The Secondary Education program prepares candidates to teach in grades 9-12 or PK-12. Saint Xavier University is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to offer secondary education for the following content areas:
- Secondary Education - Art: (PK-12)
- Secondary Education - Biology/Science: (9-12)
- Secondary Education - English: (9-12)
- Secondary Education - Mathematics: (9-12)
- Secondary Education - Music: (PK-12)
- Secondary Education - Social Science: (9-12)
- Secondary Education - Spanish: (PK-12)
General Education
The program requires successful completion of general education courses, professional education courses and core courses.
Additional requirements include:
- Completion of general education courses
- Completion of professional education courses with a grade of C or higher
- Completion of content area courses with a grade of C or higher
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 required for student teaching
This program focuses on the preparation of teachers according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Candidates must successfully complete state licensure requirements and procedures. It is the responsibility of the student to ascertain and fulfill the requirements for the degree program. The advisor will assist the student in this responsibility.
Required Professional Education Courses
Level 1 - Foundational Courses:
- EDU 200: The Profession of Teaching (3)
- EDUL 200: Education Orientation (0)
- EDU 202: Educational Psychology (3)
- EDU 205: Child Growth and Development (3)
- EDU 323: Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
- EDU 377: Historical and Social Trends in American Schooling (3)
Level 2 - Preparation for Practice:
- EDU 370: Principles and Practices of the Middle and Secondary Schools (3)
- EDU 371-378: Methods of Teaching (major) in the Middle and Secondary School (3)
- EDU 397: Literacy Instruction for Secondary Teachers (not required for Secondary English majors) (3)
Level 3 - Student Teaching: *
- EDU 345: Seminar in Teaching and Learning (3)*
- EDU 349 OR EDU 352: Directed Teaching-Secondary/K-12 (9)*
*Enrollment requires passing appropriate Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) content exam.
Requirements in this program are subject to change within the time span of one's University career due to changing requirements at national, state, and local levels.
Secondary Level Endorsements
Candidates may acquire additional secondary level endorsements for teaching other subjects in Grades 9-12. Please see the current Illinois Licensure, Endorsement, and Approval Requirements document at the IBSE website.
Content Area Requirements
Each licensure area has discipline-specific content requirements.
Secondary Education - Art (PK-12)
Content Courses:
- ART 124: Portfolio Seminar (Studio Elective) (3)
- ART 101: Drawing I (3)
- ART and Design Elective (3)
- ART History: 100 Level (3)
- ART 222: Art of the Renaissance (3)
- ART 102: 2D Design (3)
- ART and Design Elective (3)
- ART 202: 3D Design (3)
- ART and Design Elective (3)
- ART 223: Modern and Contemporary Art (3)
- ART and Design Elective (3)
- ART 305: Senior Seminar (3)
- ART 306: Senior Seminar (3)
Secondary Education - Biology/Science (9-12)
Content Courses:
- BIOL 111: General Biology I (5)
- BIOL 112: General Biology II (5)
- BIOL 240: Development Biology (4)
- BIOL 312: Plant Diversity and Adaptation (4)
- BIOL 318: Ecology (4)
- BIOL: Elective (4)
- BIOL 300: Genetics (4)
- BIOL 306: Microbiology (4)
- BIOL: Elective (4)
- BIOL: Elective (4)
Secondary Education - English (9-12)
Content Courses:
- ENGL 207: Study of Literature (3)
- ENGL 208: Study of Rhetoric (3)
- ENGL 220: Advanced Writing (3)
- ENGL 340: Critical Theory (3)
- ENGL 395: Senior Seminar (3)
- One Literature Elective (British, American, or combination) (3)
- One World Literature Elective (3)
- ENGL 241: Introduction to Language and Linguistics (3)
- Two Literature Electives (British, World, American, or combination) (6)
- One elective (British, World, American, Rhetoric, Theory or combination) (3)
- ENGL 344: Young Adult Literature (3)
- ENGL 356: Teaching Writing and Language (3)
- ENGL 371: Teaching Reading and Literature (3)
- ENGL 373: Methods of Teaching English at the Secondary Level (3)
Secondary Education - Mathematics (9-12)
Content Courses:
- MATH 200: Introduction to Discrete Mathematics (3)
- MATH 201: Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (4)
- MATH 202: Calculus with Analytic Geometry II (4)
- MATH 203: Calculus with Analytic Geometry III (4)
- MATH 211: Linear Algebra (4)
- MATH 301: Advanced Calculus (4)
- MATH 305: Probability and Statistics I (3)
- MATH 306: Probability and Statistics II (3)
- MATH 307: Modern Geometry (3)
- MATH 308: History of Mathematics (3)
- MATH 309: Abstract Algebra I (3)
- MATH 399: Senior Seminar (1)
- Two courses in application area (e.g. Computer Science, Physics, Business-Program approval required)
- Two 300 Level Mathematics Electives
Secondary Education - Music (PK-12)
Professional Degree Music Core
- MUS 101: Music Theory I (3)
- MUS 102: Music Theory II (3)
- MUS 201: Music Theory III (3)
- MUS 202: Music Theory IV (3)
- MUS/MUSLB 151: Aural Skills I (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 152: Aural Skills II (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 251: Aural Skills III (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 252: Aural Skills IV (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 161: Keyboard Skills I (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 162: Keyboard Skills II (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 261: Keyboard Skills III (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 262: Keyboard Skills IV (1 + 0)
- MUS 115: Introduction to Music (3)
- MUS 150: World Music Cultures (3)
- MUS 301: Form and Analysis (2)
- MUS 314: Conducting (3)
- MUS 330: Music History I: Medieval/Renaissance/Baroque (3)
- MUS 331: Music History II: Classical/Romantic/Contemporary (3)
Music Education PK-12
Music education majors must complete the requirements for one of the following emphases:
Choral Emphasis/Vocal
- Applied Voice (six-semester minimum) (12)
- MUS 103: Vocal Technique (3)
- MUS 205: Italian/English Diction for Singers (2)
- MUS 206: German/French Diction for Singers (2)
- MUS 334: K-12 General Music (3)
- MUS 335: Teaching Choral Music in the Junior and Senior High School (3)
- MUS 312: Vocal Pedagogy (3)
- Applied Piano (three-semester minimum) (3)
- Large Ensemble (every semester except Student Teaching semester) (0)
Instrumental Emphasis
- Applied Music, Major area (seven-semester minimum) (14)
- MUS/MUSLB 144: Vocal Methods for Instrumental Majors (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 145: Brass Methods (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 146: Percussion Methods (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 147: String Methods (1 + 0)
- MUS/MUSLB 148: Woodwind Methods (1+ 0)
- MUS 334: K-12 General Music (3)
- MUS 335: Teaching Instrumental Music in the Junior and Senior High School (3)
- Small Ensemble (three-semester minimum) (3)
- Large Ensemble (every semester until graduation) (0)
Secondary Education - Social Science (9-12)
Content Courses:
Social Science Focus:
- SOCSC 101: World Geography (3)
- ECON 202: Principles of Economics (3)
- POLSC 101: Intro. to U.S. Government (3)
- POLSC 102: World Politics (3)
- SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology (3)
- Three Elective courses in economics, sociology, anthropology or political science with no more than six hours in one discipline (9)
History Concentration:
- HIST 101: World History to 1500 (3)
- HIST 102: World History since 1500 (3)
- HIST 103: United States History to 1877 (3)
- HIST 104: United States History since 1877 (3)
- HIST 230: Illinois History (3)
- HIST 200: Introduction to the Discipline of History (Pre-requisite: 6 credit hours in history) (3)
- HIST Elective (one 200 or 300-Level course in non-U.S. history) (3)
- HIST Elective (one 200 or 300-Level course in history) (3)
- HIST 395: Senior Seminar (Pre-requisite: HIST 200 and one 300-Level history) (3)
Secondary Education - Spanish (PK-12)
Content Courses:
- SPAN 200: Advanced Grammar and Composition (3)
- SPAN 211: Spanish for Speakers of Spanish (3)
- Spanish Elective (3)
- SPAN 210: Advanced Spanish Conversation (3)
- SPAN 220: Interpretation of Texts (3)
- Spanish Elective (3)
- Spanish Elective (3)
- Spanish approved Elective 300 Level (3)
- Spanish approved Elective 300 Level (3)
- SPAN 395: Senior Seminar (3)
- Spanish approved Elective 300 Level (3)
- Spanish approved Elective 300 Level (3)