Make a lifelong impact on your students

The Secondary Education program prepares you to teach 5th through 12th grade in a variety of urban and suburban education settings, including public and private middle schools and high schools. You can graduate with a State of Illinois license to teach designated subject-area content (listed below). The program also provides you an opportunity to receive a Diploma Year Program Award (IB certification) to teach in International Baccalaureate schools world-wide.

As part of the secondary education major, you’ll learn educational theories and effective teaching practices, including how to design and implement curriculum; participate in extensive field experiences at multiple schools, and student-teach for 10 weeks.

The secondary education major program, in preparing you to meet Illinois State Licensure requirements, combines education courses from the College of Education with subject-area courses. Through the program, you have two options for becoming a licensed 5th- through 12th-grade teacher:

• complete the secondary education major degree and a second major in the subject area you intend to teach (double major), or
• complete as part of your secondary education major degree coursework in the subject area you intend to teach.

You can earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Education, depending on your subject area.

Classes

Coursework

• Assessment Issues
• Curriculum Development
• Educational Foundations
• Instructional Delivery
• Instructional Strategies
• International Baccalaureate
• Pedagogy and Theories of Teaching and Learning
• Research Methods

Resources

• Major Requirements
• Schedule of Classes
• Department Website

Concentrations/Tracks

• English (BA)
• History (BA)
• Mathematics (BA)
• Social Science (BA)
• Visual Art (BA)
• Biology (BS)
• Chemistry (BS)
• Environmental Science (BS)
• Mathematics (BS)
• Physics (BS)

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• Combined bachelor's + master's degree offered

Career Options

Common Career Areas

• Teaching
• Administration
• Education policy

More career info

84%

of Secondary Education graduates were employed, continuing their education or not seeking employment after graduation.

Major Requirements for Secondary Education (BA/BS)

See major requirements for each subject area of the Secondary Education (BA/BS)

• Biology (BS)
• Chemistry (BS)
• English (BA)
• Environmental Science (BS)
• History (BA)
• Mathematics (BA)
• Mathematics (BS)
• Physics (BS)
• Social Science (BA?)
• Visual Art (BA)