Secondary Education Major
The bachelor of arts in secondary education is designed to prepare you to impact student learning through research-based methodologies. The theme of bridging knowledge, practice, and service is woven through all elements of the program. After successfully completing the major, you will be eligible for a teaching license in secondary education and special education. You will have the decision making skills necessary to positively impact student learning across all contexts with elementary students.
The Need For Teachers
Hear from faculty on how Stritch educators are in great demand!
Josh McHale, '22
Secondary Education and History major with minors in Special Education and English as a Second Language
My field experience classes allowed me to get out into the community and into schools. I believe that being out in the field is where you can put all you have learned into action. These experiences helped me grow as a future educator.
Alexis Dier Carneiro, '20
Elementary Education major
I cannot thank my educators enough for their empathetic approach to teaching, and leading me in the right direction in reaching my career goals. It is clear that our program is built to provide the best support for their future instructors.
Ilse Merlin-Tiburcio, '21
Elementary Education major
Making a connection with my professors was essential. Stritch has teachers who are knowledgable through their experiences and their interaction with their students. They seek out to connect their students to the best opportunities. And most importantly, to see each student as a whole.
Jamie Kretlow, '24
Double major in Secondary Education and Math
Stritch has enriched my growth outside of the classroom by teaching me to be myself, make new friends, and learn more about others. I want to help students be preapred for school and the real world through my ability to teach.
Program Details
Program Overview
The B.A. in Secondary Education is designed to prepare secondary teachers to impact student learning through research-based methodologies and strong, positive relationships. After successfully completing the major, teacher candidates will be eligible for teacher licensure in both secondary education and special education. We approach teacher education as a reflective, rigorous process through which teacher candidates learn about themselves, their students and educational practice. Our graduates are equipped to make the decisions necessary to impact student learning positively across all contexts and with all elementary students. The theme of bridging knowledge, practice, and service is woven through all elements of the program. Program outcomes are grounded in the Wisconsin content and teacher standards for licensure. A common vein throughout our coursework emphasizes targeted experiences to help our teacher candidates build knowledge and experience in arts integration.
Program Concentrations
This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.Concentration Overview
The Introduction to Education concentration takes teacher candidates behind the veil of the teaching practice to explore how teachers plan for, instruct, and assess a diverse student body. Before teacher candidates can learn how to address specific students’ needs, they must first understand the personal, family, and cultural dynamics which lead to their individual senses of self. This concentration helps teacher candidates respond to the “Who am I?” question.
Concentration Overview
Building classroom community and culture is an essential component of effective teaching at all levels of instruction. Within this concentration, teacher candidates will explore the research-based techniques surrounding student engagement and building a student-centered classroom to maximize instructional time.
Concentration Overview
The special education concentration prepares teacher candidates to provide specially-designed instruction and assessment for K-12 students with disabilities. Teacher candidates acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to capitalize on students’ assets, address students’ needs, and promote students’ self-determination and self-advocacy. Coursework addresses foundations of special education, characteristics of students with disabilities, individual education and behavior intervention plans, assessment of academic and functional skills, evidence-based practice, and collaboration with families, students, other school professionals, and community service agencies. All courses meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction accreditation and the Council for Exceptional Children Initial Preparation Standards. Upon completion of course and fieldwork in this concentration, teacher candidates may pursue dual licensure (in general education and cross-categorical special education) during the student teaching semester.
Concentration Overview
Did you have a favorite teacher in high school? Chances are, this teacher really understood the importance of making you feel important. While secondary teachers are well-rounded in their understanding of their specific subject areas, they must also understand research-based practices for teaching adolescents. This concentration focuses on the teacher candidate’s understanding of adolescents’ physical, emotional, social, and psychological needs so that you will eventually become someone’s favorite teacher.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentration Overview
The highlight of this concentration is engagement with secondary students in PK-12 classrooms under the guidance of experienced practicing PK-12 teachers. At Stritch, we pride ourselves on providing teacher candidates with a scaffolded approach to field experience which begins during their first year of study and subsequently continues each year of enrollment within our program. Within these guided field experiences, teacher candidates will gradually learn to teach individuals, small groups, and the entire classroom. This concentration culminates with the student teaching semester in which teacher candidates take on the role of teacher under the leadership of an experienced practicing PK-12 teacher.
Courses in this Concentration
Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.
Program Coursework
- Pre-Calculus
- Introduction to Education
- Education for Diversity: Historical Foundations
- Introduction to Inclusive Instruction and Assessment
- Fundamentals of Inclusive Instruction and Assessment
- Teaching and Professionalism
- Classroom Management and Culture I
- Classroom Management and Culture II
- Advanced Inclusive Instruction and Assessment
- Foundations of Special Education
- Field Work II
- Formal and Informal Assessment
- Collaborating with Families and Communities
- Autism and Communication Disorders
- Specific Secondary Content Methods
- Life Span Human Development
- Reading/Language Arts in Middle-Secondary School
- Adolescent Literacy
- Benchmark I
- Benchmark II
- Benchmark III
- Professional Development Seminar
- Field Experience I
- Field Experience II
The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.
Liberal Arts Core
LEADERSHIP: 4 credits
- Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
- Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)
- Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
- Writing for the 21st Century (3 cr.)*
- Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
- Language & Culture (3 cr.)
CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Student will take one (1) course from each broad theme. Broad themes are:
- Narratives of Identity (3 cr.) - select from three course options*
- Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.) - INTDS 221: Environmental Studies
- Social Tensions (3 cr.) - select from three course options*
- The American Experience (3 cr.) - INTDS 240: Social Movements
- Approving the Better Things (3 cr.) - select from three course options*
Professional Core
Culminating Experience
- ED 260-Field Experience I,
- ED 360-Field Experience II, and
- 9 credits of student teaching (ED 480, 482, 486, or 488).
Bridge the gap between theory and application
We use an active learning model for instruction that is focused on very little lecturing. This will allow you to dive into case studies, readings and debates, discussions and projects.
The Limitless Curriculum encourages you to embrace your passions, aligning them with an academic and ultimately, a career.
As a secondary education student, you are projected to receive field experience as early as your second semester freshman year.
- St. Anthony Lower Elementary
- St. Anthony Middle School
- St. Anthony Upper Elementary
- Milwaukee Public School District
- Milwaukee College Prep School
- Milwaukee Academy of Science
- Brown Deer School District
- Milwaukee Scholar Charter School
- West Allis – West Milwaukee School District
- North Middle School (Menomonee Falls)
- Menomonee Falls High School
The Aspiring Educators Club connects Stritch students to professionals in the education field through volunteer experiences and professional development opportunities.
The club works closely with the faculty in the education department to plan and execute meaningful experiences for Stritch students such as teaching English to students who are refugees through Catholic Charities and being program coordinators at Gigi’s Playhouse for students with Down Syndrome.
Arts integrated curriculum, strategies and experiences
According to the Kennedy Center’s comprehensive definition of arts integration, it is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form.
Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meetings evolving objectives in both (The Kennedy Center).
Source: The Kennedy Center
The goal of the Linda D'Aquisto Cultural Diversity Museum Project is to provide Undergraduate teacher candidates the opportunity to 'seek first to understand, then be understood' as they work together to bring their collective cultural backgrounds to life for local elementary students.
Using an arts integrated approach, Stritch education majors design a hands on cultural experience for young people that often culminates in a campus tour and luncheon"
A Prayer for Teachers
Enable me to teach with wisdom. For I help to shape the mind. Equip me to teach with truth. For I help to shape the conscience. Encourage me to teach with vision. For I help to shape the future. Empower me to teach with love. For I help to shape the world.
Contact admissions or the program faculty with questions about this program.
Clavon Byrd, Sr.
Chair - Teacher Education|Faculty - Education Undergraduate
