BA/MAT Five-Year Program in Secondary Education

The secondary education concentration prepares you to teach a specific discipline. You earn a bachelor's degree to gain in-depth knowledge in that discipline and a master's degree in secondary education to develop strong teaching skills. The School of Education requires students to select a major for their bachelor's degree from among the following: biology, English, history, mathematics, political science, sociology or Spanish.

After completing your senior year, you receive a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science in your chosen major. Your graduate work begins the summer semester immediately following graduation.

The format and course requirements include a mix of course work and hands-on experience in a local high school.

Clinical Experiences

Field Study
First, you do 80 hours of field study to observe teachers in classrooms. You learn by watching veteran teachers lead a class, respond to individual needs, adapt to cultural differences and problem solve. Candidates are required to complete a field study course in each semester of their junior and senior year. As part of the course requirements, each candidate must complete a minimum of 20 hours per semester in her/his assigned classroom, under the guidance of the classroom teacher who serves as the field study adviser. Candidates are assigned to one school during their junior year and a different school during their senior year.

Internship
Next, you complete a full-time internship with some teaching responsibilities, while continuing to learn by observing experienced educators. Quinnipiac University has developed collaborative partnerships with school districts throughout central and southern Connecticut to provide graduate candidates with guided, hands-on professional practice and to defray some costs of the program. Candidates in the internship receive a tuition reduction during the internship semesters. (An optional second internship is available during the final two semesters, resulting in significant additional tuition reduction.)

Interns serve in area schools in a variety of capacities and as substitute teachers with guidance from an on-site adviser and from a Quinnipiac faculty member. Each intern has the opportunity to participate in staff meetings and take part in all school operations, becoming a valued member of the school faculty. In the late afternoon and early evening, candidates continue their formal studies on the Quinnipiac campus.

Student Teaching
The final field experience is 10 weeks of student teaching. You're responsible for your own classroom. You will demonstrate the teaching skills and methods you've learned and design and teach your own lessons. The School of Education places students in local elementary schools to complete the internship and student teaching. A teacher at the school site and a faculty adviser from the School of Education will guide you through these experiences.

Curriculum + Requirements

The elementary education program is designed to prepare teacher candidates with in-depth content knowledge across the elementary school curriculum and exemplary skills in teaching and classroom management. Students interested in elementary education may major in any discipline or have a transdisciplinary major.

These courses meet Quinnipiac's core curriculum requirements for the bachelor's degree and the Connecticut Department of Education's general education requirements. A grade of C or better is required in these courses.

General Requirements

  • English 101
  • English 102
  • English at 200 level or higher*
  • History 131 or History 132
  • Math 110 (or higher)**
  • World Language--Level 101***
  • World Language--Level 102***
  • Psychology 101
  • Psychology 236
  • Social Sciences - 3 credits
  • Fine Arts--6 credits
  • Science--7-8 credits
  • Physical Education--1 credit

*English majors must take EN 325
**Required even if student tests out of MA 110 and places in a higher math course
***Or test out

Professional Component
Central to students studies are undergraduate service-based courses (ED 310, ED 311, ED 412, ED 413) in which candidates gain 80 hours of hands-on experience, and the full-year graduate internship/student teaching experience in partner schools.

  • ED 310 Field Study I (SL) (3 credits)
  • ED 311 Field Study II (SL) (3 credits)
  • ED 325 Diversity in the Classroom (3 credits)
  • ED 408 Classroom Environment (3 credits)
  • ED 412 Field Study III (SL) (2 credits)
  • ED 413 Field Study IV (SL) (2 credits)
  • ED 421 Social & Philosophical Foundations of Education (3 credits)
  • ED 482 Special Education (3 credits)
  • ED 50_ Methods II (3 credits)
  • ED 509 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum (3 credits)
  • ED 514 Internship and Seminar I (1 credit)
  • ED 515 Internship and Seminar II (3 credits)
  • ED 524 Methods I (3 credits)
  • ED 550 Issues & Research in Education (3 credits)
  • ED 588 Teaching in the Middle Grades (2 credits)
  • ED 601 Student Teaching & Seminar (6 credits)
  • ED 693 Research I (1 credit)
  • ED 694 Research II (2 credits)
  • Plus 3 graduate content discipline courses