Master of Science, Teaching of Biological Science
School of Integrative Biology
286 Morrill Hall
505 S Goodwin
Urbana, IL 61801
Contact: Carol Hall
(217) 333-8208
Email: cahall@illinois.edu
Major: Teaching of Biological Science
Degrees Offered: M.S.
Online Program: Teaching of Biological Science
Degrees Offered: M.S.
Graduate Degree Program
The Master of Science in the Teaching of Biological Sciences (M.S.) degree program is designed for graduate students in a biological discipline who wish to earn teacher certification while completing the MS Degree in Biology. Individuals who are already certified to teach biology in Illinois public schools may enter the program to earn the MS degree while taking graduate courses in both biology and education.
Admission
The application requirements vary depending on whether or not the applicant is certified to teach in Illinois. Applicants holding an Illinois Teaching Certificate need only meet the application requirements for the Biology MS Program. Applicants who are seeking teacher certification in conjunction with the Biology MS program must meet additional application requirements for the College of Education to be admitted to the teacher certification program.
The program will offer its first online course July, 2011 (Term 3). Students who wish to take the course during Term 3 will have a program admission deadline of April 1, 2011. Students who wish to take courses starting Term 4 (Fall, 2011), Term 1 (Spring 1, 2012) or Term 2 (Spring 2, 2012) will have admission deadlines of July 1, 2011. After these initial terms (beyond 2012 Term 2) students will have an admission deadline of March 1st.
All Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) comparable in content and number of credit hours with that granted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Applicants must have an overall grade-point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) for the last 2 years of undergraduate study. Applicants must have completed a biology undergraduate majors program of study equal to or approximating that offered by the School of Integrative Biology or the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Applicants must either have proof of Illinois state teacher certification in Science: Biology or complete the Science: Biology teacher certification requirements while in the MS program.
Applicants who are not certified to teach biology must also apply to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education for admission to the teacher certification program. This dual application has another set of admission requirements. Applicants must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) or better. Applicants must demonstrate high-level written communication (quality of writing, thoughtfulness about education, reflective thinking). Applicants must provide evidence of formal or informal experience working with children or youth comparable to the age-level of students served in the program for which application is made. All applicants must pass the Illinois Certification Testing System Tests of Basic Skills AND Science: Biology prior to the application deadline. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores are required by the College of Education prior to the application deadline. The institution number is 1836 and the GRE program code is 00 or 0203. Applicants must agree to a Criminal Background Check and fingerprinting.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit TOEFL scores. International applicants must have a TOEFL score of at least 613 (paper-based test), 257 (computer-based test), or 103-104 (internet-based test) to be considered for admission. The TOEFL must be taken within two years of the proposed term of entry; older scores are not valid. The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is required; applicants must receive a score of at least 60. Request that official TOEFL and TSE scores be sent directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The institution number is 1836 and the program code is 00 or 35.
See the Biology MS Program Web Site for application deadlines, procedures, and more detailed application guidelines.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the program requirements and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science
Required Courses: |
Applicant |
Applicant NOT Previously Certified* |
|---|---|---|
| Students With Previous Certification: While specific courses are not required, previously certified candidates must complete a minimum of 8 hours of graduate level courses offered by departments in the College of Education. (These courses would be selected in consultation with the Biology advisor based on the student's interests) |
8 | n/a |
| Elective hours selected from either biology or education | 8 | n/a |
| Students Without Previous Certification must complete the 4-semester sequence of professional education courses, including one semester of student teaching, required for teacher certification. (29 graduate hours plus 2 undergraduate hours) Some of the graduate level courses are counted toward the basic requirement of 16 graduate hours of Education courses required for the MS degree. PLUS: *One 4 hour, 500-level Curriculum and Instruction course *One 2 hour, 400-level Education Policy Studies course *(These are selected from a list of approved courses in consultation with the Biology advisor based on the student's interests) |
n/a | 35 graduate hours 2 undergraduate hours |
| Hours Required Within the Unit (Biology - IB or MCB): | 16 | 16 |
| Research/Project Hours (min/max applied toward degree): | 0-4 | 0-4 |
| Total Hours | 32 graduate hours | 51 graduate hours 2 undergraduate hours |
| 500-level Hours Required Overall in Program (min): | 12 | 12 |
| Other Requirements:* | ||
| Deficiencies in undergraduate courses needed to satisfy the certification requirement must also be taken; these courses normally do not count toward the 32 or 51 graduate hours needed to complete the degree. Deficiencies are determined by an audit of transcripts conducted by the Teacher Certification Officer. | ||
| Courses taken "credit/no credit" may not be used toward degree requirements. | ||
| Conferral of the MS degree is contingent upon the completion of all teacher certification requirements. | ||
| Qualification for teacher certification is contingent upon the completion of all MS degree requirements. | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
*Applicants may or may not be previously certified to teach in the State of Illinois.
Financial Aid
For M.S. Degree Program in Biological Science
Financial assistance in the form of full or partial waiver of tuition and fees is not available to online M.S. students (except statutory waivers). For all on-campus students (M.S.); fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships are available for qualified students. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Students registering for only 4 credit hours their final year will fall below the minimum required credit hours to be eligible for financial aid and may wish to register for an elective.