Content Area Courses
All students need to have sufficient knowledge of the subject they will be teaching. Illinois State Board of Education requires a minimum of 48 quarter hours (32 semester hours) in the content area subject. Students should meet with their designated Content Area advisor at the beginning of their program for an official written content evaluation and provide a copy to your academic advisor. Requirements can be satisfied by undergraduate coursework or courses taken elsewhere. Content courses must be completed before student teaching.
Requirements for Secondary Education Biology include:
Note: Effective for all individuals applying for certification beginning February 1, 2012, all coursework in the content area must earn a grade of C or better.
- General Biology I
- General Biology II
- General Biology III
- Ecology
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
- Genetics
- Biology Elective
- Biology Elective
- Biology Elective
- Biology Elective (with lab)
- Biology Elective (with lab)
- College Algebra or Calculus I
- Trigonometry or Calculus II
- General Chemistry I
- General Chemistry II
- General Chemistry III
- General Physics I
- General Physics II
Course Requirements
Pre-Education Introductory Courses: 16 quarter hours required
Advanced Standing Courses: 16 quarter hours required
**Note: Students matriculating in 2012-2013 and currently enrolled students who have not taken T&L 439 are advised to substitute TCH 474 for this course.
Graduate Level Content Area Courses: 12 quarter hours required
Three courses in Biology at the graduate level are required. Courses must be taken before student teaching if pursuing degree (not required for individuals pursuing certification only). Courses must be approved by your Content Area Advisor prior to registration and requires graduate level registration.
- BIO 300 or 400 level biology course 1
- BIO 300 or 400 level biology course 2
- BIO 300 or 400 level biology course 3
Student Teaching: 8 quarter hours required
Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures listed in the college core section.
EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete.
Induction Course: 4 quarter hours required
The induction year course is designed to assist students to negotiate the first year of teaching and aid in professional development. The induction course is a requirement for the degree, not a requirement for certification. This course must be taken at DePaul.
**Note: Beginning Fall 2012, students may take T&L 611 before or after student teaching. Students matriculating Fall 2012 and currently enrolled students are advised to substitute TCH 484 for T&L 611.
Recommended/Optional Course
SCG 439 is required for middle school endorsements but is not required for the degree. If taking
SCG 439 for certification/endorsement purposes, a grade of C or better is required.
Certification Tests
All individuals certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete certification tests specific to their teaching certificate. Secondary Education Biology majors must complete the following tests:
- Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) (test #400) - assesses knowledge of reading comprehension, language arts, writing, and math. Test is required to qualify for Advanced Standing.
- Science: Biology Content Area Test (test #105) – assesses knowledge of both biological science and physical science. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) (test #103, grade 6-12) – assesses knowledge of teaching planning, delivery, assessment, professionalism, and technology. Test is required to be certified, recommended that it be taken before Student Teaching.
Field Experiences
Each student seeking certification from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate settings in conjunction with education courses. The field experiences must include a variety of grade levels, multicultural experiences, and a minimum of 15 hours in special education settings. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Field experience hours should be entered by the student into the FEDS system when completing courses with field experience requirements. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.