Biology Comprehensive Major: Secondary Licensure Emphasis (with a 3+2 Master of Arts in Education)

The 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Program allows students to complete a B.A. in their academic major with an emphasis in Secondary and K-12 Licensure and a Master of Arts in Education in five years. Students apply to the program by December of their junior year. MUS majors interested in the program need to set up an individualized plan with their MUS and EDUC advisors.  To be accepted into the 3+2 Program, each student must: 

  • Provide letters of recommendation from at least one Education Department faculty member and one faculty member from the student's major
  • Prove content, as defined by the Colorado Department of Education
  • Be accepted into Western's Teacher Licensure Program
  • Successfully complete EDUC 340 (by Spring of junior year)
  • Be on track to complete all coursework required within the academic major

Upon satisfactory completion of these requirements, students will be designated as "MAED candidates with provisional acceptance." Upon completion of the final undergraduate credits for the Western B.A., students will be designated as "MAED degree-seeking students." Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Degree Program and all Western undergraduate requirements, yet choose to leave the MAED program before Year Five, will still have completed the BA in Secondary and K-12 Licensure, have earned 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree, and be eligible to apply for initial teacher licensure . 

Program Requirements

Students interested in pursuing this comprehensive program should consult with the Teacher Education Program advisor in addition to the advisor in their major as soon as possible. 

All Biology majors require the 26-credit Biology Nucleus.

Biology Nucleus
BIOL 150Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)4
BIOL 151Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory)4
BIOL 301GENERAL ECOLOGY3
BIOL 310Cell Biology3
BIOL 312Genetics (with recitation)4
CHEM 111General Chemistry I (GT-SC2)3
CHEM 112General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1)1
CHEM 113General Chemistry II3
CHEM 114General Chemistry Laboratory II1
Total Credits26
Required Biology and/or ESS courses
BIOL 201Introduction to Microbiology (with laboratory)4
or BIOL 342 Microbiology (with laboratory)
Select one of the following:4-8
Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab)
Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with laboratory)
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II (with laboratory)

 In addition, the student must fulfill the requirements of the Secondary Licensure 3+2 Program (see description under Education), and the following:

Minimum Supporting Courses
CHEM 231Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry3
CHEM 234Introductory Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory1
GEOL 101Physical Geology (GT-SC2)3
GEOL 105Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
GEOL 201Historical Geology (with laboratory)4
MATH 213Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1)3
PHYS 110Introductory Astronomy (GT-SC2)3
PHYS 120Meteorology (GT-SC2)3
PHYS 140Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1)4

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation.  Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above).  Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued. 

Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
BIOL 151 Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) 4
CHEM 111 General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) 3
CHEM 112 General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) 1
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
MATH 140 College Algebra (GT-MA1) 3
 Credits15
Spring
BIOL 150 Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) 4
CHEM 113 General Chemistry II 3
CHEM 114 General Chemistry Laboratory II 1
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
 Credits14
Year Two
Fall
BIOL 301 GENERAL ECOLOGY 3
CHEM 231 Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry 3
CHEM 234 Introductory Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory 1
ESS 201
Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab)
or Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with laboratory)
4
MATH 141 Precalculus (GT-MA1) 4
 Credits15
Spring
BIOL 310 Cell Biology 3
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
PHYS 120 Meteorology (GT-SC2) 3
MATH 213 Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
BIOL 201
Introduction to Microbiology (with laboratory)
or Microbiology (with laboratory)
4
BIOL 312 Genetics (with recitation) 4
Gen Ed Arts & Humanities 3
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
GEOL 101 Physical Geology (GT-SC2) 3
GEOL 105 Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) 1
 Credits18
Spring
EDUC 000 Education Gateway Course 0
EDUC 340 Application of Pedagogy and Practice 3
GEOL 201 Historical Geology (with laboratory) 4
PHYS 110 Introductory Astronomy (GT-SC2) 3
PHYS 140 Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) 4
Gen Ed Social Sciences 3
 Credits17
Year Four
Fall
EDUC 403 INSTRTN&ASMT IN CONTENT AREA 3
EDUC 405 Data-driven Instructional Practices 3
EDUC 604 Learning Environments 3
EDUC 609 Secondary Student Teaching 3
EDUC 624 Managing to Differentiate 3
 Credits15
Spring
EDUC 606 Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas 3
EDUC 607 Rethinking Learning in the 21st Century 3
EDUC 609 Secondary Student Teaching 3
EDUC 629 Inclusion and English Learners 3
 Credits12
 Total Credits121