Program Information

1. University Integrative Studies and Writing Requirements

• Integrative Studies
  • Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences (ISS)
  • Integrative Studies in the Sciences: Biological and Physical (ISB and ISP)
  • Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (IAH)
• University Writing Requirements
  • Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures (WRA) Tier I (formerly called ATL)
  • Tier II writing course required within the major
• Math Requirement
  • All students must demonstrate proficiency beyond the level of college algebra; specific requirements vary by college and degree major

2. Professional Education Studies

The following courses are required for students pursuing secondary certification. Additional courses are required during the 5th year teaching internship (TE 501, TE 801, TE 802, TE 502, TE 803 and TE 804).

TE 150 Reflections on Learning (3 credits)

• Description: Students’ experiences as learners in comparison to psychological, sociological, and anthropological theories and assumptions about learning and teaching in and out of school.
• Restrictions: This course is not restricted and can be taken by students before admission to the teaching preparation program.

TE 250 Human Diversity, Power, and Opportunity in Social Institutions (3 credits)

• Description: Comparative study of schools and other social institutions. Social construction and maintenance of diversity and inequality. Political, social and economic consequences for individuals and groups.
• Restrictions: This course is not restricted and can be taken by students before admission to the teaching preparation program.

TE 302 Learners and Learning in Contexts – Secondary (4 credits)

• Description: Role of social context and sociocultural background in learning at the secondary level (6-12). Natural and socially constructed differences among learners. Relationship among subject-specific knowledge, teaching and learning that subject, and the institutional and communal context. Multiple literacies.
• Restrictions: This course is open only to students who have been admitted to the secondary teacher certification program, and it requires a field placement. This course is most often taken during the junior year.
• Prerequisites: TE 150, TE 250 and successful completion of the Tier 1 Writing Requirement

TE 407 Teaching Subject Matter to Diverse Learners – Secondary (5 credits)

• Description: Examining teaching as enabling diverse learners to inquire into and construct subject-specific meanings at the secondary level (6-12). Adapting subject matter to learner diversity. Exploring multiple ways diverse learners make sense of the curriculum.
• Restrictions: This course is open only to students admitted to the secondary teacher certification program, and it requires a field placement. This course should be taken during the fall semester of the senior year, or the fall preceding the internship year.
• Prerequisite: A grade of at least 2.0 in TE 302

TE 408 Crafting Teaching Practices – Secondary (5 credits)

• Description: Gathering data on learners to inform content and instructional decisions. Learning what should be taught and how it should be taught for specific disciplines at the secondary level (6-12). Teachers’ multiple roles and their professional, intellectual, sociopolitical and communal responsibilities.
• Restrictions: This course is open only to students admitted to the secondary teacher certification program.
• Prerequisite: A grade of at least 2.0 in TE 407

TE 409 Crafting Teaching Practices in the Secondary Teaching Minor (1 credit)

• Description: Deciding what should be taught for specific disciplines at the secondary level (6-12). Discipline-specific strategies for gathering data on learners to inform content and instructional decisions. Discipline-specific instructional strategies and student management and safety strategies.
• Restrictions: This course is open only to students admitted to the secondary teacher certification program.
• Prerequisites: A grade of at least 2.0 in TE 407 and concurrent enrollment in TE 408
• See the TE 409 Enrollment Key.

3. Teaching Majors and Minors

Secondary certification students must complete coursework for at least one approved teaching major and one approved teaching minor (however, if the major is comprehensive, no minor is required). Credits 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.

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

• Be sure to follow footnotes to clarifications provided below.
• Consult departmental contacts for teaching majors and minors for information about content major/minor requirements. It is essential that students meet with advisors in their degree majors to discuss degree requirements and additional or alternate requirements that may be specific to students pursuing teacher certification.
• When consulting degree requirements in Academic Programs, be sure to check for information specific to students pursuing teacher certification under Teacher Certification Options.
• Students with one or more secondary minors in subject areas that differ from their major must enroll in TE 409 concurrent with TE 408. Music Education and Art Education students do not take TE 407/408, but must take TE 409 if they opt to complete a teaching minor.¹⁶
• As a requirement for progression to the internship, students must have a GPA of at least 2.5 cumulatively, in the teaching major, in the teaching minor, and in required professional education courses.

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 major or 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. The TESOL/English as a Second Language minor must be paired with a core academic major, as defined by No Child Left Behind. All of the current secondary teaching majors available at MSU are considered core academic subject areas (or sub-areas of core areas) with the exception of Agriscience and Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Thus, those 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 in this language).
12. Admission to this teaching minor may be space-limited.
13. Available only to students pursuing a major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science: Social Science Education (IDS SSE), History Education, or a James Madison major in Comparative Cultures and Politics, International Relations, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy or Social Relations and Policy.
14. Students should plan to take TE 494 during the senior year (concurrent with TE407 or TE408). The field placement is arranged; the course is online. To enroll, the TESOL Project Agreement Form must be completed
15. Art Education and Music Education students who opt to add a teaching minor are required to take TE 409, a one-credit pedagogy course, related to the minor area.

4. Technology Requirements

The Michigan Department of Education requires that students demonstrate awareness, proficiency and expertise in personal productivity and pedagogical technology by meeting the following requirements before they receive a teaching certificate. MSU requires demonstration of specific skills prior to the internship.

5. Competency Examinations

At a minimum, the MTTC subject test corresponding to the teaching major must be passed prior to the internship year. Secondary education candidates who request internship placements in the area of their teaching minor must also pass the MTTC corresponding to the minor prior to the internship year. Other students can enter the internship without passing the minor test; however, they cannot be recommended for certification in the teaching minor unless the corresponding MTTC has been passed.

6. Oral Proficiency Requirements for Teachers of World Languages

In addition to passing the MTTC, candidates wishing to become certified in world languages are required to meet oral proficiency standards. The MDE requirement also has implications for MSU’s teaching internship. Secondary education students with world language majors must meet the standard as a condition for progressing to the internship. Elementary and secondary education students with world language minors may progress to the internship, but certification to teach the language will not appear on the teaching certificate unless they have met the standard. World language teacher candidates must register at LTI to take the ACTFL. Be sure to check registration instructions.

7. Bachelor’s Degree

All baccalaureate requirements must be fulfilled and the bachelor degree must be conferred prior to beginning the internship year.

8. Criteria for Progression to the Internship

All standards (academic requirements, testing requirements and professional standards) must be satisfied before a student can progress to the internship year.

9. Internship Year

The internship includes a full academic year of study and experience in a selected school (this does not include Music Education students). During the internship, interns complete graduate-level coursework (this does not include music education students). With faculty approval, some of the credits earned in the 800-level courses may later be applied to selected master’s degree programs.

10. Certification

After successful completion of all college, university and State of Michigan requirements (including the internship and courses taken concurrent with the internship), the teacher candidate is eligible to apply for provisional teacher certification. After the application has been reviewed by the Certification Office in 134 Erickson, qualified candidates are recommended to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for certification.