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Secondary Certification

Classroom

Areas of Certification

The department offers a PA secondary (7-12) teacher certification in biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, social studies, and citizenship. The department also offers a K-12 certification in French, German, Russian, and Spanish.

Students pursuing secondary education must complete required Educational Studies courses and courses that meet the state requirements for subject matter competency. This can be done by completing a major or special major in that field, or by completing the subject matter courses described below.  Majors or special majors in history, economics, or political science receive secondary certification in either citizenship or social studies, and majors or special majors in psychology or sociology/anthropology receive secondary certification in social studies.

1. Required Educational Studies Courses

In order to be certified, students should fulfill all of the state general distribution requirements.  In addition, students must take the following courses in Educational Studies:

2. Required Subject Matter Courses

In order to meet the state’s subject matter requirements, students may major or special major in the discipline of certification and complete any additional subject-specific requirements listed in the charts linked below. Students may also major in Educational Studies or another field and complete the required subject matter requirements described in the charts below.  Students should refer to the subject-specific requirements charts for additional information.