5-Year Program with Certification in Biological Science Education (K-12)

Program Overview

The 5-year program with teacher certification in K-12 biological science education is designed to help students deepen their understanding of the learning and teaching of biological sciences, with a focus on inquiry-based teaching that is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Successful completion of the program will lead to a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in science education, and initial teacher certification in biological science education. The program curriculum will provide students with exposure to fundamental courses related to education, including the Urban Social Justice Core classes, as well as program-specific coursework related to teaching biology at the middle and high school levels. 

To complete the program in 5 years, undergraduate students must complete specific pre-admission coursework and field placements during their sophomore and junior years. Students then apply for the 5-year program before the Spring semester of their junior year and if admitted, enter the professional education sequence in the summer before senior year. After senior year, students qualify to have their bachelor’s degree awarded by the undergraduate liberal arts college and continue with the professional sequence in the summer after graduation. Students will return in the fall to complete a full-time student-teaching internship and continue with full-time graduate study, including a field-based research project in the spring. 

After the master’s degree is awarded, the GSE will make a recommendation to the New Jersey State Department of Education on behalf of the graduate to receive their Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) as a teacher.

Program Goals as of 2022-2023
(Last updated: 7/28/2022)

Knowledge/Understanding 

• Teacher candidates will build deep understanding of how their students learn and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually (across cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical domains) and are shaped by diverse cultures, communities, and experiences. 
• Teacher candidates will develop, expand, and deepen content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, drawing on current research to plan and implement high-quality P-12 instruction and design effective learning environments. 
• Teacher candidates will understand the historical and philosophical contexts of the discipline that they are teaching and how their curriculum and pedagogy can support equity and justice. 

Communication/Community Building 

• Teacher candidates will develop strategies for communicating and collaborating with their students, families, community members, and other educators to support inclusive learning environments that empower each learner.  
• Teacher candidates will participate in professional, scholarly, and community-engaged networks and activities using all modes of communication, while centering the experiences of their students, families, and communities (e.g., research, presentations, and service).  

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) 

• Teacher candidates will examine social justice issues and act guided by the importance of the role of social justice in educational settings. 
• Teacher candidates will strive to ensure educational equity by creating an environment where diverse backgrounds and perspectives (personal, social, economic, educational, linguistic, cultural, immigration, racial/ethnic) are an integral part of the learning experience. 
• Teacher candidates will develop an understanding of what culturally responsive teaching is and how instruction can be responsive, consequential, and just for their students. 
• Teacher candidates will seek to proactively interrupt practices, policies, and curriculum that silence, discount, or harm the diverse students in their classrooms. 

Research/Professional Practice 

• Teacher candidates will conduct original research and use that research, as well as interpret and evaluate evidence from other research studies, to inform their professional practice and address problems of practice that may require change in policy, programs, and practice.
• Teacher candidates will engage in inquiry/research experiences to better understand how discipline-specific knowledge develops.
• Teacher candidates will develop knowledge of how to apply the results of current research to their practice.  

Assessment 

• Teacher candidates will evaluate, identify, and use models and approaches that will be effective in the successful design and implementation of assessment.   
• Teacher candidates will use multiple methods of standards-informed assessment and data sources in making educational decisions and in the monitoring of student learning progress.   

Professional Development/Self-Reflection 

• Teacher candidates will proactively seek out opportunities for continuous professional learning and development, including reflective self-inquiry, in order to improve their practice and contribute to the teaching profession. 
• Teacher candidates will understand their intersectional identities and positionality, recognizing the implicit biases that may result from that positionality, and mitigate how implicit bias can adversely impact their planning, instruction, and assessment.  

For more information about this program:

• Download the program guide (includes course list and application requirements)
• Contact Ken Tufo, Student Counselor in the Office of Student and Academic Services

Program Details