Secondary Education Major
The secondary education major prepares qualified candidates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach secondary students and to evidence Christian values in their personal and professional practice while respecting the exercise of individual moral decisions. The program provides candidates with a thorough understanding of current teaching methodologies.
All secondary education majors must choose at least one additional major: biology, English, history, or mathematics. Secondary education graduates who successfully complete the major and second major in a content area are eligible for an Illinois Professional Educator License, high school level (grades 9-12). An endorsement in middle grades (5-8) may be added with additional requirements; contact the Division of Education for information.
Program outcomes:
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education will:
- display thorough content knowledge to teach in their respective fields
- be able to plan, deliver and assess effective instructional experiences that align with learning standards, educational theory, and knowledge of student development
- exhibit appropriate professional dispositions that reflect the personal, professional, and practical components of teaching
- evidence Christian values in their personal and professional practice, while respecting the exercise of individual moral decisions
- address the differing needs of a diverse student population with professional competence, respect, and fairness.
Additional Licensure Requirements
Candidates must pass the appropriate content area test(s) and the teacher performance assessment (edTPA) in order to complete their program. Candidates are required to comply with all state requirements that are in place at the time of application for licensure. Consult the Division of Education for specific information.
Optional Additional Endorsement
A candidate may earn the Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement (an addition to the teaching license) by completing ED 330, ED 352, ED 353, and ED 354, and passing the appropriate Illinois Licensure Testing System exam. Earning this additional endorsement may be a good investment of elective credit hours for interested candidates since special education is currently a teaching shortage area throughout Illinois.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| ED 101 | Introduction to Teaching | 1 |
| ED 103 | Professional Skills for Teachers | 1 |
| ED 124 | Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 3 |
| ED 260X | Educational Psychology/Human Development 1 | 3 |
| ED 306 | Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum | 3 |
| ED 309 | Foundations of Teaching English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ED 310 | General Teaching Methods 1 | 2 |
| ED 311 | General Teaching Methods Pre-Clinical Experience | 1 |
| ED 330 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| Select one: | 3 | |
| Teaching English in the Secondary School (required for those also majoring in English) | ||
| Teaching History in the Secondary School (required for those also majoring in history) | ||
| Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary School (required for those also majoring in mathematics) | ||
| ED 368 | Secondary Methods Pre-clinical Experience | 2 |
| ED 380 | Diversity in Education | 1 |
| ED 381 | Diversity Pre-clinical Experience | 1 |
| ED 413 | Clinical Practice in the Secondary School | 12 |
| ED 421 | Classroom Management | 1 |
| ED 422 | Advanced Seminar in Education | 2 |
| ED 430 | Educational Research and Assessment | 2 |
| PSY 337 | Psychology of Adolescence | 3 |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
| 1 | May be used to fulfill a general education requirement. |