Undergraduate Secondary Education Program
GVSU's Secondary Education programs are dual-major programs that prepare you to teach in Middle School and High School in the subject areas you select. To earn Secondary Teacher Certification, all GVSU students must complete:
- The Secondary Education major through the College of Education and Community Innovation
- And a subject area major through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Most Education majors/minors require students to maintain a 2.70 GPA or higher unless otherwise noted.
PLEASE NOTE: GVSU’s Secondary Education programs were revised in 2024 to meet the Michigan Department of Education's new teacher certification structure. This includes new Middle School (grades 5th-9th) and High School (grades 7th-12th) grade bands. The new Secondary programs began in Fall 2024. The following information on the Secondary Education programs is subject to change.
Secondary Program Options (for students beginning Fall 2024 or later)
To earn Secondary Teacher Certification, all GVSU students must complete the Secondary Education major through the College of Education and Community Innovation, and subject area majors/minors through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Courses in this program meet Michigan Department of Education requirements for Secondary Education.
In the subject area majors and minors, students learn content and pedagogy in the specific subject areas they wish to teach. Faculty engage students in discipline-specific teaching and learning, research and scholarly activities, experiences in area classrooms and the community, and study abroad programs.
The Secondary Education major is designed for students seeking certification at the Secondary level. Students in the Education program can earn certification to teach in grades 5th-12th. In the Education major, novice teachers are prepared to address the needs of the whole child; use relevant, research-based criteria to establish a supportive, engaging environment that fosters learning; and use practices that meet individual learners' needs. Students complete structured field experiences embedded throughout the program.
Subject Areas for Secondary Education Majors and Minors
Note that most Education majors/minors require students maintain a 2.70 GPA or higher, unless otherwise noted.
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Secondary Education Majors |
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English (3.0 GPA) |
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Social Studies (Secondary) (3.0 GPA) |
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Optional Minor for Secondary Education |
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PK-12 Education Majors |
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If you want to teach Art Education, Health and Physical Education, Music Education, or a Modern Language, see the PK-12 Education Program. |
Courses
A list of Education courses may be viewed on the Education programs’ Course List page.
Information on the courses for each subject area can be found by searching GVSU's Catalog.