Upper-class students may work as assistants in the science education teaching and research programs. This major prepares students specifically for teaching life sciences in public schools. At the high school level this could include general biology, anatomy, physiology, botany, zoology, AP biology and many other life science subjects. At the junior high school level this could include life science and general science. Because of the broad preparation in the biology composite major, one or two additional classes can qualify teachers for the Utah endorsement in physical science, earth science or chemistry.
Many teachers have summer jobs in fields related to biology teaching.
This includes work with the Forest Service, Wildlife Division, Park Service, city summer recreation programs, etc. Science education facilities at BYU include a science education laboratory and teaching area in the McKay Building. Other facilities include microteaching laboratories with complete videotaping equipment and a learning resource center housing a variety of science education materials. There is also a biology teaching minor that requires 29-30 semester hours covering the plant kingdom, plant classification, ecology, vertebrate and invertebrate strategies, human anatomy or physiology, genetics, microbiology, entomology and evolutionary science.