How to Get Educational and Professional Biology Certification

College graduates with a biology degree who seek to teach or enter the workforce can expand job opportunities and career potential with professional biology certification. Both teachers and some practicing biologists get certified.

There are various kinds of biology certification, but the first one to consider is each college’s requirements for educational biology certification. For example, colleges with teaching degree programs require you to complete a certain number of credits in biology and related classes to get biology certification as part of your education/teaching degree. In these programs, you take classes in education theory plus the additional biology component.

If you intend to become a biology teacher, it would be nice to learn the school’s requirements for biology certification as quickly as possible. That is because you may have to take several classes in biology across well more than one semester or even year to qualify for certification. Plan ahead if possible.

The second type of vital biology certification is from the state education boards that regulate teacher certification in each state. States usually require their biology teachers to take a certification exam. Howevere, there is no natiional exam for teacher certification unless you go to the one of the alternative certification routes. For example, some -but not all – states accept ABCTE certification. If you take the ABCTE biology certification exam and get certified, you can get a teacher’s license in some states. Always check your state’s certification requirements so you can plan ahead for teacher certification, as well.

There are also some certifications available for biologists working in the field. For example, the American Society for Clinical Pathology has professional certification programs for microbiologists and molecular biologists. Other biology or similar associations may have information on other general or specialized professional biology certification programs.

Resources:

Master of Arts in Teaching Biology Certification Standards for Cornell University

American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence: Biology Certification and Course

American Society for Clinical Pathology: Microbiology and Molecular Biology Certification


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