Secondary Education Biology Fast Track

Note to students: Remember that this is a SAMPLE. What’s shown is a “fast-track” schedule. Be aware that you also have the option of completing Biology major over a four-year period, with a fifth year reserved for your teaching credential. Students will in many cases wish to, or need to, take courses in a different order than what’s shown. Requirements will differ if you Westmont with AP or college credit. Please confer with Biology department advisor as major requirements sometimes change. Pre-requisites for the Education program are in bold.

Sample Schedule

FALL (17)
  • CHM 5: General Chemistry I (4)
  • GE Common Context (4)
  • GE Common Context (4)
  • ENG 2 Comp. (4)
  • PEA 32: Fitness for Life (1)
SPRING (17)
  • CHM 6: General Chemistry II (4)
  • BIO 5: General Biology I (4)
  • MA 5: Statistics (4)
  • GE Common Context (4)
  • PEA (1)
First Year May term or Summer
  • GE Common Skill: Foreign Language requirement (3-4)
  • Common Inquiry (3-4)
FALL (17)
  • BIO 6: General Biology II (4)
  • Math or Phy. Sci course (4)
  • Upper Division Science Elective (4)
  • GE Common Inquiry (4)
  • PEA (1)
SPRING (19)
  • BIO 114: Genetics (4)
  • Math or Phy. Sci. course (4)
  • Upper Division Science Elective (4)
  • GE Common Context (4)
  • ED 161: Technology for the Classroom Teacher (2)
  • PEA (1)
Second Year May term or Summer
  • Two GE Common Inquiry courses (6-8)
FALL (18)
  • BIO 113/130/132 (4)
  • BIO 102/108/110/160 (4)
  • ED 105: Cultural Diversity (4)
  • ENG 106: Language Acquisition (4)
  • KNS 156: Health Education (2)
SPRING (18)
  • BIO 104/125/128/129 (4)
  • BIO 195: Seminar in Biological Lit. (1)
  • BIO 196: Seminar in Bioethics (1)
  • Upper Division Science Elective (4)
  • GE Common Context (4)
  • ED 101: Explorations in Teaching (4)
Third Year May Term or Summer
  • GE Common Inquiry (3-4)
  • Upper Division Science Electives (4)
FALL (16)
  • ED 111: Educational Psychology (4)
  • ED 125: Science Curri. & Instructional Planning (4)
  • ED 171: Content Area Literacy (4)
  • ED 130: Special Education (2)
  • Practicum (2)
SPRING (15)
  • ED 191: Student Teaching (12)
  • ED 196: Student Teaching seminar (3)
Assumptions Underlying this plan:
  • That students will meet the 2 advanced Writing for the Liberal Arts requirements through courses already listed here.
  • That student will fulfill Common Skills: B (Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning) at the same time as one of the Common Inquiry Courses.
  • That student will fulfill requirements for Common Inquiry Components B and C as part of the Major.
  • Note that this schedule assumes NO advanced placement units. Students who come in with units that are accepted toward major or GE requirements obviously have somewhat greater flexibility in completing the Biology major and teaching credential in four years.

To download a printable PDF of the schedule, click here.