequisites or program requirements. Students should consult advisors and the program’s plan of study for further information. Students are required to complete general education requirements by the time they have completed 90 semester hours of college work. See General Education Requirements for more information.

Integrative Biology General Education Requirements

The following are course prerequisites that may be completed as part of the General Education requirements.

BIOL 1013 - Introductory Biology I
BIOL 1011 - Introductory Biology I Laboratory
CHEM 1123 - General Chemistry I (Lecture)
CHEM 1131 - General Chemistry I (Laboratory)
MATH 1513 - College Algebra
EDUC 4823 - Technology and the 21st Century Learner (Biology Ed option)
PSYC 1003 - Introduction to Human Behavior
or PSYC 1113 - Introduction to Psychology (Biology Ed option)
Second Language (Biology Ed option)

Integrative Biology Core - 35 hours

Select one of the following options:

Fisheries and Wildlife - 35 hours (7062)

Required Courses - 31 hours

BIOL 3252 - Fisheries Research Methods
BIOL 3272 - Wildlife Research Methods
BIOL 3464 - Field Botany
BIOL 4214 - Animal Parasitology
BIOL 4324 - Principles of Fisheries & Wildlife Management
BIOL 4554 - Limnology
GEOG 3813 - Geographic Information Systems
Select 8 hours of Animal Systematics from the following courses:
BIOL 3244 - Ichthyology
BIOL 4234 - Mammalogy
BIOL 4264 - Ornithology
BIOL 4584 - Herpetology

Biology Electives - 4 hours

4 hours of BIOL electives

Major Total - 70 hours (Fisheries and Wildlife)

Organismic - 35 hours (7061)

Required Courses - 23 hours (7061)

Biology Electives - 12 hours

Complete 12 hours of Biology electives.

Major Total - 70 hours (Organismic)

Biology Education - 13 hours (7064)

Required Courses - 13 hours

PHYS 1114 - General Physics I
SCI 4124 - Earth Science
SCI 4513 - Methods in Teaching Secondary Science
2 hours of biology electives. BIOL 3314 Human Physiology is recommended.

Major Total - 48 hours (Biology Education)

Biology Education option also includes 29 hours of professional education.

Professional Education Requirements (Secondary) - 29 hours

CLINICAL INTERNSHIP / PRE-I INTERNSHIP SEMESTER
EDUC 3313 - Clinical Teaching/Pre-Internship I - Can be taken prior to admission to teacher education. Apply for admission to teacher education during this semester.
EDUC 3113 - Educational Psychology - Can be taken prior to admission to teacher education.
PRIOR TO PRE-II INTERNSHIP
SPED 4433 - Introduction to Education of Children with Exceptionalities - Can be taken prior to admission to teacher education.
EDUC 4823 - Technology and the 21st Century Learner
PRE-II INTERNSHIP SEMESTER

Students should take these courses the semester immediately before the full internship (student teaching).
EDUC 4032 - Pre-Internship II - Must be admitted to teacher education. Apply for admission to Pre-II the semester before enrollment. This course should be taken the semester immediately before the full internship semester.
EDUC 4353 - Secondary Teaching Methods and Practices - Must be admitted to teacher education. This course should be taken the semester immediately before the full internship semester.
Content Methods Course (see above)
FULL INTERNSHIP SEMESTER
EDUC 4064 - Secondary Intern Teaching (Full Internship Program)
EDUC 4074 - Secondary Intern Teaching
EDUC 4172 - Assessment and Evaluation
EDUC 4252 - Seminar

Teacher Education Admission and Certification Policies

In addition to courses in the discipline, all students completing a baccalaureate degree that leads to teacher certification must meet the following requirements for certification.

Be accepted for admission to teacher education, pre-II internship, and full internship according to published course sequence and guidelines.
Demonstrate proficiency at the high novice level in a language other than English.
Complete all courses in the major and Professional Education Core with a grade of “C” or higher.
Students entering NSU beginning Fall 2013 must have an overall GPA of 2.75 for admission to teacher education.
Once admitted to the teacher education program, all majors must continue to maintain a GPA of 2.5 (overall and in their major field of study) through completion.
4 X 12 requirement - Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Special Education programs require completion of 12 semester hours with a grade of “C” or better in the following disciplines: Communication Arts (English, Communication, Literature), Math, Science, and Social Science (Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology) prior to graduation.
All Professional Education majors must complete PSYC 1003 or PSYC 1113. Advisors recommend those courses be completed as part of the General Education course sequence.

Additional Degree Information - Gregg Wadley College of Science and Health Professions

In addition to general education and program requirements stated above, additional hours may be needed to satisfy all minimum degree requirements listed below.

English Proficiency: Components I and II of English proficiency should be met with grades of “C” or better prior to the completion of 60 credit hours.
A minimum of 124 hours is required. PE activity is limited to four hours. Prior learning credit (CLEP, Advanced Standing, Military Credit, etc) is limited to 30 hours.
A minimum of 30 hours in residence (from NSU) is required for graduation. PE activity is limited to four hours. Hours in residence exclude zero-level courses and prior learning credit such as CLEP, Advanced Placement, Advanced Standing, Military Credit, etc.
A minimum of 40 hours of 3000/4000 level courses is required for graduation.
A minimum of 60 hours from a 4-year school is required for graduation excluding zero level and PE activity courses.
At least fifty percent of the major requirements must be upper division courses (3000 and 4000 level).
At least 18 hours or fifty percent of the major, whichever is greater, must be satisfactorily completed at NSU.
The minimum number of credit hours required in the Liberal Arts and Sciences varies based on the type of degree. B.S. degrees require at least 55 hours and B.S.Ed., B.S.M.L.S., B.S.N., and B.S.S.L.P. degrees require at least 40 hours. Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) courses are identified in catalog course descriptions.

For additional information, see Bachelor’s Degree Requirements .