Bachelor of Science in Education & Human Sciences(Secondary Education: Biology)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences (Secondary Education: Biology) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln combines a strong biology foundation with professional teacher preparation, preparing students to teach biology at the grades 7–12 level after completing the required professional preparation and certification requirements. Students study biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, adolescent development, instructional technology, curriculum design and classroom teaching while gaining extensive practical experience in schools.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin building their scientific foundation through courses such as LIFE 120 & 120L Fundamentals of Biology I and Laboratory, alongside general education and supporting science coursework. The teacher-preparation pathway also introduces students to education through courses such as TEAC 161 Teaching Matters, which uses school visits, lectures and inquiry to introduce the responsibilities and identity of a secondary teacher.

Year 2: Students continue into LIFE 121 & 121L Fundamentals of Biology II and Laboratory and develop deeper biological knowledge through options such as BIOS 201 & BIOS 202 General Genetics and Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory. Education studies expand through EDPS 251 Fundamentals of Adolescent Development for Education, TEAC 259 Instructional Technology, and TEAC 331 School and Society, connecting scientific knowledge with adolescent learning and classroom practice.

Year 3: Students broaden their biology and interdisciplinary science preparation with options such as BIOS 207 Ecology and Evolution, BIOS 213 & 213L Human Physiology and Human Physiology Laboratory, plus chemistry, geology, meteorology and physics requirements. Professional preparation becomes more applied through TEAC 397V Professional Practicum Experience III: Secondary Science, TEAC 451V Learning and Teaching Principles and Practices: Secondary Science, and TEAC 452V Curriculum Principles and Practices: Secondary Science.

Year 4: The final year focuses strongly on professional classroom preparation and supervised teaching, including TEAC 413M Teaching Multilingual Learners in Content Areas, TEAC 403B Secondary Student Teaching Seminar, and TEAC 497V Student Teaching Secondary Science. The student-teaching component provides a full-day, everyday school experience for an entire semester, allowing students to apply their biology and teaching knowledge in an authentic classroom setting.

Focus Areas:

Biology, secondary science education, genetics and molecular and cellular biology, ecology and evolution, human physiology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, adolescent development, instructional technology, curriculum design, multilingual learner instruction, classroom teaching

Learning Outcomes:

Make biology content accessible and meaningful to students, create respectful and productive learning environments, respond to student development and diverse learning needs, design and assess standards-aligned learning experiences and instructional units

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The program is designed as a teacher-preparation pathway leading to recommendation for Nebraska teaching certification in the relevant endorsement area, with certification governed by the Nebraska Department of Education. Students completing the Secondary Education: Biology option are eligible to be endorsed to teach biology courses in grades 7–12, subject to the professional and state certification requirements.

Reputation (Employability Rankings):

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln reports that its College of Education and Human Sciences was ranked No. 63 among U.S. education schools in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools ranking; the university also reports that UNL ranked No. 81 among U.S. public universities in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings. These are university/college-level rankings rather than rankings specifically for the undergraduate Secondary Education: Biology program.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Bachelor of Science in Education & Human Sciences (Secondary Education: Biology) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln combines biology content with progressive classroom-based teacher preparation. Students begin gaining practical experience through practicum placements and continue into extensive student teaching, with UNL reporting more than 600 hours of classroom experience before graduation across diverse school settings. Biology preparation also includes laboratory-based coursework, while the program integrates technology, subject knowledge, and teaching practice so students can develop both scientific and instructional skills.

Key experiential opportunities and program-specific resources include:

Practicum experiences: Students participate in classroom placements beginning early in the program, gaining experience in different classroom settings and grade levels before student teaching.
Student teaching: The program culminates in an intensive, full-day student-teaching experience in a school setting, supported by cooperating teachers and university supervisors. UNL's secondary science certification documentation specifies 560 hours of student teaching plus 180 hours of professional practicum experiences.
Biology laboratories: Biology coursework includes hands-on laboratory subjects such as Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Human Physiology Laboratory, General Chemistry Laboratory, and Organic Chemistry Laboratory, giving future biology teachers direct experience with scientific investigation.
Teaching-assistant training: The School of Biological Sciences offers an Undergraduate Education Assistant Practicum, where students interested in life-science education develop professional skills for assisting with biology laboratories, recitations, and lectures.
Field-based biology: The Cedar Point Biological Station near Lake McConaughy and Ogallala provides a field research facility with hands-on summer courses, giving students an opportunity to study biology beyond the traditional classroom and laboratory.
Research and teaching facilities: The School of Biological Sciences includes Beadle Center, Manter Hall, Brace Laboratory, faculty research laboratories, the Nebraska Center for Virology, Bioscience Greenhouses, and the Center for Biotechnology. The Bioscience Greenhouses include four greenhouses totaling 13,560 square feet for teaching and research.
Digital and instructional technology: The teacher-preparation curriculum explicitly integrates technology and digital thinking into coursework and field experiences, helping students connect biology knowledge with modern classroom instruction.
Diverse school placements: Students can build experience in urban, suburban, and rural school settings, while UNL also provides opportunities for global educational experiences, including faculty-led study abroad and student teaching through the Global Gateway for Teachers program.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Science in Education & Human Sciences with a Secondary Education: Biology focus prepares students to teach biology at the secondary level while developing the classroom, curriculum, and instructional skills needed for professional teaching. Graduates can pursue roles such as secondary biology teacher, science teacher, biology educator, and educational program specialist, with the program’s preparation aligned to Nebraska teacher licensure requirements. UNL reports that its educator preparation completers have a high rate of employment in the areas for which they were prepared, and its Biology endorsement had 2 of 2 reported 2024–25 completers employed full- or part-time.

Career and Employment Opportunities:

Career support: The College of Education and Human Sciences Career Center provides one-to-one career coaching, resume and cover-letter support, interview preparation, job-search strategies, internship and part-time job guidance, and graduate/professional-school advising. Biology Education 7–12 students also have a specifically assigned academic advisor.
Employment outcomes: UNL’s educator-preparation data reports 2/2 Biology endorsement completers employed full- or part-time among the 2024–25 initial completers. Across all initial educator-preparation completers that year, 177 were full-time teachers, 8 were part-time teachers, 4 were state substitutes, and 94 were categorized as other/unknown.
Salary information: A specific salary figure or median salary for graduates of the Biology Secondary Education program is not stated on the official UNL program sources.
Employment demand: Nebraska’s 2025–26 Teacher Vacancy Survey identifies Science, including Biology, as a teacher-shortage area; the state reported science among its areas of continuing need.
School partnerships and field experience: Students complete extensive classroom experiences with mentor teachers and school districts. UNL reports 273 student teachers, 266 Nebraska placements, 8 out-of-state placements, 9 international placements, and 850+ practicum placements for 2024–25.
Accreditation value: UNL’s educator preparation programs, including the Biology 7–12 endorsement, are nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) through 2032. UNL states that accreditation provides external quality assurance, standards for classroom-ready teachers, continuous improvement, and connections with national and state accountability systems.
Graduation and licensure: After completing the required preparation, UNL supports graduates with the Nebraska teaching-certification process; UNL sends institutional verification to the Nebraska Department of Education after a recent graduate completes student teaching and the degree is posted.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the bachelor’s degree, graduates can continue into graduate study in education or a related field, including master’s-level study and advanced educator preparation. UNL specifically offers an M.A. leading to Initial Teaching Certification in Biology Education (Grades 7–12), while its graduate pathways also include doctoral options such as the Ph.D. and Ed.D. in relevant education fields.