Our society needs well-prepared biology teachers to ensure we have a scientifically literate populace. For many students, high school biology is the last course they take designed to help them understand the important role of science in general, and biology in particular in our technological world. For other students, biology courses are the first step toward careers in natural resources, biotechnology, medicine, etc. The job of the high school science teacher is critical to the development of our society. Students combine a study of the biology, chemistry, physics, and the earth and space sciences with a study of teaching foundations and various field and clinical experiences as they complete this major. Successful completion of this program leads toward a Bachelor of Science in Biology, as well as an Illinois teaching license for grades 9-12 science. The culminating experience for this program is a 16-week student teaching experience. Students considering a major in biology should complete at least one year each of high school biology, chemistry, and physics (if available), as well as four years of English, two to three years of a foreign language, and three years of mathematics.