BA in Secondary Education

Why pursue a secondary education degree at North Central College?

Our secondary education graduates enjoy rewarding careers at nationally ranked high schools and middle schools. That’s no surprise since our full-time faculty mentors you through a rigorous curriculum and field experience schedule. In the secondary education program, you will have experience planning and teaching lessons in your content area as you complete at least 175 hours of field experience prior to your residency (student teaching). The Illinois State Board of Education recognizes North Central College as fully accredited in art, biology, chemistry, physics, English, history, math, music, and foreign language licensure in Chinese, French, German, and Spanish.

You can also:

• Acquire excellent teacher preparation at exceptional high schools.
• Prepare for state licensure to begin your teaching career.
• Meet potential employers at on-campus job fairs.
• Major in a field in which you want to teach, such as art, music, biology, history, or English.
• Receive extensive practice and guidance to prepare for the new, rigorous Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA).
• Gain additional expertise in special education by adding the Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS I) endorsement.

The Education Department offers a newly redesigned, undergraduate licensure program in education to prepare elementary, secondary, K-12 art, K-12 foreign language, and in conjunction with the Department of Music, K-12 music teachers. It is an experience-oriented teacher education program based on the liberal arts. The faculty of the education department is committed to the serious study of education and the promotion of professional standards to foster innovation in professional preparation. This commitment encompasses social issues such as equity and capacity-based learning, with an emphasis on preparing candidates to teach in diverse school settings. The program is approved for licensure by the Illinois State Board of Education. Teacher education programs differ from other programs at the College in that additional specific criteria must be met in the area of general education, as well as in the area of the major.

Secondary Education majors are required to complete a second major in their chosen content area in order to obtain a teaching license. The content areas are as follows: English, Social Science: History, Mathematics, Integrated Science: Chemistry, Integrated Science: Physics or Biology. Requirements for these majors are housed in their respective departments.

Major Requirements

• EDUC 101 - Foundations of Teaching and Learning
• EDUC 200 - Introduction to HS/MS/K12 Teaching
• EDUC 235 - Educational Technology in K-12 Classroom
• EDUC 290 - HS/MS/K12 Field Experience I
• EDUC 322 - Equitable Learning Environments: HS/MS
• EDUC 330 - Teaching Students With Disabilities
• EDUC 360 - HS/MS Content Area Literacies
• EDUC 390 - HS/MS/K12 Field Experience II
• EDUC 403 - HS/MS Assessment of Learning
• EDUC 411 - Equity and Access in Systems of Education
• EDUC 490 - HS/MS/K12 Field Experience III
• EDUC 492 - Pre-Residency Seminar
• EDUC 494 - Residency Seminar
• EDUC 496 - Student Teaching Residency
• PSYC 100 - Psychology: Science of Behavior

One of the following:

• EDUC 338 - HS/MS Methods: Art
• EDUC 340 - HS/MS Methods: English
• EDUC 342 - K12 Methods: World Languages
• EDUC 344 - HS/MS Methods: Mathematics
• EDUC 346 - HS/MS Methods: Science
• EDUC 348 - HS/MS Methods: Social Studies

A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work globally to solve problems and lead.

Careers

Secondary education graduates frequently find teaching positions in districts within a 30-mile radius of North Central, like:

• Aurora school districts
• Chicago Public Schools
• Naperville School District 203
• Indian Prairie School District 204
• Plainfield School District 202