Home > Articles > Degree Programs And Certifications > Education Degrees > Secondary Education Degrees

Secondary Education Degrees

Secondary Education degree programs prepare students to teach high school students in a specific discipline such as math, science or english. Teaching at the high-school level requires solid knowledge of the subject matter being taught as well as a knowledge of teaching methods and adolescent development. Degree programs in secondary education ensure students are prepared to take on this challenging and fulfilling career.

Demand for high-school teachers in general remains steady, but is much higher for science and math teachers. Additionaly, there is higher demand in low-income areas. The federal government is offering financial aid grants to students who agree to teach in a high-demand field or location through the TEACH grant program.

Degree Options

Bachelor's Degree – A bachelor's degree in secondary education will prepare students to become licensed high-schools teachers in public school systems or to teach in private schools.
Master's Degree – A masters degree in secondary education will develop a student's expertise in a specific subject area as well as teaching methods. This may be a good choice for people who already have a bachelor's degree in another field.
Doctoral Degree – Doctoral programs will prepare students to take on administrative roles such as Principal or Superintendant of Schools. Other students may choose to become consultants or become a professor of education.

Schools

Secondary education degree programs can be found at universities and colleges as well as at numerous online schools. Part-time programs providing flexibility to working students are also available.

Coursework

Examples of teaching courses applicable to all secondary education students are listed below. In addition, students will need to take required courses in their subject area to complete their program.

Adolescent Psychology - Students gain an understanding of psychological development of adolescents and the impact on behavior and cognitive learning abilities.
Secondary Teaching Methods - Presents models and strategies for teaching high school students and includes curriculum design, assessments and strategies for working with a diverse population.
Classroom Assessment – This course presents philosophy, goals and methods of student assessment and includes topics such as the use of technology and impact of government mandates.
Classroom Management – Teaches classroom organization and management including preventative strategies, relationship building and alternative discipline with the goal of creating an environment where students can learn with minimal behavioral disruptions.
Equity and Achievement – Explores strategies for creating an equity-based educational experience, taking into consideration economic and cultural factors.

Interests and Aptitudes

Those considering a degree in Secondary Education should have a strong interest in the subject matter they will be teaching so they create enthusiasm in the classroom. They also need to be able to connect to adolescents, be creative in how they present the subject matter and be willing to provide extra help to students who need it.

Career Options

Most graduates of a Secondary Education degree program will become Secondary School Teachers in public or private high schools. Those who earn a Master's or Doctoral degree in secondary education may choose to become a school administrator, education consultant or curriculum specialist.

Related Majors

Elementary School Education - Curriculum provides future teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to teach elementary school children. Coursework will include psychology, childhood development, and teaching methods for the various subject matters taught at the elementary level.
Middle School Education - Students are taught how to teach specific subject-matter classes and will also take courses such as adolescent learning and development and classroom management.
Special Education - Students will learn the skills needed to teach children with learning disabilities including skills in managing behavioral and emotional issues that these students often have.
Education Administration - These programs cover a broad range of topics including leadership, resource management, finance, education law and education policy.

How To Evaluate Secondary Education Degree Programs

Below are some factors individuals should take into consideration when choosing a secondary education degree program:

Program Options – Students should consider the various program options available at some schools such as double-major programs or five-year Master's level programs.
Internship Availability - Consideration of a school's ability to help students obtain internships is wise.
Accreditation – The school or program should be accredited by one of the seven regional accrediting agencies as well as by either the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education or the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.
Flexibility - For individuals who will be attending school while working or taking care of family, program flexibility in terms of class schedules, online classes and part-time options may be an important consideration.

Free Online Education Courses

Below are some free online courses which people considering a degree in secondary education may want to review to get a better idea of what college courses will be like.

Resources

National High School Association

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

National Education Association

Teacher Education Accreditation Council

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Online Course Finder

Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.

Degree Finder

Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.

Apply For a BrainTrack Teaching Scholarship

First ($1,000) and Second Place ($500) awards, twice annually, for students currently pursuing a related degree (Associate or higher).

Submit answers to essay questions to help people evaluate career paths. BrainTrack publishes the most helpful essays.

Deadlines are November 1 and March 1

Awards are payable towards the current or next semester's tuition.

Winners and examples are at BrainTrack's College Student Stories section. For more info, visit About BrainTrack Scholarships.

See Additional Scholarship Rules

Additional Rules

All submissions must be done online, on the scholarship entry form, accessed by clicking the I Agree button below.

The competition is open to students who have completed at least one semester or one quarter of credits in a related program, are currently pursuing a relevant degree, and are enrolled in one or more relevant courses at the time of the entry deadline. Students may be in either a full-time or part-time program, and studying on-campus and/or online.

Winners will be notified by email and telephone, within 12 weeks following the entry deadline. All award payments are made to the school of the winner, toward the student's tuition.

Each individual may submit only one entry every 12 months.

Entrant's school must be in the US and have accreditation recognized by the US Department of Education.

By submitting a scholarship entry, each entrant agrees that his/her submission becomes the exclusive property of BrainTrack's publisher, each entrant consents to BrainTrack's publisher to use their submission for promotional or other any other purposes, and each entrant retains no rights whatsoever in his/her submission materials.

Entrants selected as finalists may be contacted by BrainTrack's publisher to provide references from their school, who may be contacted to verify the entrant's qualifications.

Entrants who win scholarships may have their names published both on BrainTrack's website and in print media, and, as a condition to the award of their scholarship, must agree to a brief telephone interview which may also be published or used in promotion.

BrainTrack's publisher will keep other entrant's identifying data private, and not use it other than for this scholarship competition.

No purchase is necessary to enter.

BrainTrack reserves the right to change rules between scholarship competitions at its discretion and to make rule clarifications at any time as needed.

Scholarship recipients are responsible for all taxes or other impositions associated with their scholarship award.

This scholarship competition is void where prohibited.

Only entries submitted electronically to BrainTrack's website in accordance with these rules will be eligible for consideration. Entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of the entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

Limitations of Liability/Reserved Rights: Neither Brain Track nor any of its affiliates shall have any obligation or responsibility with regard to (i) entries that contain inaccurate information or do not comply with these rules, (ii) entries, prize claims or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer or technical error of any kind, (iii) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or (iv) any damages or losses of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of any prize. Brain Track, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process or the operation of its website or otherwise violating these rules. Brain Track further reserve the right to cancel, terminate or modify this scholarship competition if it cannot be completed as planned because of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort.

Questions or comments? Please contact BrainTrack at scholarships@braintrack.com

Secondary Education Degrees

Online Course Finder

Degree Finder

Categories

Apply For a BrainTrack Teaching Scholarship

Related Careers

Also of Interest

Resources