Pathway To Secondary Education Licensure
![Courses you will take as you pursue alternative teacher certification in Indiana](https://www.valpo.edu/education/files/2022/11/20200130-JLH-Education-Field-Experiences-055-1024x768.webp)
Why a Secondary Education at Valpo?
Through Valpo’s Pathway to Secondary Education, Beacons can light the path forward for the next generation of students by adding an education minor to their undergraduate study. Between dedicated faculty, peer support, and meaningful clinical placements and practicum that lead into a 16-week student-teaching experience, this flexible minor can be added to majors in English, history, sciences, world languages, and more.
Add both Valpo’s national accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and Indiana Department of Education, and students are able to meet requirements for teaching licenses across the nation – whether that’s back home, or right here in Northwest Indiana.
Make a difference in the lives of others. Lead your own classes right after graduation. Find your calling in the classroom at Valpo!
SECONDARY EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS
edTPA
Assessment
During a student-teaching capstone seminar class, preservice teachers complete an externally-reviewed edTPA assessment to secure licensure in any state in the United States.
98% Graduate
Placement
Nearly all graduating students are teaching within three months of graduation in K-12 schools across the country.
Literary
Institute
All education courses are hosted in Wesemann Hall’s Literacy Institute, equipped with a mock classroom, microteaching labs, a children’s library, and other learning spaces.
Pathway to Secondary Education
Requirements
Secondary education licensure can be obtained through a modified education minor with additional courses and a major in: biology and life sciences, chemistry, earth and space sciences, English and language arts, history and social studies, mathematics, physical education and health, physics, world languages, or visual arts.
Secondary Education Requirements | ||
---|---|---|
ED 220 | Educational Psychology | 3 credits |
ED 357 | Designing Curriculum, Assessment, and Learning Plans | 3 credits |
ED 360 | Literacies Across the Content Areas | 3 credits |
ED 467 | English Language Learning Methods | 3 credits |
ED 470 | Diversity, Equity, and Education | 3 credits |
SPED 440 | Differentiated Instructional Practices | 3 credits |
ED 380 | Methods of Teaching in Middle and Secondary Schools | 3 credits |
ED 459 | Supervised Teaching in the Secondary School | 12 credits |
ED 445 | Seminar: Efficacy in Professional Practice | 3 credits |
Pathway to Secondary Education
Career Outcomes
With the U.S. experiencing a dire teacher shortage, K-12 educators are in extremely high demand. 98% of students graduating through Valpo’s secondary education pathway are teaching in their own classrooms within three months of graduation.
With Valpo’s prime location at the heart of NWI, teachers-to-be are able to experience diverse school settings in both rural and urban areas, preparing them to lead students of their own across the country.
Careers in Secondary Education:
- Teaching
- Administration
- Education policy
![Ryan Eckart Valpo University](https://www.valpo.edu/education/files/2024/07/ryan-eckart_updated-800x800.png)
Experiential Learning
Through the department’s cohort model program, students are able to develop a community of practice within the University itself. Furthermore, Valpo’s Professional Educators Partnership (PEP) brings nationally recognized speakers to campus for three annual events, attracting over 200 regional educators – an excellent networking opportunity for all students.
For Beacons wanting to learn here in NWI and across the globe, the entire education department annually takes a Spring Break service trip that invites students to spend a week teaching in another country.
![PEP workshop](https://www.valpo.edu/education/files/2021/09/M42_3140-800x800.jpg)