Secondary Education Licensure

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The Secondary Licensure Program prepares candidates to teach content-area courses in grades 7-12. Through the sequence of courses and field experiences, the candidate satisfies all of Colorado’s performance-based standards for licensure in Secondary Education. Degree seeking Secondary Education Licensure candidates must choose from one of the following approved majors in order to complete a licensure program in Secondary Education.

Majors with Secondary Education Licensure

English
Mathematics
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Physics)
Social Studies (African American Studies, Chicano Studies, Economics, History, or Political Science)

The requirements of each major are designed to ensure licensure programs meet Colorado Licensure Standards to prepare candidates to pass required licensure content examinations and teach the Colorado Academic Standards within their discipline.

*All secondary licensure candidates must consult two advisors, one in the Secondary Education/K-12 Department in the School of Education and one in their major department (licensure content area).

Candidates seeking teacher licensure must gain admission to the Secondary Education Teacher Education Program. You can learn about the application process by visiting the Students Services Office located within the School of Education.

Post-Baccalaureate Licensure Candidates

Post-baccalaureate licensure candidates may need to fulfill some general studies requirements and complete additional content area courses that are required for licensure. Students interested in the Post-Baccalaureate program should meet an academic advisor located in the Students Services Office within the School of Education as well as an academic advisor in their licensure content area. This advisor will review prior transcripts to ensure required content coursework for licensure is complete.

General Studies Requirements

Content area knowledge for secondary education is provided by the student’s major, licensure coursework, any additional content courses required for licensure, and by the specific general studies requirements listed below. The footnotes contain information about the exceptions. A student’s major program may have some specific General Studies requirements/restrictions that must also be met to complete the baccalaureate degree.

*Students should consult with both their major and School of Education advisors about specific General Studies requirements as some of these requirements can be fulfilled by licensure coursework as well as the additional content courses required for licensure.

General Studies Required Courses

ENG 1010 - Composing Arguments Credits: 3
ENG 1020 - Research and Argument Writing Credits: 3
MTH 1610 - Integrated Mathematics I Credits: 3 *
CAS 1010 - Public Speaking Credits: 3
General Studies Arts and Humanities (6 credits)
General Studies Historical (3 credits)
General Studies Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
General Studies Social and Behavioral Sciences I and II (met in licensure sequence by EDS 3130 and EDS 3150 for some majors)
General Studies Total: 27-33
Note:

*Natural science, economics, and mathematics secondary licensure candidates must consult an advisor in their major department for the General Studies Quantitative Literacy requirements.

**Included in General Studies courses, students must select one that satisfies the Global Diversity requirement.

English Major with Secondary English Licensure

The secondary education concentration in English, offered in conjunction with the licensure program, prepares degree seeking, future secondary teachers of English to understand and teach the diverse subject matter required for licensure. This program equips students with a wide variety of language principles and skills; practical experience in developing and teaching the processes of writing; sound knowledge of approaches to literature and literary genres; periods and authors (including a special focus on young adult literature); and an understanding of communication and media as used in English studies. In addition to meeting specified state and departmental requirements, this program offers students the opportunity to develop further specialization in writing, language, or literature to complement the major. The major provides student with a background in the Colorado Academic Standards for English and prepares them to pass the required content exam for licensure.

Foundation and Methods

Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:
Credits:

Mathematics Major with Secondary Mathematics Licensure

The Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences offers a major in Mathematical Sciences with a concentration in Mathematics Education. The goals of this program are to provide degree-seeking candidates with: (1) broad-based and coherent preparation in the various disciplines that constitute the mathematical sciences and; (2) the pedagogical knowledge of mathematics needed to begin a career as a middle or high school mathematics teacher. Candidates are required to meet with one or more of the faculty advisors in the area of mathematics education as well as a teacher licensure advisor as they plan their academic program.

Majors with Science Licensure

Majors with Social Studies Licensure

Candidates who wish to obtain Colorado Licensure for Secondary Social Studies must earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in one of the following disciplines: History, Political Science, Economics, Chicano Studies, or African American Studies. In addition to course requirements in the major, all Social Studies licensure candidates must complete a core curriculum that provides a foundation in History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Behavioral Science and prepares them to pass the appropriate Social Studies Content examination. The core curriculum is supported by courses in the major. Social Studies Licensure candidates must declare their major with the appropriate concentration in Secondary Social Studies Licensure.