Office of Certification and Educational Support Services

Secondary Education Content Core Requirements

Biology Education

Minimum 6 s.h. General Biology
Minimum 3 s.h. Genetics
Minimum 3 s.h. Comparative Anatomy
Minimum 3 s.h. General Ecology
Minimum 3 s.h. Invertebrate Zoology
Minimum 3 s.h. Plant Physiology
Minimum 9 s.h. Biology Electives course work in related content area (under advisement)
Minimum 6 s.h. General Chemistry
Minimum 6 s.h. General Physics
Minimum 6 s.h. Geology(Earth Science)
Minimum 3 s.h. Calculus-Based Mathematics and 3 s.h. Statistics or Advanced Mathematics


Business Education

Minimum 3 s.h. Accounting
Minimum 3 or 4 s.h. Computer Tools
Minimum 3 s.h. Business Law
Minimum 3 s.h. Finance
Minimum 3 s.h. Economics
Minimum 3 s.h. Business Policy
Minimum 3 s.h. International Business
Minimum 3 s.h. Management
Minimum 3 s.h. Marketing
Minimum 3 s.h. Quantitative Methods
Minimum 6 s.h. Business Electives


Chemistry Education

Minimum 6 s.h. Inorganic Chemistry
Minimum 6 s.h. Organic Chemistry
Minimum 3 s.h. Quantitative Analysis
Minimum 3 s.h. Physical Chemistry
Minimum 12 s.h. Chemistry Electives course work in related content area (with advisement):
Minimum 6 s.h. General Biology
Minimum 6 s.h. General Physics
Minimum 6 s.h. Geology (Earth Science)
Minimum 3 s.h. Calculus-Based Mathematics and 3 s.h. Statistics or Advanced Mathematics


Earth Science Education

Minimum 3 s.h. Physical Geological Science
Minimum 3 s.h. Historical Geological Science
Minimum 6 s.h. Earth Science I & II
Minimum 18 s.h. Geology Electives taken under advisement
Minimum 6 s.h. General Biology
Minimum 6 s.h. General Chemistry
Minimum 6 s.h. General Physics
Minimum 3 s.h. Calculus-Based Mathematics and 3 s.h. Statistics or Advanced Mathematics


English Education

Minimum 3 s.h. English Language, Linguistics or General Language; e.g. Grammar
Minimum 6 s.h. American Literature
Minimum 6 s.h. English Literature
Minimum 3 s.h.World Literature
Minimum 18 s.h. English Electives


Family and Consumer Sciences

Child Development/Human Development  3-6 s.h.
Interpersonal, Family or Career Studies  3-6 s.h.
Nutrition, Health and Wellness  3-6 s.h.
Food Science and Food Production  3-6 s.h.
Business Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship or Consumer Studies  3-6 s.h.
Fashion, Clothing and Textiles  3-6 s.h.
Interior Design and Environmental Studies  3-6 s.h.
Early Childhood, Elementary/Childhood or Adolescent Education   3-6 s.h.


Fine Arts Education

Minimum 9 s.h. Art History
Minimum 6 s.h. Design: 3 s.h. 2D & 3 s.h. 3D
Minimum 6 s.h. Electives: Fine Arts or Art History
Minimum 18 s.h. Fundamental Artistic Techniques
Minimum 9 s.h. Specialization in an Artistic Technique


Foreign Language Education

Minimum 6 s.h. Culture and Civilization
Minimum 3 s.h. Conversation
Minimum 3 s.h. Grammar
Minimum 3 s.h. Composition
Minimum 9 s.h. Literature
Minimum 12 s.h. Electives in the target language –additional course work in related areas


Languages Other Than English (LOTE) & Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Candidates can earn a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit toward the content core by passing both, the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI*) and Written Proficiency Test (WPT*), proficiency portions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) examination. To pass these two examinations, candidates must be placed in Advanced High or Superior in both the OPI and WPT. The levels Advanced High or Superior in OPI and WPT are worth the equivalent of 14 semester hours each. 
In order to fulfill the 36 semester hour requirement in the target language, candidate must take additional 8 credits on the undergraduate level in the content area above level four distributed over the following areas:

Culture/Civilization – minimum 2-3 s.h.
Grammar – 1-3 s.h.
Literature – 1-3 s.h.


Mathematics Education

Minimum 6-8 s.h. Differential and Integral Calculus (Calculus I and II)
Minimum 6 s.h. Higher Algebra (Linear and Abstract)
Minimum 3 s.h. Higher Geometry (Euclidean, Non-Euclidean, Topology, or equivalent)
Minimum 3 s.h. Discrete or Finite Mathematics
Minimum 3 s.h. Applied Mathematics
Minimum 3 s.h. Probability and Statistics
Minimum 10-12 s.h. Mathematics Electives-additional course work in related areas


Music Education

Music History and Literature: 6 s.h.
Music Theory: 11 s.h.
Applied Music: 4 s.h.
Secondary Applied: 5 s.h.
Conducting: 3 s.h.
Performance: 3 s.h.
Other Courses Related to Music: 4 s.h.


Physics Education

Minimum 6 s.h. General Physics
Minimum 3 s.h. Electricity and Magnetism
Minimum 3 s.h. Modern Physics
Minimum 3 s.h. Optics
Minimum 3 s.h. Thermodynamics
Minimum 3 s.h. Mechanics
Minimum 3 s.h. Quantum Mechanics
Minimum 6 s.h. Physics Electives course work in related content area (under advisement)
Minimum 6 s.h. General Biology
Minimum 6 s.h. General Chemistry
Minimum 6 s.h. Geology (Earth Science)
Minimum 3 s.h. Calculus-Based Mathematics and 3 s.h. Statistics or Advanced Mathematics


Social Studies Education

Minimum 6 s.h. European History (Western Civilization)
Minimum 6 s.h. United States History
Minimum 9 s.h. Geography or Non-Western History (min 3 s.h. each)
Minimum 3 s.h. Political Science (American Government)
Minimum 3 s.h. Economics
Additional 9 s.h. course work (with advisement) that demonstrates competency in History, Anthropology and Sociology