Undergraduate Secondary Education Teacher Licensure

This program leads to a Colorado Provisional license in seventh through twelfth grade.  Teachers at the secondary are licensed in one teaching field.  The fields are English, mathematics, science, social studies, or a foreign language: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Russian, or Latin.  Secondary Education licensure candidates must have a minimum 2.75 GPA in their content area.

Course Requirements for Secondary Licensure
Undergraduates must satisfy the Arts & Sciences (A&S) Core Curriculum.  The following Program of Studies Checklists shows the required courses for Secondary licensure seekers by content area.  Select courses from the checklist in order to satisfy the Core, content area, and Education courses most efficiently.

Undergraduate Program of Studies Checklists for:
Secondary English Education (PDF)
Secondary Mathematics Education
Secondary Science Education (PDF)
Secondary Social Studies Education (PDF)

Checklists for Languages:
Secondary Spanish Education (PDF)
Secondary French Education (PDF)
Secondary German Education (PDF)
Secondary Japanese Education (PDF)
Secondary Russian Education (PDF)
Secondary Latin Education (PDF)

Approved Majors for Freshmen Beginning Fall 2001 and Later*

Under rules described by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, A&S students who apply to an initial licensure program must have declared a state-approved major.  What follows is a list of state-approved majors for Secondary education.  With careful planning and regular advising, students who declare approved majors may complete degree and licensure requirements in four years.

*Several additional majors are pending CCHE approval. We will update this list as majors are approved.

Professional Course Work – Undergraduate Secondary Teacher Licensure Program

Course work in the Secondary Teacher Licensure Program is designed to provide a coherent learning experience that culminates in a successful student teaching semester.

Several courses have co-requisite practicum requirements.  Experiences in schools and communities provide opportunities to work with students, teachers, and families where you develop the practices and habits of mind that characterize effective teachers.  Practicum experiences range from four to six hours per week in a classroom in one of our partner school districts.  In each semester, students may take up to two courses with co-requisite practicum requirements; therefore, careful planning is necessary to ensure efficient progress.  Students should meet with the Education Advisor to develop a plan to meet all core, major, and education requirements in four years.

EDUC 3013-3 School and Society. Students take this course prior to admission or in the first semester; it also satisfies the cultural and gender diversity Core requirement.

EDUC 3023-3 Differentiating Instruction in Diverse Secondary Classrooms. (Pre-requisite: EDUC 3013). Includes up to 5 hours per week of school-based practicum in a diverse school. Focus: Fostering and managing effective classroom learning communities and supporting all learners, including English language learners and students who have special needs.

EDUC 4112-3 Educational Psychology and Adolescent Development.  Students take this course prior to admission or later in the program.

EDUC 4122-3 Principles and Methods in Secondary Education. Includes up to 5 hours per week of school-based practicum. Focus: Planning and implementing sound instructional practices in the secondary classroom.

EDUC 4232-3 Language and Literacy across the Curriculum.  Explores the relationship between language and learning with the goal of developing teaching practices that engage students in using language as a tool for understanding and constructing meaning across the curriculum. Explores how language/literacy take on different forms and functions in different social contexts and academic disciplines. Must be admitted to the secondary or K-12 teacher education program.

EDUC 53X5-4 Methods and Materials in the teaching field (mathematics, English, science, social studies, etc.). (Pre-requisite for English and social studies: EDUC 4122). Includes up to five hours per week in a school-based practicum. Focus: Planning and implementing sound instructional and assessment practices in the content area.

Additional Courses by Subject Area
Secondary English

• EDUC 5325-3 Literature for Middle/Secondary Teachers
• EDUC 4342-3 Composition for Teachers

• EDUC 5315-3 Nature of Science & Science Education

• EDUC 5317-3 Nature of Mathematics & Mathematics Education

• Minimum 2.75 GPA overall
• At least 56 semester hours completed or in progress
• A minimum of 25 hours of satisfactory, age appropriate youth experience
• Declaration of a state-approved major
• Demonstration of basic skills

• Spring admission:  September 15
• Summer admission: February 1
• Fall admission:  February 1

1. A completed Application for Admission to the Teacher Education Program.
2. Evidence of ability to interact positively and work constructively for a minimum of 25 hours with school-aged children of the appropriate age for the licensure type.  All applicants must submit a Youth Experience Verification Form completed by a supervisor who can verify the amount, level, and kind of interactions performed.
• Acceptable age ranges: Secondary 11-18
• Unacceptable experiences:  Peer counseling performed in high school, babysitting or nannying, any experience supervised by a relative or friend, any experience involving your own children, child relatives, or a friend’s children.
• Time limit: 5 years from the application deadline
3. A well-written personal statement that addresses the prompts below.  The statement should be 1,000 words in length, typed, double-spaced, and in a standard size typeface.
• Why you want to become a (level/subject) teacher and why now.
• Description of a powerful learning experience in your life and how it might inform your own teaching in the future.
• Reflection on personal strengths (e.g., intellectual passion, academic abilities, dispositions to work with youth and professional colleagues) and lived experiences that you will build upon to reach and teach all learners.
4. One letter of recommendation from a college-level instructor who can speak to your academic competencies.  The letter may not be from your youth experience supervisor, a neighbor, friend, or relative.

For More Information
Come by the Office of Student Services in the Education building, Rm. 151; or call (303) 492-6555.

Or, write to:

• Ed Advise at edadvise@colorado.edu
• Office of Student Services, School of Education, University of Colorado at Boulder, 249 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0249