Secondary Education and K-12 Education, BS

The Secondary Education major is not a stand-alone major. It must be taken in combination with a major in a subject that leads to licensure in the state of Montana.

Teacher education candidates in Secondary Education or K-12 Education must complete at least one Major or Broadfield Major in a subject that leads to licensure in Montana. Graduates with a Secondary Education major are prepared to teach grades 5-12. Graduates with a K-12 education major are prepared to teach grades K-12. For almost all majors and minors, student must obtain passing scores on the state-approved licensure exam (in Montana, the exams are part of the PRAXIS II series).

It is advantageous to the candidate to have multiple teaching areas (majors or minors), or a broadfield or interdisciplinary major that prepares them to teach multiple subjects, or a K-12 licensure area, especially for those who plan to teach in a rural state such as Montana. In Montana, teachers are licensed to teach in their Minor subject area if they have taken the appropriate methods course, carry out a student teaching experience in the specified area, and receive acceptable scores on the applicable PRAXIS II exams.

Additional Requirements for the Degree

• A grade of C- or higher is required in all General Education courses and required courses in the content Major or Minor.
• A grade of B- or higher is required in all required Professional Education courses.
• Candidates must maintain at least a 2.70 GPA overall, and a 2.70 GPA for the content courses for each Major and Minor.
• Technology Requirement: prior to enrolling in EDU 372  each student must demonstrate basic technology skills either by obtaining a passing score (600 out of 1000) on the Information & Technology Literacy Exam, or by obtaining at least a B- on a computer skills course. The UMW courses designed to meet this need are either COMS 115   Computer Basics for Educators (4 credits) or CAPP 131   Basic Microsoft Office (4 credits).
• All candidates must pass a recent federal and state Criminal Background Check prior to admission to the Teacher Education Program. This must be updated every two years.
• Prior to student teaching, candidates must provide evidence of current certification in First Aid, CPR, and AED for adults, children, and infants. Certification must be attained through a course that includes a faceto-face skill assessment. Successful completion of ECP 100  fulfills this requirement.