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Academics

Secondary Teaching Majors & Minors

Secondary certification students must complete coursework for one approved teaching major and one approved teaching minor (if the major is comprehensive, no minor is required). Courses counted toward the teaching major cannot be double counted to satisfy credit requirements for the teaching minor, and vice versa. However, courses can be double counted to satisfy requirements for extra (optional) teaching majors or minors.

Please note: Information regarding departmental contacts for teaching majors and minors can be found on the college website. Please check footnotes (below) for important information about many teaching majors and minors.

Clarifications

  1. Group Subject Area (Major must have a minimum of 36 credits; Minor must have a minimum of 24 credits to meet Michigan Department of Education requirements)
  2. Secondary Level (K-12 subject area)
  3. James Madison major in Comparative Cultures and Politics, International Relations, Social Relations and Policy, or Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy
  4. Leads to certification in Social Studies
  5. The Integrated Science ("DI") endorsement may be completed in lieu of a teaching minor when combined with an approved teaching major in one of the following areas: biology, chemistry, earth science, physics or physical science. The DI can also be an additional, extra endorsement area for teachers or teacher candidates when paired with an approved teaching major or minor in one of the sciences. See an advisor in the College of Education for more information.
  6. Physical Science Interdepartmental major leads to the Physical Science ("DP") endorsement which qualifies a teacher to teach chemistry, physics, and physical science.
  7. An additional endorsement in Integrated Science ("DI") can be earned in combination with this science minor. See the requirements for the Integrated Science Endorsement and discuss this option with an advisor in the College of Education.
  8. Comprehensive teaching major (50 or more credits). No separate teaching minor is required.
  9. TESOL/English as a Second Language minor requires candidates to document their own experience learning a second language in order to gain an appreciation of the processes involved in learning an additional language. Additionally, the minor must be paired with a core academic major, as defined by No Child Left Behind. All of the current disciplinary teaching majors available at MSU are considered core academic subject areas (or sub-areas of core areas) with the exception of Agriscience, Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Kinesiology/P.E. Thus, these three non-core teaching majors cannot be paired with TESOL as a teaching minor. See an advisor in the College of Education for more information.
  10. Students in these majors and minors are encouraged to add an additional endorsement in Social Studies ("RX") to increase versatility and marketability in teaching. Make an appointment with a College of Education advisor for more information and a written plan.
  11. Available for Secondary Education, Elementary Education and K-12 certification (K-12 requires a major).
  12. There is no longer a teaching major in Physicial Education at MSU.
  13. Certification requires a master's degree in CSD. Admission to the teacher preparation program with a major in CSD does not imply admission to a CSD graduate program.
  14. For students who were freshmen in FS09 or earlier and/or will intern in FS13 or earlier.
  15. For students who were freshmen in FS10 or later and/or will intern in FS14 or later
  16. Admission to this teaching minor may be space-limited.
  17. Available only to students pursuing a major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science: Social Science Education, History with a teacher certification option or a James Madison major in Comparative Cultures and Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy or Social Relations and Policy.
  18. SOC 313 is not currently available and, until or unless it becomes available, students may substitute another 300 or 400 level SOC course for SOC 313.
  19. Students should plan to take TE 494 during the senior year (concurrent with TE407 or TE408). Field placement is arranged; course is online. To enroll, the TESOL Project Agreement Form should be completed and returned to Kristi Lowrie in 320 EH
  20. Art Education and Music Education students who opt to add a minor are required to take a one-credit pedagogy lab related to the minor area.

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