- General Program Information
- Secondary English
- Secondary Mathematics
- Secondary Social Studies
- Minor
- Field Experience
Undergraduate Secondary Education Programs
The undergraduate programs in Secondary Education prepare students as middle school and high school teachers in English, Mathematics, or Social Studies. Students who complete this program are ready to begin their teaching career in D.C. or to apply for a teaching license in a state of their choice, based on the Interstate Agreement between the District and most of the other continental States and Territories.
Conceived as a joint major, the program enable students to build a solid foundation in the discipline of their choice while introducing them to the multifaceted nature of education. It also strives to develop students’ capacity for critical reflection on the purposes and practices of education by exposing them to the different theoretical perspectives that have historically guided educational choices and by introducing them to the psychological and pedagogical research literature and teaching methodologies, both general and specific to the content-area of their interest.
Knowledge in the specific content area is developed through classes offered by the respective disciplinary departments (i.e., English, History, and Mathematics) and courses comprised in the Liberal Arts Curriculum. The work in the classes is integrated with a sequence of field experiences in a variety of settings (e.g., middle and high school; Catholic, public, charter, and private schools) that culminates in a full-semester student teaching experience. In this way, students are able to cultivate their capacity for well-grounded, critical reflection on the field experiences, and to build their professional qualities and skills in a supportive environment.
For additional information on Secondary Education Programs, please contact:
Dr. Lilliana Maggioni, Coordinator of Secondary Education programs: maggioni@cua.edu
Education Course Requirements for English Secondary Education
In addition to courses required for the major in English and those needed to satisfy licensure requirements, English Secondary Education students take four Education courses plus a semester of supervised teaching. The required courses are:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore | ||
| EDUC 251 | Foundations of Education | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Junior | ||
| EDUC 386 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| EDUC 382 | Reading in the Content Area: Learning to Learn from Text | Second |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 480 | Teaching English in Secondary Schools | First |
| EDUC 461/462/463 | Student Teaching and Seminar: Secondary Education | Second |
5-year (4+1) BA/MA in English / MA in Secondary Education
This 4+1 program prepares students as middle-school and high-school English teachers. It builds on the excellent preparation in content and thinking offered by the English sequence of courses, and introduces students to the pedagogical foundations and the fieldwork needed to teach English in the secondary schools, effectively. The program is state approved and nationally recognized.
The suggested program of study includes the following:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore - Junior | ||
| EDUC 261 | Human Growth and Development | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 586 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| ENGL 5xx |
Graduate course in English 5xx (or higher) |
First |
| EDUC 582 |
Reading in the Content Areas: Learning to Learn from Text |
Second |
| EDUC 702 |
Advanced Foundations of Education |
Second |
|
5th Year |
||
| EDUC 525 |
Psychology of Learning for Diverse Population |
Summer |
| EDUC 699 |
Introduction to Educational Research |
Summer |
| EDUC 765 |
Principles of Curriculum |
Fall |
| EDUC 580 |
Teaching English in Secondary Schools |
Fall |
| EDUC 581 |
Educating Diverse Learners |
Fall |
| ENGL 5xx |
Graduate course in English 5xx (or higher) |
Fall |
| EDUC 500/561/562/563 |
Student Teaching, Seminar, and Capstone Experience |
Spring |
Education Course Requirements for Mathematics Secondary Education
In addition to courses required for the major in Mathematics and those needed to satisfy licensure requirements, Mathematics Secondary Education students take four Education courses plus a semester of supervised teaching. The required courses are:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore | ||
| EDUC 251 | Foundations of Education | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Junior | ||
| EDUC 386 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 479 | Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Schools | First |
| EDUC 461/462/463 | Student Teaching and Seminar: Secondary Education | Second |
5-year (4+1) BS in Mathematics / MA in Secondary Education
This 4+1 program prepares students as middle-school and high-school Mathematics teachers. It builds on the excellent preparation in content and thinking offered by the Mathematics sequence of courses, and introduces students to the pedagogical foundations and the fieldwork needed to teach Mathematics in the secondary schools, effectively. The program is state approved and nationally recognized.
The suggested program of study includes the following:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore-Junior | ||
| EDUC 261 | Human Growth and Development | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 586 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| MATH 5xx | Graduate course in Mathematics 5xx (or higher) | First |
| EDUC 582 | Reading in the Content Areas: Learning to Learn from Text | Second |
| MATH 5xx | Graduate course in Mathematics 5xx (or higher) | Second |
| 5th Year | ||
| EDUC 525 | Psychology of Learning for Diverse Population | Summer |
| EDUC 699 | Introduction to Educational Research | Summer |
| EDUC 765 | Principles of Curriculum | Fall |
| EDUC 580 | Teaching English in Secondary Schools | Fall |
| EDUC 581 | Educating Diverse Learners | Fall |
| EDUC 702 | Advanced Foundations of Education | Spring |
| EDUC 500/561/562/563 | Student Teaching, Seminar, and Capstone Experience | Spring |
Education Course Requirements for History Secondary Education
In addition to courses required for the major in History and those needed to satisfy licensure requirements, History Secondary Education students take five Education courses plus a semester of supervised teaching. The required courses are:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore | ||
| EDUC 251 | Foundations of Education | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Junior | ||
| EDUC 386 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| EDUC 382 | Reading in the Content Area: Learning to Learn from Text | Second |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 485 | Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools | First |
| EDUC 461/462/463 | Student Teaching and Seminar: Secondary Education | Second |
5-year (4+1) BA in History / MA in Secondary Education
This 4+1 program prepares students as middle-school and high-school Social Studies teachers. It builds on the excellent preparation in content and thinking offered by the History sequence of courses and by other courses offered by the Social Sciences, and introduces students to the pedagogical foundations and the fieldwork needed to teach Social Studies in the secondary schools, effectively. The program is state approved.
The suggested program of study includes the following:
| Course Number | Title | Recommended Semester |
| Sophomore-Junior | ||
| EDUC 261 | Human Growth and Development | Any |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education | Any |
| Senior | ||
| EDUC 586 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education | First |
| HIST 5xx | Graduate course in History 5xx (or higher) | First |
| EDUC 582 | Reading in the Content Areas: Learning to Learn from Text | Second |
| EDUC 702 | Advanced Foundations of Education | Second |
| 5th Year | ||
| EDUC 525 | Psychology of Learning for Diverse Population | Summer |
| EDUC 699 | Introduction to Educational Research | Summer |
| EDUC 765 | Principles of Curriculum | Fall |
| EDUC 580 | Teaching English in Secondary Schools | Fall |
| EDUC 581 | Educating Diverse Learners | Fall |
| ENGL 5xx | Graduate course in History or other Social Science 5xx (or higher) | Fall |
| EDUC 500/561/562/563 | Student Teaching, Seminar, and Capstone Experience | Spring |
Minor
Candidates can obtain the form to declare their minor from the Dean's office (107 McMahon). Once the form is completed, candidates must meet with their minor and major advisor to plan their program of studies for a timely graduation.
Secondary Education Majors - can minor in many disciplines, such as religion, philosophy, language, music, art, biology, chemistry, drama, history and others. See the undergraduate list of minors for a complete list of minors and their requirements.
Arts & Sciences Majors - can minor in Secondary Education. In order to get a minor in Secondary Education, students need to take the following courses:
| EDUC 251 | Foundations of Education |
| EDUC 271 | Psychology of Education |
|
EDUC 382 |
Reading in the Content Areas: Learning to Learn from Text |
| EDUC 386 | Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education |
| choose one of the following 2 courses: | |
| EDUC 261 | Human Growth and Development |
| EDUC 381 | Educating Diverse Learners |
| EDUC (elective) | Choose one Education elective |
Policies on Arts and Sciences minors can be found here.
Field Experiences: Undergraduate Secondary Education
The work in the Education classes is integrated with a sequence of field experiences in a variety of settings (e.g., middle and high school; Catholic, public, charter, and private schools) that culminates in a full-semester student teaching experience. In this way, students are able to cultivate their capacity for well-grounded, critical reflection on the field experiences, and to build their professional qualities and skills in a supportive environment. The Action Research Project that students develop and implement during their student-teaching semester captures the integrated nature of the program. Based on the analysis and assessment of their specific students’ needs and supported by an accompanying seminar, students use educational research to develop and implement educational experiences addressing these needs, evaluate the impact on their students’ learning, and reflect on it.
Specifically, undergraduate students in Secondary Education will have three (Secondary Math) or four (Secondary English and Social Studies) field experiences.
- Students spend 20 hours in the fall of their junior year observing in a secondary classroom and assisting the classroom teacher in conjunction with EDUC 386, Curriculum and Methods in Adolescent Education.
- Students spend 20 hours in the spring of their junior year observing in a secondary classroom and assisting the classroom teacher in conjunction with EDUC 382, Reading in the Content Area: Learning to Learn from Text (only Secondary English and Social Studies).
- Students spend 30 hours in the Fall semester of their senior year observing in a secondary classroom and assisting the classroom teacher with specific instructional tasks in conjunction with the Methods course in their respective program areas: EDUC 479 Mathematics, EDUC 480 English, EDUC 485 Social Studies.
- Students spend the entire school day in the Spring semester of their senior year in a secondary classroom during their full semester of supervised student teaching. Students assist the classroom teacher with specific instructional tasks and teach a full schedule of classes as the principal teacher for at least four weeks during the semester. During this semester, students also attend once a week a seminar associated with student teaching, produce their Action Research Paper, and complete their Electronic Portfolio.