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The secondary licensure program provides teacher education candidates broad content and field knowledge and prepares them as teachers for grades 7-12. Secondary licensure candidates may choose from majors in Biology, English, Geosciences, History, Mathematics and Spanish.

A minimum of 75 credit hours of general education and content area coursework must be completed with a minimum GPA of 2.80 before a secondary candidate is eligible to apply for admission to the Center for Teacher Education (CTE). Before students may register for any upper level education courses, they must be formally accepted to the CTE through a thorough application process. All application requirements and prerequisites can be viewed on our program application page or in the Advising Handbook

Once admitted, secondary education students take a semester of foundation and pedagogy education courses, during which they rotate through a variety of secondary field placements. In their final year, secondary students are placed in a two-semester placement for student teaching. During the first semester, referred to as the "pre-internship," secondary students complete their remaining content requirements and methods courses, and log a minimum of 140 field hours at their student teaching placement site.

During the final semester, secondary education majors complete their internship for which they are placed in the classroom full-time and take on the lead teaching role. All coursework and licensure testing must be completed prior to internship so that students are eligible to apply for Colorado teacher licensure immediately upon completion of the internship and degree.

Colorado Placement

CMU's Education programs meet the requirements for licensure in the state of Colorado, as such, students are required to complete their field hours within the state of Colorado. Placements are arranged between a local school district and the Center for Teacher Education, and are typically within our 14-county western slope community of school districts. Placements outside of this 14-county region are made on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on several factors including, agreements with cooperating school districts, qualified mentor availability, and student support and supervision. While graduates have successfully obtained licensure in other states, at this time, CMU does not offer placement outside of Colorado. To find out about licensure requirements for other states, see our State Licensing Resources page.

Already have a degree or graduating soon?

If you are close to completing a non-education bachelor's degree or already hold a bachelor's degree and want to explore licensure options after graduation, check out our Initial Teacher Licensure graduate program. The ITL program enables students to obtain licensure and complete most of the Master of Arts in Education in one year!

The Biology program offers coursework, in conjunction with the Center for Teacher Education, leading to licensure in secondary education science.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Biology, Secondary Education

The secondary licensure program provides teacher education candidates with broad content knowledge in English.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in English, Secondary Education

The Bachelor of Science in Geosciences with a concentration in Secondary Education is designed for students whose goal is to teach earth science at the middle or high school level. The basic curriculum includes all of the major topics within a traditional geology program while also incorporating teacher education courses required for licensure by the state of Colorado

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Geosciences, Secondary Education

Students pursuing a History major follow a program that prepares them for understanding present society and culture through a study of the past.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in History, Secondary Education

The major in mathematics with a concentration in secondary education will prepare students to teach in both middle schools and in high schools. While completing this degree, students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills and are introduced to the logical and historical development of mathematical ideas. Students also learn the professional skills in teaching methods and content necessary for secondary mathematics teachers.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Secondary Education

Spanish majors for secondary licensure study all aspects of the language and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world and its teaching, including linguistics, phonetics, phonology, foreign language teaching methods, and the literatures of Spain and Latin America.

Academic Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, Secondary Education

Graduates of the program can teach in the state of Colorado or use their teaching expertise in other careers in grades 7-12. 

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Secondary Program Coordinator: Dr. Blake Bickham

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It's not just about teaching content. It's about teaching learners.
Hear Dr. Bickham discuss his teaching journey and the "story" of teaching in Secondary Education.