OVERVIEW
Make a Difference with a Secondary Biology Endorsement and Hone Your Teaching Skills
Add a valuable teaching credential to your résumé with the Secondary Biology Endorsement at WGU. Designed for licensed secondary science educators, this fully online program provides a comprehensive and flexible pathway to specialize in teaching secondary biology. You'll cover topics such as:
- Genetics
- Evolutionary biology
- Advanced zoology
With a curriculum that blends theory, advanced content, and effective teaching strategies, you'll develop the expertise needed to engage and inspire students in 6-12 biology classrooms.
Supported by dedicated Program Mentors and expert instructors, this program ensures you receive a personalized and efficient learning experience. Earn your Secondary Biology endorsement and open doors to new career opportunities in science education.
Note: The specific grade levels you will be eligible to teach depend on your state’s licenses and certificate programs. Current teachers must have an initial license in secondary science in order to pursue this program.
What is an Endorsement Program?
An endorsement program is a pathway for teachers to gain additional qualifications in a certain subject area or grade level, allowing them to "endorse" their teaching abilities in that particular field through coursework and demonstrating proficiency. Endorsement programs can be in a specialization such as certain science focus areas, ESL/ELL, or gifted education, and is typically added to an existing teaching license. Endorsements can also add grade level options to your license, such as secondary or middle grades. Endorsements at WGU are for individuals who already have a teaching bachelor's degree and are a licensed teacher, or for those who are currently going through a WGU bachelor's degree program in education.
Most students will complete this program in a minimum of
12 Months*
WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish faster.
*WGU Internal Data
Tuition per six-month term is
$2,550
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps you control the ultimate cost of your endorsement. Finish faster, pay less!
Educator renewal points
Yes
Pursuing an endorsement program will count towards re-licensure points to keep your teaching license up-to-date. Endorsements then become part of your license and will need to be renewed. The details will depend on your specific state.
Not Sure If You Need a Teaching License?
If you aren't sure which program is right for you, or if you'll require a teaching license, you can learn more about licensure and if it's needed for your career goals.
COURSES
Secondary Biology Courses
Curriculum that ensures you’ve mastered the things you need to know to teach biology.
Program consists of 9 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.
This online endorsement preparation program prepares licensed teachers to gain the additional certification and licensure required to teach in Secondary Biology settings and to develop significant skills in curriculum development, design, and evaluation.
This program is made up of the following courses, which you will typically complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized degree plan.
You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. As soon as you’re ready, you’ll pass the assessment, complete the course, and move on. This means that you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.
You also may be able to transfer in courses taken at another institution, making the time to complete this endorsement program even shorter.
9 Courses
Program consists of 9 courses
At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.
Praxis Prep
Helping you prepare for the Praxis Exam
Several courses in this program are focused on Praxis exam prep to help ensure that students are ready to take that licensing exam. In order to add secondary biology to their license, most students will be required by their state to take the Praxis exam for secondary biology.
“WGU was fantastic for me. Mentors and teachers had one goal: to launch me forward through any challenge OR obstacle. I loved their 'can do' attitude, it was contagious.”
—Kassie Ann
Endorsement Program, English Language Learning
Endorsement or Master's Degree
Should you pursue a master’s degree or an endorsement program? Educators who want to expand their ability to teach certain grades or subjects may consider either a master’s degree or an endorsement program. Individuals should research their state to understand how an endorsement vs. a master’s degree will impact. Here are some important points about choosing one or the other.
Endorsement Programs
- Shorter program overall, with fewer courses and often a lower cost than a master’s degree.
Adds a credential to your teaching license allowing you to teach another grade level or subject area.
Only for currently licensed teachers. An endorsement program does not give you initial eligibility to teach.
Counts toward renewal points for current teachers.
Is valuable to school districts and can look great on your résumé, helping you land a job.
Master's Programs
- More in-depth knowledge in a subject area with more courses, and a higher cost overall.
Can also add subject areas or grades to your teaching license but they can be unrelated to your current license.
Master’s programs available for individuals who need an initial license to become eligible to teach in a classroom.
Counts toward renewal points for current teachers.
Is valuable to school districts and can look great on your résumé, helping you land a job.
Why WGU?
Strong Alumni Network
When you enroll in the secondary biology endorsement program at WGU, you join an impressive network of education professionals. Over 19,000 students graduated from the School of Education in 2024 alone, taking their skills and impacting the educational system all around the United States.
Accredited, Respected,
Recognized™
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
COST & TIME
When We Say Affordable We Mean It
By charging per six-month term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their endorsements. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay.
An Endorsement Is Within Reach
There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:
The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2023 (among those who borrowed) was about half* the national average.
Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits.
Payment plans help students pay for their program on a monthly basis rather than all at once.
*WGU undergraduate students have approximately half the debt at graduation compared to the national average, according to the Institute for College Access and Success (2023).
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
A Different Way to Learn: Endorsement Programs Designed to Fit Your Life—and All the Demands on Your Time
No rigid class schedules. Just a solid, career-focused teaching program that meshes with your current lifestyle. You'll be challenged. You'll work hard. But if you commit yourself and put in the hours needed, WGU makes it possible for you to earn a highly respected endorsement as a busy working adult.
WGU's Secondary Biology Endorsement Preparation program is designed for licensed teachers who want to add an endorsement to their license, qualifying them to teach secondary biology students in gradees 6–12.
This program is specifically designed for working adult students, so you can honor your current work and family responsibilities while completing your coursework.
CAREER OUTLOOK
In this Biology Endorsement Program You'll be Ready to Help Students Find a Love of Science
Helping students learn concepts, connect the dots, and find new passions is what makes teaching so rewarding. As a biology teacher, you can help students make the connections that will instill confidence in them, and make a difference for their lives going forward.
Around the country there are shortages in STEM teachers, and this endorsement can help place you in high demand to teach important subjects in your school. This endorsement program is the perfect fit for:
- Currently licensed teachers who have a secondary science license and are interested in teaching biology classes.
Where you can teach:
- Private schools
- Public schools
- Charter schools
- K-12 classrooms
31%
31% of public schools were unable to fill biology teacher positions in the 2021 school year.
—National Center for Education Statistics
ADMISSIONS
Admission Requirements for Secondary Biology Endorsement
If you enroll in an endorsement program you'll need to submit:
- A current professional license in secondary science.
- Official transcripts that demonstrate you have earned a bachelor’s degree from a recognized accredited university.
An Enrollment Counselor will instruct you as to when and how to submit your teaching license prior to starting your program
More About the Secondary Biology Endorsement
- More About This Program
This endorsement allows teachers to instruct high school biology, covering topics such as genetics, ecology, microbiology, and human anatomy.
Yes, in most cases. Some states may require additional professional development or advanced coursework to teach AP or IB Biology courses.
It qualifies educators for high-demand STEM teaching positions, increases earning potential, and allows them to teach specialized science courses at the high school level.
Ready to Start?
