Secondary Education (B.A.)
Curriculum
General Timeline for Secondary Education (traditional)
When you apply to URI, indicate that you are interested in being an Education major on your Common Application.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
- Meet with an advisor in University College for Academic Success (UCAS)
- Complete General Education course requirements
- Take prerequisite education courses (EDC 102, EDC 250, EDC 312)
- Take double major courses and meet with an advisor from that department
- Fulfill admission GPA and basic competency requirements
Junior Year
- You will have two 45-hour school placements (e.g., practicum) each semester in your junior year. The fall placement will be in a middle school and the spring placement will be in a high school. Your school placement work is closely linked to your education course work in your junior year and is an opportunity to gain teaching experience with the mentorship of a clinical educator.
- In the spring semester, you should begin to prepare for your teacher certification test(s). URI requires you to take a certification test for the state in which you plan to teach and submit your score to your faculty advisor and the Office of Clinical Practice and Partnerships. See your faculty advisor and visit the Curriculum Materials Library for guidance related to certification tests.
Teacher candidates will need to complete all state requirements for licensure, including licensure testing, prior to certification in any state.
Senior Year
- In your senior year, you will work in the same school placement for the entire academic year in what is called a residency. In the fall, you will work in a school with the mentorship of a clinical educator and support from a URI supervisor. You will take education courses that are closely aligned to your school placement. In the spring, you will complete a residency full-time (12 credits) and take one evening course called the residency seminar (3 cr.).
Secondary Education Content Areas/Majors
To earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education, you must complete a content area (30 credits) in one of the selected fields commonly taught in secondary schools—English, history/social studies, mathematics, and the sciences. Depending on the certification content area you choose, you will complete one of the following majors:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- History
- English
- Mathematics
- Physics
- General Science
Upon completion of all B.A. secondary education degree requirements, you will have completed an approved Rhode Island Educator Preparation Program that meets the following criteria:
- Major or equivalent in the content area
- Completion of a year-long residency in this area and a minimum of 60 hours field experience prior to student teaching
- Demonstration of meeting content and pedagogical competencies as prescribed by appropriate RIDE-approved national professional association
- Demonstration of deep understanding of applicable student standards and proficiency in designing and implementing standards-based instruction and assessment