Program Requirements
Secondary Education - Master of Arts
Secondary Education | College of Education

University Graduate Admissions

Applicants for graduate study in the program must have a minimum grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale for the preceding semester hours in undergraduate course work, a cumulative minimum grade point average of 3.0 for any preceding graduate-level course work, and a passing score on the Illinois Certification Testing System Basic Skills Test.

Test requirements

Students must pass the ICTS Basic Skills test before enrolling in any education courses.  The ICTS Content Area test must be passed before student teaching.  The ICTS Assessment of Professional Teaching test must be passed before the candidate can be recommended for certification.

GPA requirements

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to remain in the secondary education program.  Students who do not meet this requirement will not be allowed to student teach.

Continuing enrollment in the College of Education Secondary Education Program

Formal admission to the program is granted on condition of 1) successful completion of at least 6 semester hours in the program with no grade below a “B”, 2) a recommendation for admission from a full-time secondary education faculty member who has knowledge of the candidate’s performance, 3) a recommendation from the program advisor that the candidate has established or is successfully working towards major equivalence, and 4) a written statement of the student’s educational philosophy.

Download a copy of the application for formal admission, complete it, and follow instructions on the form titled Application for Program Admission (Word, 90K).

A criminal background check by an agency approved by the College of Education is required prior to approval for field experiences.

Click here to view coursework requirements for the secondary program of study.

Click here to view coursework requirements for each major for students who are building a major different from their undergraduate major.