Biological Education

 

Individuals interested in teaching in K-12 schools must complete a degree in the content area they want to teach plus the teacher preparation program through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Individuals must complete the teaching major/teaching track within that degree program, which may contain different course requirements than the academic major since the sequence of courses is designed to meet state standards. Upon completion of the degree program with the teaching track and the secondary licensure program, one will be eligible for a standard Montana teaching license in this content area.

Bachelor of Arts - Biology; Biological Education Option

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2014-2015

Degree Specific Credits: 62

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.75

Note: This option provides students with coursework in biology and related science and mathematics needed to be certified by the State of Montana to teach secondary biology (in middle and high school). This option is appropriate for students interested in teaching biology in a larger, more urban school. In order to be licensed to teach secondary biology, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program through the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences.


Biology/Microbiology Lower Division Core

Rule: All of the following courses are required.

Note: The lower division core should be completed before attempting most upper division major courses.

AP Biology credit may be substituted for either BIOB 160N or BIOB 170N/171N.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOB 160N - Principles of Living Systems
Offered autumn and summer.  Unifying principles of biological structure-function relationships at different levels of organization and complexity. Consideration of reproduction, genetics, development, evolution, ecosystems, as well as the inter-relationships of the human species to the rest of life.  Lab experiences illustrate biological principles underlying growth, reproduction, development, genetics and physiology.  Credit not allowed for both BIOB 101N and 160N.
4 Credits
Show Description BIOB 170N - Princpls Biological Diversity
Offered spring and summer.  Survey of the diversity, evolution and ecology of life including prokaryotes, viruses, protista, fungi, plants and animals.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOB 171N - Princpls Biological Dvrsty Lab
Offered spring and summer.  Coreq., BIOB 170N. The diversity of life including prokaryotes, viruses, protista, fungi, plants and animals including structure and evolutionary relationships.
2 Credits
Show Description BIOB 260 - Cellular and Molecular Biology
Offered autumn and summer. Prereq. BIOB 160N (preferred) or BCH 110/111 (preferred) or B- or higher in BIOH 112; and either CHMY 123 or CHMY 143. Analytical exploration of the structure and function of the cell, the fundamental unit of life, with an emphasis on energy transformations and information flow. Topics include molecular building blocks, membranes, organelles, and mechanisms of replication, gene expression, metabolism, signal transduction, cell birth, cell death, and cell differentiation.
4 Credits
Show Description BIOB 272 - Genetics and Evolution
Offered spring and summer. Prereq., either BIOB 260 OR both BIOB 160N and BIOB 170N/171N; and one of M 121, 122, 151, 162, or 171. Principles and mechanisms of inheritance and evolution. Population genetics, fossil record, macroevolution, speciation, extinction, systematics, molecular evolution.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 17 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Core Courses Required by the Biological Education Option

Rule: All of the following courses are required.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BIOE 370 - General Ecology
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 272. Analysis of the distribution and abundance of plants and animals. Includes individual, population and community-level processes (e.g., population growth and regulation, competition, predation, succession, nutrient cycling, energy flow and community organization).
3 Credits
Show Description BIOE 371 - Gen Ecology Lab (equiv to 271)
Offered autumn. Prereq. or Coreq., BIOE 370 and either STAT 216 or WILD 240. Methods of describing and testing alternative explanations for patterns in nature. The use of scientific methodology in ecology.
2 Credits
Show Description BIOM 360 - Gen Microbiolgy (equiv to 260)
Offered autumn. Prereq., CHMY 123N or 143N; Prereq. or coreq., BIOB 260. Microbial structure and function, growth and reproduction, physiology, ecology, genetics, environmental factors, control of microorganisms and sterility, antimicrobial agents, microbial diversity.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOM 361 - Gen Microbiolgy Lb (equiv 261)
Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., BIOM 360. Basic microbiology procedures and techniques.
2 Credits
Show Description BIOO 433 - Plant Physiology
Offered spring. Prereq., BIOB 260 or consent of the instructor. The molecular, biochemical and biophysical basis of plant function, from the subcellular to the whole organism level.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOO 434 - Plant Physiology Lab
Offered spring. Prereq or coreq., BIOO 433.  Laboratory exercises designed to familiarize students with concepts and techniques in plant physiology.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 14 Total Credits Required

Animal-Based Organismal Requirement

Rule: Complete one of the following courses

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Show Description BIOB 301 - Developmental Biology
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 260; BIOB 272 recommended. An analysis of the origin and development of form and patterns in organisms, stressing the processes of growth and differentiation in plants and animals. Graded traditional letter grade only. 
3 Credits
Show Description BIOL 435 - Comparative Animal Physiology
Offered spring. Prereq., BIOB 260 or equivalent. Animal physiology with emphasis on diversity of functional processes, with strong links to broader ecological and evolutionary contexts.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Required Content Courses Outside of the Major

Minimum Required Grade: C-

Mathematics - Calculus

Rule: Complete one of the following calculus courses

Note: Choose M 171, if you plan to take additional calculus courses, or if you plan a double major or minor in a field that requires more calculus (e.g. math, physics, biochemistry, computer science).

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
4 Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 4 Total Credits Required

Mathematics - Statistics

Rule: The following course is required

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Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 135, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 4 Total Credits Required

Chemistry

Rule: All of the following courses are required

Note: CHMY 141N, 143N, 123N (required for the general science broadfield teaching option) will substitute for CHMY 121N, 123N/124N.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CHMY 121N - Intro to General Chemistry
Offered autumn and spring. First semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
3 Credits
Show Description CHMY 123N - Intro to Organic & Biochem
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., "C-" or equiv. in CHMY 121N or consent of instr. Second semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
3 Credits
Show Description CHMY 124N - Intro to Organic & Biochem Lab
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. or coreq., CHMY 123N. Laboratory to accompany CHMY 123N.
2 Credits
Show Description CHMY 485 - Laboratory Safety
Offered autumn. Prereq., one year of college chemistry. Awareness of and methods of control of hazards encountered in laboratory work. Awareness of legal constraints on work with chemicals. Sources of information regarding chemical hazards.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 9 Total Credits Required

Physics

Rule: All of the following courses are required

Note: These are algebra- and trigonometry-based physics courses. The calculus-based physics courses, PHSX 215N/216N (which require M 171), may be substituted for PHSX 205N/206N.

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Show Description PHSX 205N - College Physics I
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., M 122 or 151 or equivalent, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 206N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 206N - College Physics I Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 205N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 5 Total Credits Required

Environmental Geosciences

Rule: Complete one of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 105N - Oceanography
Offered spring. The ocean covers 70 % of the globe, and yet vast regions remain unexplored. Interactions between the atmosphere and the sea moderate and control our climate. Nearly 40 % of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the coast. The oceans are geographically, environmentally, culturally, and economically critical to society. This course introduces oceanography, including the origin of water and ocean basins; marine resources; atmospheric circulation; air-sea interaction; ocean-climate feedback; currents, tides, and coastal processes; marine ecology; and use and misuse of the oceans.
3 Credits
Show Description GEO 108N - Climate Change
Offered autumn.  The geoscience perspective on the earth’s climate system.  Climate processes and feedbacks, climate history from early earth to the ice ages, present and future changes due to natural processes and human activities.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Education

Rule: The following course is required

Note: The course number EDU 497 covers many different teaching method courses. The section of EDU 497 entitled "Methods: 5 - 12 Science" is required for the Biological Education option.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description EDU 497 - Teaching and Assessing Reading
(R-15) Offered autumn and/or spring. Prereq. admission to the Teacher Education Program. This course number is used for multiple elementary and secondary methods courses. Check the class schedule or with your advisor regarding appropriate sections. 5-8 Mathematics: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., EDU 222; M 135 and 136. Special note: Refer to Program Description. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 Block courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Methods of teaching, assessing, and evaluating mathematics in the 5-8 middle grades including number and operations, rational numbers, ratio and proportion, measurement, algebra, expressions and equations, geometry, probability, statistics, and functions. K-8 Social Studies: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., HSTA 255, GPHY 121 or 141. Special note: Refer to Program Description. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 Block courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Emphasis on developing teaching and assessing social studies teaching/learning opportunities that incorporate literature, primary sources and other developmentally appropriate activities. Overarching themes address diversity, integration across the curriculum and understanding state and national curriculum standards. K-8 Science: 3 cr. Offered every fall and spring. Pre-req., SCI 225, SCI 226;SCI 350, M135, M136, HHP 223, HHP 339, ARTZ 302A, DANC 346, THTR 339, MUSE 397, EDU 222, EDU 331, EDU 345, EDU 395, EDU 370, EDU 397, EDU 407 and all general education/content/specialty courses. Coreq., EDU 450/451, 497, 497, 497, 497, 340. Emphasis on developing, teaching, and assessing science teaching/learning opportunities that are inquiry-based, developmentally appropriate, integrated across the curriculum, and aligned with state and national curriculum standards. 4-8 Reading: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. EDU 397, EDU 395, Coreq., 497 block, EDU 340, EDU 451. Preparation for teaching reading in a 4-8 setting so that all students are successful. Emphasis on reading to learn. Focus on using assessment to guide instruction, learning from trade books, textbooks, and electronic texts, activating prior knowledge, studying texts, and developing student enthusiasm for reading. 5-12 Science: 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303), a science teaching major or minor. Methods and materials to teach science in grades 5-12. Techniques of evaluation. 5-12 Social Studies: 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303). Foundations and purpose of the middle and secondary social studies curriculum. Elements of lesson design, including instructional methods, materials and assessment. 5-12 Mathematics: 4 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 202 and 221 (C&I 200 and 303), and at least two-thirds of the teaching major or minor in mathematics. Methods for teaching mathematics in grades 5-12 focusing on presentation of mathematics concepts and procedures through models, problem solving, and technology. Development of instructional strategies and classroom organizational models, discourse in the classroom, and multiple means for assessing student progress. 5-12 Business Subjects: 4 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303), business teaching experience. Methods of unit and lesson planning methods of instruction and presentation including learning theory computer applications student assessment micro teaching test design and evaluation of business courses and students.
0 To 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Writing Expectation for the Major

Rule: Complete the equivalent of a full writing course (either three 1/3 writing courses or one 2/3 writing course + one 1/3 writing course)

Note: To meet the Upper Division Writing Expectation for the Major, Biology students take 2 or 3 partial writing courses (either three 1/3 writing courses or one 1/3 writing course and one 2/3 writing course). The Biological Education Option requires one 2/3 writing course (BIOE 371) and one 1/3 writing course (BIOO 434). No additional courses are needed to meet this requirement.

Minimum Required Grade: C-

1/3 UD Writing Courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BCH 482 - Advanced Biochemistry II
Offered spring. Prereq., BCH 480 or equiv. Continuation of BCH 480. Metabolism, especially macromolecule biosyntheses, the chemistry and regulation of the transfer and expression of genetic information, protein synthesis and molecular physiology. Credit not allowed for both BCH 380 and BCH 480-482.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOB 410 - Immunology
Offered autumn. Prereq., Grade of C- or better in BIOB 260. Current concepts and methods in Immunology.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOB 425 - Adv Cell & Molecular Biology
Offered spring. Prereq., BIOB 260 and 272; BCH 380 strongly recommended.  Cell structure and function, cell cycle, cellular signaling, molecular basis of cancer, regulated cell death, membrane transport, organelle dynamics, cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, and the molecular basis of learning and memory.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOE 403 - Vert Design & Evolution
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 170N, 171N and 272 and PHSX 205N/206N or 215N/216N.  Evolutionary patterns of animal morphology and the importance of body size on life history patterns.  Phylogenetic study of major extant and extinct vertebrate groups.  Laboratory includes systematic study of organ systems and workshops in experimental functional morphology.
5 Credits
Show Description BIOE 406 - Behavior & Evolution
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 272. Diversity of animal  behavior in an evolutionary context including inheritance of behavior, diets, avoidance responses, mating systems and sexual selection, parental care, and evolution of animal groups and societies.  Discussion sections examine both landmark and recent literature.
4 Credits
Show Description BIOE 428 - Freshwater Ecology
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 160N and either CHMY 123N or 143N.  Physical and chemical dynamics of lakes and streams. Diversity, distribution and dynamics of freshwater organisms.
5 Credits
Show Description BIOL 483 - Phylogenetics & Evolution
Alternating spring semesters. Phylogenies, or evolutionary trees, provide insights into the history of life on Earth, including our own origins. This course focuses on the theoretical foundations of popular methods of reconstructing phylogenies from molecular sequence data and how to implement these methods with computational software for real data sets.  Other current methods for testing evolutionary hypotheses with sequence data will also be introduced.  Same as MICB 483.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOL 484 - Plant Evolution
Offered fall, alternate years.  Prereq., BIOB 272. Lecture, reading and discussion on the evolutionary processes that shape major patterns of plant diversity.  Topics include but are not restricted to:  local adaptation, floral and mating system evolution, polyploidy, genome evolution, and speciation.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOM 402 - Medical Bacteriology& Mycology
Offered spring.  Prereq., BIOM 360, 361.  A study of the pathogenic bacteria and fungi and the diseases they produce.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOO 320 - General Botany
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 170N-171N, 260.  Prereq. or coreq., BIOB 272.  Anatomy, morphology, ecology and physiology of photosynthetic organisms.
5 Credits
Show Description BIOO 434 - Plant Physiology Lab
Offered spring. Prereq or coreq., BIOO 433.  Laboratory exercises designed to familiarize students with concepts and techniques in plant physiology.
1 Credits
Show Description BIOO 470 - Ornithology
Offered spring. Prereq. or Coreq., BIOB 272; major of biology, Pre-Wildlife Biology, or Wildlife Biology, and must be of junior or senior standing. The classification, structure, evolution, behavior and ecology of birds.
4 Credits
Show Description BIOO 475 - Mammalogy
Offered autumn. Prereq., BIOB 272. The evolution, systematics, anatomy, physiology and ecology of mammals.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C-

2/3 UD Writing Courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description BCH 486 - Biochemistry Research Lab
Offered spring. Prereq., BCH 380 or 480. Applications of biochemical principles to modern protein biochemistry.  Basic micro- and molecular biology techniques are used to produce mutant proteins; then students learn basic and advanced biophysical techniques to characterize the mutant proteins.
3 Credits
Show Description BCH 499 - Senior Thesis/Capstone
(R-6) Offered every term. Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr. Preparation of a thesis or manuscript based on undergraduate research for presentation and/or publication. Student must give an oral or poster presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium or a scientific meeting.
3 To 6 Credits
Show Description BIOB 411 - Immunology Laboratory
Offered autumn.  Coreq., BIOB 410. Modern techniques for analysis of immune responses.
2 Credits
Show Description BIOB 499 - Undergraduate Thesis
(R-6) Offered every term.  Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr.  Preparation of a thesis or manuscript based on undergraduate research for presentation and/or publication.  Student must give oral or poster presentation at the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium or a scientific meeting.  Graded credit/no credit.
3 To 6 Credits
Show Description BIOE 371 - Gen Ecology Lab (equiv to 271)
Offered autumn. Prereq. or Coreq., BIOE 370 and either STAT 216 or WILD 240. Methods of describing and testing alternative explanations for patterns in nature. The use of scientific methodology in ecology.
2 Credits
Show Description BIOH 462 - Principles Medical Physiology
Offered spring. Prereq., C (2.00) or better in BIOH 365, 370, and either CHMY 123N or 143N or consent of instr. An advanced course in human physiology for students preparing for careers in health care.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOL 342 - Field Ecology
Offered summers only at Flathead Lake Biological Station.  Prereq., BIOB 272 and one year of college math, including statistics.  The principles and practices of the study of animals and plants in their natural environments, including human influences, with focus on the Crown of the Continent area of the Rock Mountains and taught entirely outdoors.
5 Credits
Show Description BIOM 410 - Microbial Genetics
Offered spring.  Prereq., BIOM 360 and 361.  The molecular genetics of prokaryotic organisms including: structure and replication of the prokaryotic chromosome; gene expression; mutagenesis and DNA repair; plasmids and other tools of genetic engineering; transmission of genetic material and recombination in prokaryotes; regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes; recombinant DNA and biotechnology.
3 Credits
Show Description BIOM 499 - Undergraduate Thesis
(R-6) Offered every term.  Prereq., senior standing and consent of instr.  Preparation of a thesis or manuscript based on undergraduate research for presentation and/or publication.  Student must give an oral or poster presentation at the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium or a scientific meeting.  Graded credit/no credit.
3 To 6 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C-

Secondary Teaching Licensure

Note: For endorsement to teach biology, a student also must gain admission to the Teacher Education Program and meet all the requirements for secondary teaching licensure (see the College of Education & Human Sciences)


Exception to the Modern/Classical Languages Requirement

Rule: Choose one of the following Math courses

Note: The Division of Biological Sciences has been granted an exception to the Modern/Classical Language Requirement. Either of these Calculus courses (required by the major) will satisfy this requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
4 Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C-