The Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education program provides teacher candidates with the specialized knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to meet the educational needs of students in grades 6-12 in English/language arts, history/social science, and computer science classes. The comprehensive program of study includes methods courses designed to prepare reflective teachers who are dedicated to knowing their students and their needs and to advancing social justice in today’s diverse classrooms. Collaborations and partnerships with local high schools and middle schools ensure that teacher candidates complete relevant clinical experiences with veteran mentor teachers, many of whom are graduates of the program. Dedicated subject area faculty who work in area schools ensure graduates are prepared to employ innovative, research-based pedagogical practices.
Admissions
Four-Year Students
Students entering as freshmen with an interest in majoring in Secondary Education will apply to Mason and declare the Secondary Education, BSEd with a particular concentration. Prior to initial enrollment, students must meet with their academic advisor and the Associate Director of Pre-Education Advising and Outreach.
Transfer Students
Transfer students with an interest in majoring in the BSEd in Secondary Education and a specific concentration will either apply to Mason and declare the program (if an external to Mason applicant) or file a change of major form (if a current Mason student). Prior to initial enrollment, students must meet with their academic advisor and the Associate Director of Pre-Education Advising and Outreach.
Policies
Students in the BSEd in Secondary Education must maintain at least a 2.50 cumulative GPA and earn a C or better in their program core and concentration coursework.
Prior to applying for internships, students in all concentrations must successfully complete:
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Emergency First Aid, CPR and AED certification or training
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Praxis subject area test (specific test required for English or History/Social Science or Biology/Chemistry/Earth Science/Physics or Math or Computer Science licensure)
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Content area coursework (completed and approved Content Area Review form)
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Other applicable statutory requirements (subject to change)
Licensure testing and statutory requirements are determined by the Commonwealth of Virginia and may change at any time. If changes to these requirements occur, students must meet the current testing, statutory, and licensure requirements as set forth in the legal Code of Virginia.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
Mason Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Requirements: | ||
| Written Communication | 3 | |
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| Information Technology and Computing | 3 | |
| Exploration Requirements: | ||
| Arts | 3 | |
| Global Contexts | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Natural Science | 7 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Introduction to Education: Teaching, Learning and Schools (Mason Core) (or GGS 103 for Concentration in Secondary Education - History and Social Science) | ||
| Global History | 3 | |
| Just Societies | ||
| Integration Requirement: | ||
| Written Communication | 3 | |
| Advanced Composition (Mason Core) | ||
| Writing Intensive (fulfilled by major requirements) | ||
| Synthesis/Capstone (fulfilled by major requirements) | ||
| Total Credits | 37 | |
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDRD 419 | Literacy Across the Disciplines | 3 |
| SEED 407 | Assessing Learning and Teaching in the Secondary Classroom | 3 |
| SEED 408 | Creating Advocacy with Adolescent Learners | 3 |
| SEED 409 | Perspectives on Extraordinary Teaching | 3 |
| SEED 422 | Foundations of Secondary Education | 3 |
| SEED 440 | Human Development, Learning, and Teaching | 3 |
| SEED 477 | Studying Teacher Impact on Student Learning | 3 |
| SEED 478 | Implementing Teacher Impact on Student Learning | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Concentration in Secondary Education - Biology (SECB)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 473 | Teaching Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 483 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Science in Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 494 | Internship: Secondary Education Science (Mason Core) | 9 |
| BIOL 102 | Introductory Biology I-Survey of Biodiversity and Ecology (Mason Core) 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 103 | Introductory Biology II-Survey of Cell and Molecular Biology (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 105 | Introductory Biology II Laboratory (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| BIOL 106 | Introductory Biology I Laboratory (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| BIOL 430 | Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology I 2 | 4 |
| or BIOL 124 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | |
| BIOL 431 | Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology II 2 | 4 |
| or BIOL 125 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | |
| BIOL 213 | Cell Structure and Function 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 214 | Biostatistics for Biology Majors | 4 |
| BIOL 300 | BioDiversity | 4 |
| BIOL 308 | Foundations of Ecology and Evolution (Mason Core) | 5 |
| BIOL 311 | General Genetics | 4 |
| Biology Electives | 7 | |
| 7 credits of BIOL-prefixed courses selected in consultation with advisor: courses below are recommended | ||
| Introductory Microbiology | ||
| Biology of Microorganisms | ||
| Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory | ||
| Total Credits | 60 | |
- 1
BIOL 102 BIOL 103, BIOL 105, BIOL 106 and BIOL 213 satisfy, in part, the Mason Core Natural Science requirement.
- 2
Concentration in Secondary Education - Chemistry (SECC)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 473 | Teaching Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 483 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Science in Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 494 | Internship: Secondary Education Science (Mason Core) | 9 |
| PHYS 243 | College Physics I (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| PHYS 244 | College Physics I Lab (Mason Core) 2 | 1 |
| MATH 113 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core) 1 | 4 |
| MATH 114 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | 4 |
| CHEM 211 | General Chemistry I (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 212 | General Chemistry II (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 213 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core) 2 | 1 |
| CHEM 214 | General Chemistry Laboratory II (Mason Core) 2 | 1 |
| CHEM 313 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 315 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 2 |
| CHEM 321 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 331 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 332 | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 336 | Physical Chemistry Lab I (Mason Core) | 2 |
| CHEM 441 | Properties and Bonding of Inorganic Compounds | 3 |
| Select 4 credits of CHEM-prefixed courses | 4 | |
CHEM 463 General Biochemistry I (recommended) | ||
| Total Credits | 59 | |
- 1
MATH 113 satisfies the Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
- 2
CHEM 211, CHEM 212, CHEM 213, CHEM 214, PHYS 243 and PHYS 244 satisfy, in part, the Mason Core Natural Science requirement.
Concentration in Secondary Education - Computer Science (SECO)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 466 | Teaching Computer Science in Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 476 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Computer Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 496 | Internship: Secondary Education Computer Science (Mason Core) | 9 |
| ENGH 101 | Composition (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| CS 112 | Introduction to Computer Programming (Mason Core) 2 | 4 |
| CS 211 | Object-Oriented Programming | 3 |
| CS 262 | Introduction to Low-Level Programming | 3 |
| CS 310 | Data Structures | 3 |
| CS 321 | Software Engineering (Mason Core) | 3 |
| CS 330 | Formal Methods and Models | 3 |
| CS 483 | Analysis of Algorithms | 3 |
| MATH 113 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core) 3 | 4 |
| MATH 114 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 125 | Discrete Mathematics I (Mason Core) 3 | 3 |
| MATH 203 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| STAT 250 | Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) | 3 |
| or STAT 344 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists I | |
| Total Credits | 57 | |
- 1
ENGH 101 satisfies the Mason Core Written Communication (lower-level) requirement.
- 2
CS 112 satisfies the Mason Core Information Technology and Computing requirement.
- 3
MATH 113 and MATH 125 satisfy the Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
Concentration in Secondary Education - Earth Sciences (SECS)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 473 | Teaching Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 483 | Advanced Methods of Teaching Science in Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 494 | Internship: Secondary Education Science (Mason Core) | 9 |
| ASTR 111 | The Solar System (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| ASTR 112 | The Solar System Lab (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| GEOL 102 | Historical Geology (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| GEOL 103 | Physical Geology Lab (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| GEOL 104 | Historical Geology Laboratory (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| GEOL 120 | The Changing Ocean (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| GEOL 121 | The Changing Ocean Laboratory (Mason Core) 1 | 1 |
| CLIM 111 | Introduction to the Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| CLIM 112 | Introduction to the Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science Lab (Mason Core) 2 | 1 |
| Earth Science Electives | 13 | |
| Select 13 credits from the following: | ||
| Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe (Mason Core) | ||
| Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe Lab (Mason Core) | ||
| Environmental Geology (Mason Core) | ||
| Invertebrate Paleontology | ||
| Hydrogeology | ||
| Resource Geology | ||
| Planetary Geology | ||
| Paleoclimatology | ||
| Vertebrate Paleontology (Mason Core) | ||
| Coastal Morphology and Processes | ||
| Dynamic Geosphere and Ecosphere | ||
| Global Environmental Hazards | ||
| Physical Climatology | ||
| Severe and Extreme Weather | ||
or CLIM 314 | Severe and Extreme Weather | |
| Biogeography | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | |
- 1
ASTR 111, ASTR 112, GEOL 101, GEOL 102, GEOL 103, GEOL 104, GEOL 120, and GEOL 121 satisfy, in part, the Mason Core Natural Science requirement.
- 2
GGS 309 Introduction to Weather and Climate (3 credits) may be substituted for CLIM 111 and CLIM 112.
Concentration in Secondary Education - English (SECE)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 469 | Teaching English in Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 479 | Advanced Methods of Teaching English in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 492 | Internship: Secondary Education English (Mason Core) | 9 |
| ENGH 101 | Composition (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| ENGH 302 | Advanced Composition (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| COMM 100 | Public Speaking (Mason Core) 3 | 3 |
| or COMM 101 | Fundamentals of Communication (Mason Core) | |
| or INTS 202 | Public Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills (Mason Core) | |
| ENGH 308 | Theory and Inquiry | 3 |
| LING 306 | Introduction to Linguistic Analysis (Mason Core) 4 | 3 |
| LING 322 | English Grammar and Pedagogy | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Literature of the Middle Ages | ||
| English Poetry and Prose of the 16th Century | ||
| Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
| Studies in Shakespeare | ||
| English Renaissance Drama | ||
| English Poetry and Prose of the 17th Century | ||
| Augustan Age: 1660-1745 | ||
| Age of Sensibility: 1745-1800 | ||
| British Novel of the 18th Century | ||
| British Poetry of the Romantic Period | ||
| Prose and Poetry of the Victorian Period | ||
| British Novel of the 19th Century | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Early American Literature | ||
| Literature of the American Renaissance | ||
| Post-Civil War American Literature, 1865-1920 | ||
| Development of the American Novel to 1914 | ||
| Beginnings of African American Literature Through 1865 | ||
| African American Literature: Reconstruction to 1903 | ||
| African American Literature Through 1946 | ||
| Contemporary African American Literature | ||
| Topics in Ethnic American Literature | ||
| Contemporary Fiction | ||
| Contemporary Poetry | ||
| Select one course from the following or a special topics course selected with advisor approval: | 3 | |
| Continental Fiction, 1770-1880 | ||
| Continental Fiction, 1880-1950 | ||
| Global Voices (Mason Core) | ||
| The Idea of a World Literature (Mason Core) | ||
| World Literatures in English | ||
| English Electives | 9 | |
| Young Adult Literature in Multicultural Settings (Mason Core) 5 | ||
Select 6 credits of ENGH-prefixed courses | ||
| Total Credits | 51 | |
- 1
ENGH 101 satisfies the Mason Core Written Communication (lower-level) requirement.
- 2
ENGH 302 satisfies the Mason Core Written Communication (upper-level) requirement.
- 3
COMM 100, COMM 101 and INTS 202 satisfy the Mason Core Oral Communication requirement.
- 4
LING 306 satisfies the Mason Core Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement.
- 5
SEED 370 satisfies the Mason Core Literature requirement.
Concentration in Secondary Education - History and Social Science (SECH)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SEED 367 | Teaching History and Social Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 467 | Advanced Methods of Teaching History and Social Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEED 495 | Internship: Secondary Education History and Social Science | 9 |
| ECON 103 | Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| ECON 104 | Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| GGS 101 | Major World Regions (Mason Core) 2 | 3 |
| GGS 102 | Physical Geography (Mason Core) 3 | 3 |
| GGS 103 | Human Geography (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| GOVT 103 | Introduction to American Government (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Select 15 credits of GOVT-prefixed courses | 15 | |
| HIST 121 | Formation of the American Republic (Mason Core) | 3 |
| or HIST 122 | Development of Modern America (Mason Core) | |
| HIST 125 | Introduction to Global History (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| History of the Old South | ||
| The South since 1865 | ||
| The Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
| History of Virginia to 1800 | ||
| Colonial America | ||
| Select 9 credits of HIST-prefixed courses | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 66 | |
- 1
ECON 103, ECON 104 and GGS 103 satisfy the Mason Core Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement.
- 2
GGS 101 satisfies the Mason Core Global Understanding requirement.
- 3
GGS 102 satisfies, in part, the Mason Core Natural Sciences requirement.
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose 2-23 credits from the university catalog to satisfy the degree/program requirement of 120 credits | 2-23 | |