Secondary Education BA and Minor Program Specifics

Student teachers in class

What to Expect

The BA in secondary education is designed for those who plan to teach at the high school level and concentrate in one of the following areas: English, general science (which includes biology, chemistry, or physics), history, mathematics, or social studies.

More Details on Each Concentration

An Added Benefit

We also offer the option to add-on our middle level education credential. This provides our students with the added ability and option to teach in grades 5-8.

Understand Our Middle Level Credential

Concentrations

If you are interested in teaching secondary education English, Rhode Island College provides the highest level of teacher preparation and a wide variety of field experiences. Our faculty are dynamic educators and scholars who place emphasis on social justice and antiracist thought and action in the classroom and community. We emphasize empowering students, teachers and communities, and we cultivate teachers as writers and inquirers. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be eligible for full certification to teach English in grades 9-12 in Rhode Island. You will also be eligible to pursue endorsement in English as a second language or special education.

Job prospects are excellent for general science secondary education majors due to the shortage of science teachers. At Rhode Island College, our faculty have expertise in best practices that align with the Next Generation Science Standards. Along with a concentration in general science, you must select one of the following areas of expertise: biology, chemistry, physics or middle level education. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be eligible for full certification to teach general science in grades 7-12 in Rhode Island. You will also be eligible for a second certification in biology, chemistry, physics or middle level education and be able to pursue endorsement in English as a second language.

Other programs available are Certificate of Undergraduate Study (CUS) in Biology Education, Chemistry Education, General Science Education, or Physics Education, and/or Certification in Middle Level Education

Rhode Island College's secondary education history program has been awarded national recognition by the National Council for the Social Studies, and our graduates are recognized throughout the state for their excellent teacher preparation. In this program, you will learn from dynamic faculty who place inquiry at the center of learning. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be eligible for full certification to teach history in grades 9-12 in Rhode Island.

As the state’s premier higher education institution for training mathematics teachers, our graduates are in demand in Rhode Island and throughout the region and many have been awarded for excellence in teaching mathematics at the local, regional and national levels. Our dynamic faculty are both educators and scholars with expertise in integrating STEM, Common Core standards and other best practices into the classroom. In addition, your field experiences will prepare you to work with diverse student populations. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be eligible for full certification to teach mathematics in grades 9-12 in Rhode Island. You will also be eligible to pursue endorsement in English as a second language or special education.

Rhode Island College secondary education social studies program has been awarded national recognition by the National Council for the Social Studies, and our graduates are recognized throughout the state for their excellent teacher preparation. Along with selecting social studies as your concentration, you must select one of the following areas of expertise: anthropology/sociology, political science, geography or global studies. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be eligible for full certification to teach social studies in grades 9-12 in Rhode Island, with a concentration in one of the following areas of expertise: anthropology/sociology, political science, geography or global studies. 

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Interested in Teaching Secondary Education?

Rhode Island College is an exclusive member of the Common Application.

Program Details

Admission Requirements

Admission to any undergraduate teacher certification program requires: 

  • Rhode Island College admission 
  • Feinstein School of Education and Human Development Admission, as a current RIC student
  • completion of program-specific requirements (dependent upon your chosen program)

Minor in Educational Studies

Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. Minor areas at RIC complement and reinforce all major areas of study. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

Minor in Educational Studies 

Rhode Island College entrance

Contact

Department of Educational Studies

In the Department of Educational Studies, we teach you how children grow and develop and help you to use that knowledge to create learning environments and experiences that will benefit children for life.