The program in secondary education gives teacher candidates of grades 9–12 professional competence and allows them to meet varying certification requirements. A student may complete secondary education as a minor by taking a sequence of 30 (32 for science teachers) hours of approved courses in education and psychology. The secondary education teacher candidate must major in an appropriate academic area corresponding with the secondary school curriculum in English or for prospective social studies teacher candidates, either politics or history. Secondary education minors must complete the academic major requirements, all admission requirements for the Teacher Education Program, and the minor in education. Students interested in secondary teaching should declare their minor and meet with an education advisor in the Department of Education during their sophomore year. They must select a teaching area and follow a prescribed sequence of courses necessary for graduation and teacher certification. All teacher candidates pursuing certification in secondary education must meet with the designated minor adviser in the pertinent certification area. Teacher candidates should verify the test code numbers of the South Carolina requirement PRAXIS requirements because the codes are subject to change.
Required Courses
Teacher candidates may take only courses in Benchmark I before being admitted to the Teacher Education Program. See the departmental web page for a list of Benchmark courses and other important information.
Secondary teacher candidates must complete two sequential, incremental clinicals. In EDU 201, teacher candidates work with secondary teachers in their area of specialization. In the second clinical, EDU 202, teacher candidates work in a public school setting on reading instruction in their subject area.
Certification Area
One of the following courses appropriate for the certification area: