Dec 05, 2024  
2024-2025 Shepherd University Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Shepherd University Catalog

4+1 BS Biology to MAT and Teacher Certification


Eligibility:

Accelerated Pathway Candidates can apply for admission to the Accelerated MAT Pathway after the conclusion of their sophomore year.

 

Requirements for admission:
  • Overall GPA 3.0
  • Content GPA 3.0
  • Grade of C or Better in ENGL 101, ENGL 102, and COMM 202
  • Passing Scores on Praxis CORE or Documentation of Exemption
  • Endorsement from undergraduate academic advisor for following:
    • Ability to handle graduate level coursework concurrently with undergraduate courses.
    • Ability to manage complex schedule involving field placement.
    • Interpersonal abilities to work with teachers and public school students.

 

Accelerated Program Details:

Once admitted to the accelerated pathway, the student must maintain 3.0 GPA in all 5XX courses.

Upon graduation, the student would continue in the MAT program.

 

All science teaching concentration coursework should be completed prior to the completion of the BA. Current teaching concentration requirements can be found at https://www.shepherd.edu/mat/.

A 4+1 registration form which requires both undergraduate and graduate advisor signatures is necessary for enrollment in graduate level classes prior to the undergraduate graduation. This form should be turned into the registrar to authorize course registration at the appropriate level and assign waivers to undergraduate requirements once the graduate course is satisfactorily completed.

A maximum of 12 credits may be taken at the graduate level prior to the undergraduate graduation.

 

B.S. Biology (Traditional) to MAT 4+1 Suggested Course Sequence

Courses in Bold are specifically required for the accelerated pathway.

 

FALL   FIRST YEAR     SPRING   FIRST YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 211   Fundamentals I: Molecular/Cellular
Function
4   BIOL 212   Fundamentals II:
Diversity of Life
4
CHEM 207/207L   General Chemistry/Lab I (LS1) 4   CHEM 209/209L   General Chemistry/Lab II (LS) 4
ENGL 101   Writing/Rhetoric I (CC2) 3   ENGL 102   Writing/Rhetoric II (CC) 3
MATH 108*   Precalculus* OR 4*   MATH 205   Calculus with Applications (MA3) OR 4
MATH 105*   College Algebra* 3*   MATH 314   Statistics (MA) 3
FYEX 101   First-Year Experience (FY4) 1          
    TOTAL 15-16       TOTAL 14-15
         
FALL   SECOND YEAR     SPRING   SECOND YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 303   General Ecology 4   BIOL 305   Cell Biology 4
Minor   Minor 3-4   Minor   Minor 3-4
Hist 1XX    Choose History with advisor (CC) 3   Core Arts (AR5)   Choose CK, GL, or MD
with advisor (CC)
3
Core Humanities
(HM
6)
  Choose: CK, GL, or MD with
advisor (CC) COMM 202
3   Core Humanities
(HM)
  Choose CK, GL, or MD
​with advisor (CC)
3
Core Wellness (WE7)   Choose Wellness with advisor (CC) 3   Core-Social Sciences
(SO8)
  Choose CK, GL, or MD
​with advisor (CC)
3
    TOTAL 16-17       TOTAL 16-17
         
FALL   THIRD YEAR     SPRING   THIRD YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 344   Genetics 4   BIOL 406   Developmental Biology 4
BIOL 425   Principles and Practice of Research
(CP and WM9)
4   BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Elective
Select a class to cover
information processing
requirement
4
PHYS 201/201L   College Physics I/Lab OR 4   PHYS 202/202L   College Physics II/Lab OR 4
PHYS 221/221L   General Physics I/Lab 4   PHYS 222/222L   General Physics II/Lab 4
Core-Social Sciences
(SO)
  EDUC 581
Foundations of Education 
3   Core-Social Sciences
(SO)
  EDUC 560
Survey of Exceptionalities
3
    TOTAL 15       TOTAL 15-16
         
FALL   FOURTH YEAR     SPRING   FOURTH YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Elective 3   BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Elective 4
Minor   Minor 3-4   BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Elective 4
Minor   Minor 3-4   Minor   Minor 3-4
Elective   Elective 4   Elective   EDUC 583 Planning, Conducting,
Assessing Instruction
3-4
Elective   Elective 5XX Science Class
(choose with advisor)
4          
    TOTAL 18-19       TOTAL 14-16
                 
May 24, 2023             DEGREE TOTAL 120
       Graduation with BS in Biology. Graduate Studies Status Would Change to “Full”  

 

B.S. Biology (Ecological Science) to MAT 4+1 Suggested Course Sequence

Courses in Bold are specifically required for the accelerated pathway.

 

FALL   FIRST YEAR     SPRING   FIRST YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
CHEM 207/207L   General Chemistry/Lab I (LS1) OR 4   BIOL 212   Fundamentals II:
Diversity of Life
4
ENVS 201/201L   Foundations in
Environmental Science I/Lab
4   CHEM 209/209L   General Chemistry/Lab II (LS) OR 4
ENGL 101   Writing/Rhetoric I (CC2) 3   ENVS 202/202L   Foundations in
Environmental Science II/Lab
4
MATH 108*   Precalculus* OR 4*   ENGL 102   Writing/Rhetoric II (CC) 3
MATH 105*   College Algebra* 3*   MATH 205   Calculus with Applications (MA3) OR 4
FYEX 101   First-Year Experience (FY4) 1   MATH 314   Statistics (MA) 3
    TOTAL 15-16       TOTAL 14-15
         
FALL   SECOND YEAR     SPRING   SECOND YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 303   General Ecology 4   BIOL 305   Cell Biology 4
BIOL 3XX   Biology Restricted Elective Group A 1/4
Choose BIOL 344 Genetics & Evolution
for 1 Biology Elective
4   BIOL 301   Evolution 4
Hist 1XX    Choose History with advisor (CC) 3   Core Arts (AR5)   Choose CK, GL, or MD
with advisor (CC)
3
Core Humanities
(HM
6)
  Choose: CK, GL, or MD with
advisor (CC) COMM 202
3   Core Humanities
(HM)
  Choose CK, GL, or MD
​with advisor (CC)
3
Core Wellness (WE7)   Choose Wellness with advisor (CC) 3          
    TOTAL 17       TOTAL 14
         
FALL   THIRD YEAR     SPRING   THIRD YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 3XX   Biology Restricted Elective Group A 2/4
Select a class to address the
Information Processing
Requirement
4   BIOL 3XX   Biology Restricted Elective Group A 3/4 4
Core-Social Sciences
(SO8)
  Choose CK, GL, or MD
​with advisor (CC)
3   BIOL 3XX   Biology Restricted Elective Group A 4/4 4
PHYS 201/201L   College Physics I/Lab OR 4   PHYS 202/202L OR
301 OR 302
  Physics 4
Core-Social Sciences
(SO)
  EDUC 581
Foundations of Education
3   Core-Social Sciences
(SO)
  EDUC 560
Survey of Exceptionalities
3
    TOTAL 14       TOTAL 15
         
FALL   FOURTH YEAR     SPRING   FOURTH YEAR  
Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit   Sub./Course No. Tier Title Credit
BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Restricted Elective Group B 1/2 4   CSTEM 3XX-4XX   Advanced Competency
Restricted Elective
Group C 2/4
4
BIOL 3XX-4XX   BIOL Restricted Elective Group B 2/2 4   CSTEM 3XX-4XX   Advanced Competency
Restricted Elective
Group C 3/4
4
BIOL 425   Principles and Practice of Research
(CP and WM9)
4   CSTEM 3XX-4XX   Advanced Competency
Restricted Elective
Group C 4/4
2-4
CSTEM 3XX-4XX   Advanced Competency
Restricted Elective Group C 1/4
or 500+ Science Class
(choose with advisor)
4   Elective   EDUC 583 Planning, Conducting,
Assessing Instruction
 
3-4
                 
    TOTAL 16       TOTAL 14-15
                 
May 24, 2023             DEGREE TOTAL 120
       Graduation with BS in Biology (Ecological Science). Graduate Studies Status Would Change to “Full”  

 

Completion of the MAT
SUMMER 1     SUMMER 2      FALL     SPRING   
Sub./Course No. Title   Sub./Course No. Title   Sub./Course No. Title   Sub./Course No. Title
EDUC 584 Classroom Ecology   EDUC 500 Technology in Teaching and Learning   EDUC 585 Content Methods
(30-hour Field Placement)
  EDUC 603 Student Teaching
(Must be on Type A permit
to student teach in own classroom)
      EDUC 527 Inclusion Seminar   EDUC 503 Literacy in the Content Area
(50-hour Field Placement)
  EDUC 590 Student Teaching Seminar (edTPA)
Take a second graduate elective
to support passing edTPA
            EDUC 582 Learning in Context      
              Must have Praxis Content Scores back by November 1 
Apply for Spring Student Teaching
Apply for Retention
     

 

Additional Program Notes:

MAT teacher candidates are required to apply for retention review and student teaching by the posted deadline the semester prior to student teaching.

Passing the content praxis exam is required before November 1 or June 1 of the semester prior to student teaching.  

MAT Candidates must pass the edTPA during the student teaching semester.  EDUC 590, Student Teaching Seminar, provides support for this requirement and is strongly recommended as the second graduate elective. Students who choose not to take it, must complete their second graduate elective PRIOR to student teaching.

The accelerated program requires that the candidate continues as a full time graduate student between undergraduate and graduate graduations.  In the event that an accelerated pathway candidate is hired by a school system as a long term substitute or on a provisional certificate, they will automatically revert to a traditional MAT program and a new plan of study will be generated with the academic advisor.


The Student Record:

Tuition assessment works off the student record so tuition is billed at the undergraduate rate prior to graduation with the BA regardless of the level of courses enrolled. Likewise, financial aid will be processed and paid based on the undergraduate student record until after the undergraduate graduation.

Graduate courses do not appear on the undergraduate level transcript and GPA is not calculated into the undergraduate transcript.

In the accelerated pathway, the undergraduate degree total may be less than 120 and an annotation is added to the undergraduate-level transcript to indicate that the ‘remaining credits/requirements were taken at the graduate level and appear on the graduate level transcript”.  Shepherd would then certify the undergraduate degree on less than 120 undergraduate credits assuming that all other requirements have been met for the undergraduate degree.