The MCB + Teaching Licensure program provides certification to teach biology at the high school level. Students take courses for the MCB major, in addition to the requirements for a Minor in Secondary Education. Students will apply to the Secondary Education Minor after their sophomore year.

Requirements & typical four-year plan of study

Prerequisite Courses

The following courses must be completed or in progress by the semester students are applying for the Secondary Education minor.

  • IB 150
  • MCB 150
  • CHEM 102, 103
  • CHEM 104, 105
  • CHEM 232, 233
  • MATH 220 or 221
  • Two MCB core courses

Courses for the Secondary Education Minor

In addition to the pre-requisite courses listed above, students must complete the following courses in this specified order.

Semester in Minor Typical Timing Courses Credit Hours
1 Spring, junior year CI 401, CI 473 6
2 Fall, senior year CI 403, EPSY 485, SPED 405 9
3 Spring, senior year CI 404, EDPR 442 15

Additional Courses

Students who complete a major in MCB and the Secondary Education minor, will be eligible for certification in both biological sciences and physical sciences by taking two additional courses, aside from the major requirements: GEOL 107 and ASTR 100 or 210.

Important note

Students must complete all requirements with a grade of C- or higher for state licensure. The only exceptions are courses taken to fulfill a composition requirement, a language other than English requirement, or general education courses not required in the major or minor.

Useful links

Contact us

Contact MCB Advising at 217-333-6774 or advising@mcb.illinois.edu.
Contact School of Education advising at SecEdAdvising@education.illinois.edu.