Secondary Education Certification Programs

The Secondary English program prepares you for grade 7-12 English certification in the state of Connecticut. The Secondary English program is a nationally recognized program through the National Council of Teachers of English.

Courses explore topics including:

• Supporting teaching-learning connections
• Illuminating issues relating to student diversity
• In-depth exploration of English literature and content

Secondary English certification prerequisites

Candidates for the Secondary English program must demonstrate that they meet the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) standards. Applicants must have either a major in English or show that they have at least 30 credits of English coursework demonstrating both depth and breadth in their coursework. All students must have completed at least 9 credits in American and British literature, a 3 credit grammar or linguistics course, at least 3 credits in a genre study (such as short story or poetry), 3 credits in composition/communications, 6 credits in world literature, minority literature, and/or women’s literature, a 3 credit Shakespeare course, and a 3 credit advanced seminar or author study.

Course requirements:

1. Nine credits in foundations: Special Education and Educational Psychology
2. Three credits in English methods
3. Three credits in Reading and Writing in the Content areas
4. Three credits in Adolescent Literature
5. Seven credits in English-specific areas, including teaching English Language Learners, grammar, writing, film, and literacy technology applications.
6. Six credits in field experiences
7. Appropriate electives as needed to reach 33 credits for the master’s degree
8. Final degree option (PRAXIS II or credit-bearing project)
9. Resident Teaching (six credits not counting towards the master’s degree)

The Secondary History and Social Studies program offers experiences that prepare individuals to become successful teachers in the fields of History and Social Studies. Courses provide the range of understandings that support teaching-learning connections, that illuminate issues relating to student diversity, that provide for meaningful exploration of content.

Certification for the State of Connecticut to teach Secondary grades 7-12 History/Social Studies is offered as part of a Master’s degree. All of the education requirements for courses are built into the Master’s study. The student teacher requirement is completed subsequent to the degree.

Secondary history/social studies certification prerequisites

• History major and 18 additional credits in other Social Sciences, OR
• Social Science major (i.e. Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Sociology) and 18 additional credits in History, OR
• Interdisciplinary major (anything other than History or Social Science) with at least 18 credits in History (including U.S., Western or Europe and Non-Western) and at least 21 credits in other Social Sciences (including a minimum of one course each in Political Science, Economics, Geography, and Anthropology or Sociology or Psychology)

Fieldwork and resident teaching

Each student must complete fieldwork and Resident Teaching experiences. Fieldwork occurs concurrent with enrollment in coursework and may take one of two forms: either a district-paid internship or a self-paid field experience in local schools. Both experiences award six semester hours of credit. Interns work at a school in a district selected by the Director of the Intern Program. Interns spend an entire school year following the schedule of the selected school district. Tuition for University of Bridgeport course work is fully paid resulting in a tuition free degree/certification experience in academically related course work. Alternatively, each traditional student may choose to complete fieldwork in a school of the student’s choice as an observer, assistant to a teacher, or assistant in other instructional related activity. As a culminating project, students (both intern and traditional) produce portfolios centering on the program objectives.

The Resident Teaching experience is a full 60 days of teaching in a school under the direction of a trained Cooperating Teacher. The arrangement for the placements are made through the School of Education and are also supervised by University staff.

Course requirements

1. Nine credits in foundations: Special Education and Educational Psychology
2. Three credits in History/Social Studies methods
3. Three credits in Reading and Writing in the Content areas
4. One credit in statutory state requirements
5. Six credits in field experience
6. Appropriate electives as needed to reach 33 credits for the Master’s Degree
7. Final degree option (PRAXIS II or credit-bearing project)
8. Resident Teaching (six credits not counting towards the Master’s Degree)

The program in Mathematics Education offers courses and classroom experiences to prepare future secondary teachers to successfully teach mathematics to a wide variety of students. The graduates leave the university equipped with the most current and appropriate knowledge, skills and dispositions for students to learn mathematics at the middle and secondary school level. The Secondary Mathematics Education program is unique in its concentration on the mastery of content knowledge. Students take classes that concentrate on selected topics in abstract algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, vectors, calculus, discrete math and linear algebra. This theoretical course work in classical mathematics enables teacher candidates to teach secondary students from a content-enriched perspective.

Secondary mathematics certification prerequisites

• Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from an accredited institution, OR
• 30 undergraduate credits in Mathematics

Fieldwork and resident teaching

Each student must complete fieldwork and Resident Teaching experiences. Fieldwork occurs concurrent with enrollment in coursework and may take one of two forms: either a district-paid internship or a self-paid field experience in local schools. Both experiences award six semester hours of credit. Interns work at a school in a district selected by the Director of the Intern Program. Interns spend an entire school year following the schedule of the selected school district. Tuition for University of Bridgeport course work is fully paid resulting in a tuition free degree/certification experience in academically related course work. Alternatively, each traditional student may choose to complete fieldwork in a school of the student’s choice as an observer, assistant to a teacher, or assistant in other instructional related activity. As a culminating project, students (both intern and traditional) produce portfolios centering on the program objectives.

The Resident Teaching experience is a full 60 days of teaching in a school under the direction of a trained Cooperating Teacher. The arrangement for the placements are made through the School of Education and are also supervised by University staff.

Course requirements

1. Nine credit hours in foundations: Special Education, and Human Growth, and Development
2. Four Content Courses: Analysis for Teachers I, II; Numerical Analysis; Mathematical Modeling
3. One credit in statutory state requirements
4. Six credits in field experience
5. A total of 33 credits for the Master’s Degree
6. Final degree option (Praxis II or credit bearing project)
7. Resident Teaching (six credit hours not counted toward the Master’s Degree)

The science program is designed for those desiring to become competent secondary school science teachers. The general goal of this program is to enable prospective science teachers to understand theories and best science practices for successful instruction and assessment of secondary school students. Certification for the State of Connecticut to teach secondary grades 7-12 in Science.

Essentially, the Secondary Science will enable students to review their science content knowledge as well as “This Thing Called Science” (The Nature of Science) and to enable them to obtain the knowledge, skills, and methods for teaching science. That is, the program will focus on the type of instructional strategies and mastering of process skills (pedagogy), that foster the development of science concepts (content), and the growth of positive attitudes (dispositions) in the science domain.

The program will also explore the purposes, organization, and guidance of science experiences that will enable students to see excitement in scientific inquiry as well as intellectual, social, and even philosophical values of science. Furthermore, the program will emphasize knowledge of growth and development, diversity of cultures, safety in the science teaching/learning milieu, and use of science to foster citizenship skills and healthy relationships in the communities. Finally, the methods of evaluating progress in science learning and science programs will also be closely examined.

Science certification prerequisites

For Secondary Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, or Physics Certification:

• Science subject area major awarded in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, or Physics by regionally accredited undergraduate institution, OR
• 30 undergraduate credits in the desired subject plus 9 in a related field

For Secondary General Science Certification:

• 39 undergraduate credits in science including Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics

Fieldwork and resident teaching

Each student must complete fieldwork and Resident Teaching experiences. Fieldwork occurs concurrent with enrollment in coursework and may take one of two forms: either a district-paid internship or a self-paid field experience in local schools. Both experiences award six semester hours of credit. Interns work at a school in a district selected by the Director of the Intern Program. Interns spend an entire school year following the schedule of the selected school district. Tuition for University of Bridgeport course work is fully paid resulting in a tuition free degree/certification experience in academically related course work. Alternatively, each traditional student may choose to complete fieldwork in a school of the student’s choice as an observer, assistant to a teacher, or assistant in other instructional related activity. As a culminating project, students (both intern and traditional) produce portfolios centering on the program objectives.

The Resident Teaching experience is a full 60 days of teaching in a school under the direction of a trained Cooperating Teacher. The arrangement for the placements are made through the School of Education and are also supervised by University staff.

Program requirements

1. Nine credits in foundations: Special Education and Educational Psychology
2. Three credits in Science methods
3. Three credits in Reading and Writing in the Content areas
4. One credit in statutory state requirements
5. Six credits in field experience
6. Appropriate electives to reach 33 credits for the Master’s Degree
7. Final degree option (PRAXIS II or credit-bearing project)
8. Resident Teaching (six credits not counting towards the Master’s Degree)