Secondary Education
Training to teach a specific subject in grades 6-12.
Secondary education prepares you to teach a specific subject, math, English, science, history, to middle or high school students, typically paired with a major or concentration in that subject alongside education coursework. It's more subject-specialized than elementary education.
Student teaching is required and extensive, a full semester or more in an actual middle or high school classroom, applying both subject expertise and classroom management skills under supervision.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Adolescent Development
- ✓Foundations of Education
- ✓Content-Area Teaching Methods
- ✓Classroom Management
- ✓Educational Assessment
- ✓Curriculum Design
- ✓Content Major Coursework (e.g., additional math or English courses)
- ✓Student Teaching Placement
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Adolescent Development
- +General education requirement
- ✓Foundations of Education
- +General education requirement
- ✓Content-Area Teaching Methods
- +General education requirement
- ✓Classroom Management
- +Free elective
- ✓Educational Assessment
- +Free elective
- ✓Curriculum Design
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Content Major Coursework (e.g., additional math or English courses)
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Student Teaching Placement
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Passionate about a specific subject and wants to teach it
- ★Comfortable working with and mentoring teenagers
- ★Patient and resilient with classroom management challenges
- ★Willing to complete certification and student-teaching requirements
Common minors & double-major pairings
English Literature · History · Mathematics
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Secondary Education major?
Training to teach a specific subject in grades 6-12.
What courses do Secondary Education majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Adolescent Development, Foundations of Education, Content-Area Teaching Methods, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Secondary Education program?
Secondary Education coursework typically builds skills like Deep subject-matter expertise plus teaching methods, Lesson and curriculum planning, Classroom management for adolescents, Differentiating instruction for varied learners.
Is Secondary Education a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Passionate about a specific subject and wants to teach it" or "Comfortable working with and mentoring teenagers" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Secondary Education degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like Secondary School Teacher. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Secondary Education?
Common minor or double-major pairings include English Literature, History, Mathematics.
How is Secondary Education different from Elementary Education?
They're related but distinct. Secondary Education: Training to teach a specific subject in grades 6-12. Elementary Education: Training to teach across subjects in grades K-5 or K-6. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Secondary Education degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/secondary-education