The B.A. in Secondary Education is designed for students interested in teaching in a specific content in a middle school or high school classroom. The major provides special focus on the strategies for the unique learning needs of adolescents in these grade ranges. Students in the Secondary Education major are required to choose one concentration from the following options:
- 5th-9th Grade Math
- 7th-12th Grade Math
- 5th-9th Grade English Language Arts
- 7th-12th Grade English Language Arts
- 5th-9th Grade Integrated Science
- 7th-12 Grade Integrated Science
- 5th-9th Grade Social Studies
- 7th-12 Grade Social Studies
The curriculum is designed for students to complete in sequential phases which are outlined in the Secondary Education Pathway to Teacher Certification. The pathway includes academic coursework, professional preparation (i.e., field experiences), and passing scores on the relevant Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) exam(s), during or following student teaching.
Certification
The College of Education, Health and Human Services recommends students for the Michigan Secondary Standard Teaching Certificate upon successful completion of the program and testing requirements. The Michigan Department of Education ultimately awards the certification.
Standard Teaching Certificate
The initial teaching certificate awarded to the beginning secondary school teacher is the Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate. This certificate is valid for teaching within the grade group and content area selected. Students are able to obtain endorsements by completing the course work and successfully passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their grade band and content area. The Standard Teaching Certificate is valid for five years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times provided that renewal conditions are met. Legislative or other state action may change these specifications. Therefore, students are advised to contact the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Office of Student Success to learn of the most recent policies.
Apprenticeship Semesters
Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend two full academic terms in apprenticeship work. The period of time is called the “apprenticeship semesters.” Each week, apprenticeship work includes a teaching load of two full school days and all school-related activities at University-negotiated sites for two six-week experiences (12 days per experience) in two different grade levels (24 days total), ideally within the same school context.
Internship (Student Teaching)
Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend one full academic term exclusively in professional work. This period of time is called the internship. The Internship, also known as student teaching, and its related seminar serve as the core for this particular term. This entails a full day's teaching load five days a week and all school-related activities at a University-negotiated site.
Opportunities for the student-teaching internship are available only in the University's fall and winter terms. As detailed on the Field Placement Office website, students must complete and submit the Teaching Internship Application by the required application due date or the internship will be delayed until a future semester. Students must meet the eligibility criteria for the internship at the time of application as well as at the start of the internship semester. No exceptions or petitions of this policy will be considered. Requirements for acceptance into the professional semester are outlined in the Secondary Education Pathway to Teacher Certification.
Incompletes, Unsatisfactory Grades, and Withdrawals
No student will be assigned to, or registered for, directed teaching with incomplete work in the Professional Sequence of courses.
Any student, who has withdrawn from or received an unsatisfactory grade in the internship (student teaching), whether through the action of a school district, the University, or by personal choice, will have a request for future placement carefully reviewed by the College. Reassignment for the internship is not guaranteed, nor is it an automatic process.
Students must complete a remediation plan with the Field Placement Team which is subject to approval by the College’s Administrative Council.
General Field Placement Policy
Students in the teacher preparation program are assigned field placements, either as apprentices or as interns (student teachers), in public or private schools. Field placement shall be made in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and in compliance with accreditation standards.
The student is expected to maintain professional dispositions in order to conform to the expectations of the placement school and the University. Appropriate academic preparation is required as outlined in the elementary and secondary programs of the College. Professional responsibilities during the Internship (Student Teaching) term are detailed in the "Department of Education Clinical Experience Handbook."
The public and private schools exercise the right to screen the University's students. Acceptance or rejection of students is not controlled by the University. A placement school may reject a University student for several reasons, including a lack of placement positions in the school or a determination that the University student's presence in the school or classroom may disrupt or interfere in some way with the educational process.
Currently there is no way in which the University can require the placement school to state specific reasons for rejection.
If a University student is repeatedly denied placement by the field schools, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services will recommend career counseling and terminate matriculation in the teacher certification program.
Licensure Statement
The pathways in our Educator Preparation Program were designed to satisfy educational prerequisites to initial and advanced licensure in only the state of Michigan. We encourage students to contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state in which they are located or, if different, the state in which they intend to seek licensure for more information. While the Educator Preparation Program pathways may or may not fully satisfy educational prerequisites to licensure in other states, academic advisors work with students on an individual basis and are available to discuss teaching certifications and reciprocity opportunities in other states. In addition, the Education Commission of the States website provides solid information as to the expectations each state and the District of Columbia has for obtaining licensure beyond Michigan licensure.
Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education)
All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major
Secondary Education Major
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| EDA 200 | Social Justice & Community Based Education | 3 |
| EDA 306 | Foundations of Professionalism in Education | 3 |
| EDT 216 | Introduction to Learning Technologies | 1 |
| EDC 300 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDC 305 | Adolescent Development & Classroom Management | 3 |
| EDC 431 | Constructivist Education | 3 |
| EDC 439 | Child Maltreatment and Trauma | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 19 |
Note: EDA 306, EDA 200, and EDC 305 include assigned clinical exploratory experiences in the local community.
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| EDC 417 | Mgmt of Classroom Behavior | 3 |
| EDC 460 | Educating the Exceptional Chld | 3 |
| EDM 450 | Intercultural Education | 3 |
| PDED 405 | Sp Ed Legisltn and Litigation | 3 |
| EDD 469 | Discipline Literacy in Grades 5–12 | 3 |
| |
| EDFP 401 | Apprenticeship I: ESL | 3 |
| EDD 449 | Tchng English as Second Lang | 3 |
| EDT 317 | Learning Technologies in Content Areas | 1 |
| |
| EDT 418 | Learning Technologies in the Classroom | 1 |
| |
| EDFP 444 | Apprenticeship II: Secondary English | 3 |
| or EDFP 455 | Apprenticeship II: Secondary Math |
| or EDFP 488 | Apprenticeship II: Secondary Science |
| or EDFP 499 | Apprenticeship II: Secondary Social Studies |
| |
| EDD 444 | Teach English in Second Grds | 3 |
| or EDD 455 | Teach Math in Second Grades |
| or EDD 488 | Teach of Sci in the Second Grd |
| or EDD 499 | Secondary Social Studies Methods |
| Total Credit Hours | 29 |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| EDFP 421 | Internship: Secondary School | 10 |
| EDD 424 | Seminar: Teaching Secondary Grades | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 |
Notes: Program Specific Requirements
- The minimum number of semester hours required to graduate is 120.
- CEHHS recommends successful program completers for State of Michigan Certification, however, it is ultimately up to the State of Michigan to issue certificates. Certain offenses on a criminal record can keep individuals from obtaining teacher certification. Please refer to The Revised School Code, Act 451 of 1976, section 380.1539b.
- Students are required to pass all of the MTTC tests for each concentration area selected to be recommended for certification.
Concentrations
Students in the Secondary Education major are required to choose one concentration from the following options:
5-9 ELA Major Concentration 34 Credit Hours
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| COMP 327 | Advanced Writing | 4 |
| COMP 475 | Supporting Literacies | 4 |
| EDC 490 | Literacy Instruction & Assessment for English Learners/Multilingual Learners | 3 |
| ENGL 200 | Intro to English Studies | 4 |
| EDA 236 | Literacy in Grades 3-9 | 3 |
| EDC 476 | Reading Diagnostic & Literacy Assessment Techniques for PreK-12 Instruction | 3 |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ENGL 238 | Storytelling: Arab American Literature | 4 |
| or ENGL 239 | Storytelling: African American Literature |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 280 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| or LING 480 | Concepts in Linguistics |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 461 | Modern English Grammar | 3 |
| or LING 482 | History of the English Lang |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 476 | Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| or LING 474 | Second Lang Acquisition: Engl |
| or LING 484 | World Englishes |
5-9 Integrated Science Major Concentration 31 Credit Hours
5-9 Math Major Concentration 29 Credit Hour
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 383 | Mathematics for Teachers III: Whole Numbers and Operations | 3 |
| MATH 384 | Mathematics for Teachers IV: Fractions and Operations | 3 |
| MATH 387 | Math for Middle Grade Teachers | 3 |
| or MATH 381 | Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 1: Attribution, Geometry, and Measurement |
| MATH 442 | Geometry for Teachers | 3 |
| MATH 443 | Algebra for Teachers | 3 |
| MATH 444 | Data Anlsys,Prob&Stat forTchrs | 3 |
| MATH 449 | Concepts of Calc for Teachers | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 21 |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 104 | College Algebra | 4 |
| or MATH 105 | Pre-Calculus |
| Total Credit Hours | 4 |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| MATH 115 | Calculus I | 4 |
| or MATH 113 | Calc I for Biology & Life Sci |
| Total Credit Hours | 4 |
5-9 Social Studies Major Concentration minimum 41 Credit Hours
7-12 ELA Major Concentration 38 Credit Hours
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| COMP 327 | Advanced Writing | 4 |
| COMP 475 | Supporting Literacies | 4 |
| EDC 490 | Literacy Instruction & Assessment for English Learners/Multilingual Learners | 3 |
| ENGL 200 | Intro to English Studies | 4 |
| LIBR 475 | Issues in Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature for Grades 5-12 | 3 |
| EDC 476 | Reading Diagnostic & Literacy Assessment Techniques for PreK-12 Instruction | 3 |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ENGL 238 | Storytelling: Arab American Literature | 4 |
| or ENGL 239 | Storytelling: African American Literature |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 280 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| or LING 480 | Concepts in Linguistics |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 461 | Modern English Grammar | 3 |
| or LING 482 | History of the English Lang |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| LING 476 | Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| or LING 474 | Second Lang Acquisition: Engl |
| or LING 484 | World Englishes |
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ENGL 358 | Shakespeare on Film | 4 |
| or ENGL 408 | Shakespeare I: Earlier Works |
| or ENGL 409 | Shakespeare II: Later Works |
7-12 Integrated Science Major Concentration 46 Credit Hours
7-12 Math Major Concentration 37 Credit Hour
7-12 Social Studies Major Concentration minimum 41 Credit Hours
Secondary Education- Pathway to Teacher Certification
The College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) at the UM-Dearborn is committed to providing quality preparation for pre-service teachers. A screening procedure is employed to help identify students most likely to achieve the level of excellence defined by the college. This screening procedure is divided into five successive phases. Requirements at one phase must be successfully completed before continuing on to the next. Students are also responsible for meeting all program requirements for their selected degree as listed in Degree Works.
Pre-Professional Studies
- Successful Completion of Pre-Professional Studies Courses (EDA 200, EDA 306 with EDT 216, EDC 300, EDC 305, EDC 431, and EDC 439)
- Completion of three field clearances:
- Criminal Background Check Consent Form
- Video Recording Consent Form
- Bloodborne Pathogens Training (online module produces a PDF certification which should be uploaded to clearance form)
- Minimum Overall GPA of 2.75 required to move to Professional Studies
- Required Academic Advising Appointment Upon Completion of 36 Credits
Professional Studies
- Selection of 1 Concentrations
- Minimum 55 credits earned to move to Apprenticeship I
- Minimum GPA of 2.75 overall, in major, and in concentrations to move to Apprenticeship I
- Completion of Apprenticeship I Application
Apprenticeship I
Apprenticeship II
- Successful Completion of Apprenticeship II
- EDT 418
Methods and Apprenticeship Courses Relevant to Content Area: - English Language Arts: EDFP 444 and EDD 444
- Math: EDFP 455 and EDD 455
- Science: EDFP 488 and EDD 488
- Social Studies: EDFP 499 and EDD 499
- Completion of all remaining degree requirements including Dearborn Discovery Core.
- Minimum GPA of 2.75 overall, in major, and in concentrations to move to the Internship
- Completion of the Internship Application including attendance at Internship Orientation Meeting
Internship
- Successful completion of the Internship:
Passing scores on relevant MTTC exam(s) are required prior to recommendation to the Michigan Department of Education for teacher certification.
