Bachelor of Science, Double Major in Education and Composite Science
This degree is comprised of coursework from several disciplines; therefore, it will enable you to teach Biology, Chemistry, Geography and Geology (i.e., Earth Science), and Physics (including astronomy). Because individuals who have this certification can teach several disciplines of science, they are especially sought after by schools. This degree combines the core science coursework with that required for the Secondary Education certification. It also allows students to focus in an area of science that interests them by choosing designated electives within the focus area. Accordingly, after having completed the common core of science classes, students then focus their remaining coursework in an area of particular interest to them, such as chemistry or geology. Because this degree encompasses several science certifications, it requires 130-133 hours of coursework, depending upon the area of specialization. Below is a summary of the Composite Science degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science, Double Major in Education and Composite Science | ||
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Component Area I (Communication) | 6 | |
| Component Area II (Mathematics) 1 | 3 | |
| Component Area III (Life and Physical Science) 2 | 8 | |
| Component Area IV (Language, Philosophy, and Culture) | 3 | |
| Component Area V (Creative Arts) | 3 | |
| Component Area VI (U.S. History) | 6 | |
| Component Area VII (Political Science/Government) | 6 | |
| Component Area VIII (Social and Behavioral Sciences) 3 | 3 | |
| Component Area IX (Component Area Option) | 4 | |
| Degree Specific Requirements | ||
| CHEM 1411 | General Chemistry I 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 1412 | General Chemistry II 2 | 4 |
| MATH 1314 | Pre Calculus Algebra 1 | 3-4 |
| or MATH 1410 | Elementary Functions | |
| Major: Required (Education) | ||
| CISE 3384 | The Teaching Profession | 3 |
| CISE 4364 | Methods of Teaching in Secondary Schools | 3 |
| CISE 4374 | Human Growth and Learning | 3 |
| CISE 4377 | Assessment of Student Learning In Secondary Grades | 3 |
| CISE 4379 | Differentiated Pedagogy | 3 |
| CISE 4394 | Creating an Environment For Learning-Secondary Education | 3 |
| READ 4378 | Multiple Literacies in Secondary Education | 3 |
| SPED 3301 | Learning and Instruction for Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| TESL 4303 | Teaching English As A Second Language | 3 |
| Major: Required (Composite Science) | ||
| BIOL 1406 | General Biology I | 4 |
| BIOL 1407 | General Biology II | 4 |
| BIOL 1436 | Foundations Of Science | 4 |
| BIOL 2440 | Introductory Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 3390 | Science Teaching Methods 4 | 3 |
| GEOG 1401 | Weather and Climate | 4 |
| GEOL 1403 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 1404 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 3330 | Oceanography 5,6 | 3-4 |
| or CHEM 3438 | Biochemistry I | |
| or GEOG 3301 | Environmental Geography | |
| or BIOL 4361 | Evolutionary Biology | |
| or BIOL 4306 | Philosophy Of Biology | |
| or PHIL 4306 | Philosophy of Biology | |
| or HLTH 4390 | Environmental Health | |
| PHYS 1301 & PHYS 1101 | General Physics-Mechanics and Heat and General Physics Laboratory I 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 1302 & PHYS 1102 | General Physics-Sound, Light, Electricity, and Magnetism and General Physics Laboratory II | 4 |
| PHYS 1403 | Stars & Galaxies 6,7 | 4 |
| or CHEM 2323/2123 | Organic Chemistry I: Lecture | |
| STAT 3379 | Statistical Methods in Practice | 3 |
| Major: Concentration | 6-8 | |
| Student Teaching | ||
| CISE 4396 | Student Teaching - Secondary Classroom | 3 |
| CISE 4397 | Student Teaching - Secondary Classroom | 3 |
| Minor: Not Required 8,9 | ||
| Total Hours | 130-133 | |
- 1
MATH 1314 satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area II (Mathematics) as well as the major. Students may need to take MATH 1316 in order to take PHYS 1301 unless a prerequisite override given by the Physics Department Chair. MATH 1410 satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area II (Mathematics) and 1 credit for Component Area IX as well as the major. MATH 1410 will also satisfy the prerequisite requirement for PHYS 1301.
- 2
CHEM 1411 and CHEM 1412 satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area III (Life and Physical Science) and the major.
- 3
PSYC 1301 is recommended to satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement for Core Component Area VII (Social and Behavioral Sciences).
- 4
BIOL 3390 is offered in Fall semesters only.
- 5
CHEM 3438 is taken for the Chemistry Concentration. All other options are acceptable for non-chemistry concentrations.
- 6
CHEM 3438 is offered Fall or Summer I.
- 7
PHYS 1403 is taken for the Biology and Earth Science concentration, and CHEM 2323 and CHEM 2123 are taken for the Chemistry Concentration.
- 8
A minor is not required for this degree program; however, a student has the option to add a minor, but to do so additional semester credits hours may be needed above the degree program’s stated total semester credit hours.
- 9
All minors can be paired with this degree program.
Notes
Students must earn a 2.0 minimum overall GPA in all coursework.
Students must meet a 2.0 minimum overall major GPA in all major coursework.
Students must earn a 2.0 minimum SHSU GPA in all coursework.
Students must meet a 2.0 minimum SHSU major GPA in all major coursework.
Students must earn cumulative 2.0 minimum GPA in all Composite Science major coursework.
If the math requirement for PHYS 1301 is not met, or a prerequisite override is not given, MATH 1316 may need to be taken, which will add 3 semester credit hours to the degree plan.
Students must earn a "C" or better in all Education coursework. Students must earn an overall GPA of 2.75 (overall or in the last 60 hours) to be eligible for teacher certification.
Concentrations
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geology Concentration | ||
| Choose three of the following: | 9-12 | |
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Forensic Geology | ||
| Economic Geology | ||
| Geology of North America | ||
| Plate Tectonics | ||
| Structural Geology | ||
| Hydrogeology | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Total Hours | 9-12 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Concentration | ||
| Choose three of the following: | 11-12 | |
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Introductory Genetics | ||
| Wildlife Biology | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Histology | ||
| Plant Morphology | ||
| Aquatic Biology | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Vertebrate Natural History | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Cell Biology | ||
| Total Hours | 11-12 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry Concentration | ||
| CHEM 2325 & CHEM 2125 | Organic Chemistry II: Lecture and Organic Chemistry II: Lab | 4 |
| CHEM 3367 | Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| Choose two of the following: | 6-7 | |
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Air Quality 1 | ||
| Discoveries In Chemistry and Textiles | ||
| Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Total Hours | 13-14 | |
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area I | 3 | Component Area I | 3 |
| Component Area IV | 3 | Component Area VI | 3 |
| Component Area V | 3 | Component Area IX | 1 |
| Component Area VI | 3 | BIOL 1406 | 4 |
| BIOL 1436 | 4 | CHEM 14112 | 4 |
| MATH 1314 or 14101 | 3-4 | GEOG 1401 | 4 |
| 19-20 | 19 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area VII | 3 | Component Area VII | 3 |
| Component Area IX | 3 | Component Area VIII3 | 3 |
| BIOL 1407 | 4 | CISE 4374 | 3 |
| CHEM 14122 | 4 | GEOL 1403 | 4 |
| CISE 3384 | 3 | PHYS 1301 & PHYS 11011 | 4 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 2440 | 4 | Concentration Courses | 3-4 |
| CHEM 2323 & CHEM 2123 (or PHYS 1403)4,5 | 4 | GEOL 3330, CHEM 3438, GEOG 3301, BIOL 4361, BIOL 4306, PHIL 4306, or HLTH 43905,6 | 3-4 |
| GEOL 1404 | 4 | READ 4378 | 3 |
| PHYS 1302 & PHYS 1102 | 4 | SPED 3301 | 3 |
| TESL 4303 | 3 | STAT 3379 | 3 |
| 19 | 15-17 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Concentration Course | 3-4 | CISE 4394 | 3 |
| BIOL 33907 | 3 | CISE 4396 | 3 |
| CISE 4364 | 3 | CISE 4397 | 3 |
| CISE 4377 | 3 | ||
| CISE 4379 | 3 | ||
| 15-16 | 9 | ||
| Total Hours: 130-134 | |||
- 1
MATH 1314 satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area II (Mathematics) as well as the major. Students may need to take MATH 1316 in order to take PHYS 1301 unless a prerequisite override is given by the Physics Department Chair. MATH 1410 satisfies the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area II (Mathematics) and 1 credit for Component Area IX as well as the major. MATH 1410 will also satisfy the prerequisite requirement for PHYS 1301.
- 2
CHEM 1411 and CHEM 1412 satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area III (Life and Physical Science) and the major.
- 3
PSYC 1301 is recommended to satisfy the Core Curriculum requirement for Core Component Area VIII (Social and Behavioral Sciences).
- 4
PHYS 1403 is taken for the Biology and Earth Science concentration, and CHEM 2323 and CHEM 2123 are taken for the Chemistry Concentration.
- 5
CHEM 3438 is taken for the Chemistry Concentration. All other options are acceptable for non-chemistry concentrations.
- 6
CHEM 3438 is offered Fall or Summer I.
- 7
-
BIOL 3390 is offered in Fall semesters only.
Notes
Students must earn a 2.0 minimum overall GPA in all coursework.
Students must meet a 2.0 minimum overall major GPA in all major coursework.
Students must earn a 2.0 minimum SHSU GPA in all coursework.
Students must meet a 2.0 minimum SHSU major GPA in all major coursework.
Students must earn cumulative 2.0 minimum GPA in all Composite Science major coursework.
If the math requirement for PHYS 1301 is not met, or a prerequisite override is not given, MATH 1316 may need to be taken, which will add 3 semester credit hours to the degree plan.
Students must earn a "C" or better in all Education coursework. Students must earn an overall GPA of 2.75 (overall or in the last 60 hours) to be eligible for teacher certification.
A minor is not required for this degree program; however, a student has the option to add a minor, but to do so additional semester credits hours may be needed above the degree program’s stated total semester credit hours.
All minors can be paired with this degree program.
Concentrations
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Geology Concentration | ||
| Choose three of the following: | 9-12 | |
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Forensic Geology | ||
| Economic Geology | ||
| Geology of North America | ||
| Plate Tectonics | ||
| Structural Geology | ||
| Hydrogeology | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Total Hours | 9-12 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Concentration | ||
| Choose three of the following: | 12 | |
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Introductory Genetics | ||
| Wildlife Biology | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Histology | ||
| Plant Morphology | ||
| Aquatic Biology | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Vertebrate Natural History | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Cell Biology | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry Concentration | ||
| CHEM 2325 & CHEM 2125 | Organic Chemistry II: Lecture and Organic Chemistry II: Lab | 4 |
| CHEM 3367 | Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| Choose two of the following: | 6-7 | |
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Air Quality 1 | ||
| Discoveries In Chemistry and Textiles | ||
| Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Total Hours | 13-14 | |
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.
The BS with a Double Major in Education and Composite Science is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills:
- Prepared to teach Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science and Astronomy content for Texas teacher certification.
- Prepared to implement evidence-based methods of teaching and learning.
- Fully qualified to teach in Texas public high schools
