Teaching Biology 7-12 (BS)

Program Description

The BS program in Teaching Science, 7-12 offers students a choice of study in biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics. Rigorous courses in the chosen science are combined with a pedagogical foundation that exposes students to methods for teaching science and the development and adaptation of curricula for middle and high school students in multicultural classrooms. Aspiring teachers learn how to address issues of social justice, bias, equity, gender, and ethnicity, and future thinking using strategies that lead to effective science teaching and learning.

The program of study culminates in two semesters of teaching opportunities in a public or independent school setting. Students graduating from the program are eligible for New York State teacher certification for grades 7–12, with an extension for grades 5-6.

Honors

• Honors Societies: Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, Pi Lambda Theta
• Departmental Honors:  Senior Honors Seminar for students with at least a 3.5 GPA, cumulative and major, culminating in an honors thesis based on faculty-supervised independent research

See departmental honors for additional honors information.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply. 

Program Requirements

Sample Plan of Study

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

1. Build relationships with students and families with the goal of fostering student learning, engagement and well-being.
2. Integrate theory/research with pedagogical and classroom practice.
3. Develop and implement discipline-based curricula, unit plans and lessons that are coherent, use culturally sustaining pedagogies, and foster experiential learning.
4. Create and apply classroom strategies that are explicit, innovative, appropriate for a specific context, and use technology to support student learning.
5. Develop a practice that is equitable, inclusive, coherent, thoughtful and acquire the skills of a professional educator.

Policies

Program Policies

Grading Policies

Pass/Fail

Undergraduate students can only pass/fail Liberal Arts and Unrestricted Electives or CORE-UA courses not being used to fulfill a content area. Students are not permitted to pass/fail more than one course per semester and cannot pass/fail more than 16-20 credits total (depending on the program of study).  

Minimum Grades

Students must meet the following grade minimums in each program in order for classes to satisfy degree requirements: 

Childhood Education/Childhood Special Education 

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core Courses, and a minimum grade of C in Common Pedagogical Core Courses
• A minimum grade of C in Liberal Arts Content Core Courses

Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education 

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core Courses, and a minimum grade of C in Common Pedagogical Core Courses
• A minimum grade of C in Liberal Arts Content Core Courses

Teaching English 7-12

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core Courses, and a minimum grade of C in Common Pedagogical Core Courses
• A minimum grade of C in all English Content courses

Teaching Mathematics 7-12 

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core Courses, and a minimum grade of C in Common Pedagogical Core Courses
• A minimum grade of C in all Mathematics Content courses

Teaching Science 7-12

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core & Common Pedagogical Core course requirements.
• A minimum grade of C in Specialization Core Courses (BIOL-UA, CHEM-UA, PHYS-UA, ENVST-UA, and MATH-UA). 

Teaching Social Studies 7-12

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core & Common Pedagogical Core course requirements.
• A minimum grade of C in all History, ECON-UA 1 & Politics courses.

Teaching a World Language 7-12

• A minimum grade of B- in all Specialized Pedagogical Core Courses, and a minimum grade of C in Common Pedagogical Core Courses
• A minimum grade of C in all target language courses

Student Teaching Seminars

A minimum grade of B- in all student teaching seminar courses:

CHDED-UE 1901 and CHDED-UE 1902
ECED-UE 1503 and ECED-UE 1904
ENGED-UE 1911 and ENGED-UE 1922
MTHED-UE 1911 and MTHED-UE 1922
SCIED-UE 1911 and SCIED-UE 1922
SOCED-UE 1911 and SOCED-UE 1922
SPCED-UE 1504, SPCED-UE 1901, SPCED-UE 1903 and SPCED-UE 1904
WLGED-UE 1911 and WLGED-UE 1922

Students can review the Department of Teaching & Learning Academic Policies in our Undergraduate Advising Guide.

Fieldwork Placement

Be advised that fieldwork placement facilities that provide training required for your program degree, and agencies that issue licenses for practice in your field of study, each may require you to undergo general and criminal background checks, the results of which the facility or agency must find acceptable before it will allow you to train at its facility or issue you a license. You should inform yourself of offenses or other facts that may prevent obtaining a license to practice in your field of study. NYU Steinhardt will not be responsible if you are unable to complete program requirements or cannot obtain a license to practice in your field because of the results of such background. 

STEM OPT Benefits for International Students

If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in this program may also be eligible for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Steinhardt Academic Policies

Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.