Secondary Education Major Course Requirements

Liberal Arts Curriculum and General Education (PDE) Requirements

Writing-1 3 credits: WRI 100 College Writing
Writing-2 3 credits: satisfied in major with SPE 241 The Exceptional Child

Mathematics 6 credits

Social Science 6 credits in separate disciplines (SOC 100 and PSY 100 required for social studies concentration)

Ethics 3 credits

Arts 6 credits

Humanities 6 credits in separate disciplines: American or British Lit (3 credits) required

Natural Science (one must be lab-based) 7 or 8 credits

Global Studies 3 credits

First-Year Experience (Traditional Four-Year Students Only) 4 credits

First-Year Seminar (3 credits)
College Life (0.5 credit)
Exploring your Future (0.5 credit)

Note: Some courses may satisfy content-area requirements. Spanish Certification Students will also need to take ENG 303 Linguistics and Development (3 credits)

Total credits for LAC /PDE requirements: 44 credits

Education Program Course Requirements 40 credits total

EDU 100 Foundations of American Education 3 credits
EDU 102 Educational Psychology 3 credits
EDU 151 Field Experience I 1 credit
EDU 214 Reading in the Content Area 3 credits
EDU 215 Field Experience III: Secondary Education 1 credit
EDU 350 Field Experience IV: Secondary 1 credit (co-requisite EDU 346/7/8/9)
EDU 359 Teaching the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student 3 credits
SPE 220 Evidence-Based Approaches 3 credits
SPE 241 The Exceptional Child: Special Education Process 3 credits
SPE 245 Field Experience II 1 credit (co-requisite SPE 241)
SPE 344 Adaptations, Modifications, and Assistive Technology 3 credits or SPE 250 Subject Area Content Access 3 credits

One of the following based on Secondary Content Area
EDU 346 Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Experiences for Secondary Science
and Mathematics 3 credits or
EDU 347 Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Experiences for Secondary Social Studies 3 credits or
EDU 348 Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Experiences for Secondary English 3 credits    or       
EDU 349 Curriculum, Assessment and Learning Experiences for K-12 World Language 3 credits

Student Teaching:
EDU 373 Student Teaching: Secondary Education 9 credits
EDU 374 Professional Education Seminar 3 credits

Please note:

• A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation. Secondary certification students may need additional elective courses to reach this requirement.
• Students may not be enrolled in any other courses during their student teaching semester.
• Students must complete the above courses with a Cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• To officially declare the Secondary Education major, students must successfully complete 48 credits, and meet Basic Skills Testing requirements when applicable. As of the time of this document (April 2023) basic skills testing requirements have been waived for all students who formally declare the education major through July 8, 2025. Please note that testing requirements are subject to change by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) at any time.  
• A grade of C- or higher must be earned in all education courses. The minimum grade for content-area coursework may vary based on departmental policy. Students should check with their content-area advisors for specific requirements.

Students who are not proficient in oral/written communication in the English language as determined by classroom performance and the evaluation of cooperating mentor teachers in Field Experiences may be required to take additional courses to meet basic competencies in English communication.

Secondary Education Content Area Required Courses

Biology Concentration

BIO 123 Foundations of Biology 4 credits
BIO 124 Principles of Cell and Molecular Biology 4 credits
BIO 231 Genetics 4 credits
BIO 239 Animal Ecology, Development, and Evolution 4 credits
BIO 309 Conservation Biology and GIS
BIO 117 Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credits*
BIO 118 Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credits*
BIO 358 Science, Ethics, and Society 3 credits**
CHE 111 Chemical Principles 4 credits
CHE 112 Chemical Equilibrium and Analysis 4 credits
CHE 205 Organic Chemistry I 4 credits
PHY 104 College Physics I
MAT 141 Calculus I 3 credits or
MAT 110 Probability and Statistics 3 credits

Total Credits: 50

* When offered, students can substitute Comparative Animal Physiology with lab for BIO 117/118 with labs. Students majoring in BIO or IBO can apply 5 credits toward the upper-level elective requirement by completing BIO 117/118 with labs.
** BIO 350 (Junior Colloquium) is a prerequisite for BIO 358. If a student’s major does not require BIO 358, they must get permission of the instructor to take BIO 358 without completing BIO 350.

Chemistry Concentration

CHE 111 Chemical Principles 4 credits
CHE 112 Chemical Equilibrium and Analysis 4 credits
CHE 205 Organic Chemistry I 4 credits
CHE 206 Organic Chemistry II 4 credits
CHE 307 Biochemistry 3 credits
CHE 320 Environmental Chemistry 3 credits
CHE 331 Inorganic Chemistry 3 credits
CHE 335 Physical Chemistry 3 credits
MAT 141 Calculus I 3 credits
MAT 142 Calculus II 3 credits
PHY 104 College Physics I 3 credits

Total Credits: 37

English Concentration

ENG 101 Survey of British Literature I 3 credits or
ENG 102 Survey of British Literature II 3 credits
ENG 105 Survey of World Literature 3 credits or
ENG 245 Topics in World Literature 3 credits
ENG 120 Survey of American Literature 3 creditsENG 200 Literary Analysis 3 credits
ENG 203 Literary Research Methods 3 credits
ENG 303 Linguistics and the Development of the English Language 3 credits
ENG 306 Chaucer 3 credits or ENG 311 Shakespeare 3 credits
ENG 352 English Seminar 3 credits
ENG 3_ English Literature 3 credits
ENG 3_ English Literature 3 credits

One of the following: 3 credits

ENG 233 Creative Writing: Fiction or
ENG 234 Creative Writing: Poetry or
ENG 235 Topics in Nonfiction Writing

One of the following: 3 credits

COM 140 Introduction to Film or
COM 240 History of Cinema or
COM 244 Topics in Film or
ENG 180 Women Go to the Movies or
HIS 220 Film and History

Total Credits: 36

Spanish Concentration

ENG 303 Linguistics and Development 3 credits
SPA 203 Spanish in the Workplace 3 credits
SPA 301 Spanish Grammar and Composition 3 credits
SPA 302 Spanish Conversation 3 credits
SPA 303 or 304 Survey of Spanish Literature and Culture 3 credits
SPA 305 Survey of Latin American Literature and Culture 3 credits
SPA 311 Hispanic Culture and Civilization 3 credits or
SPA 312 Hispanic Popular Culture in the United States 3 credits
SPA 315 Topics and Hispanic Literature and Culture 3 credits
200 or 300-level SPA literature and culture elective 3 credits
200 or 300-level SPA literature and culture elective 3 credits

Total Credits: 30

The Spanish language concentration may be completed with a combination of Cedar Crest Spanish courses and courses offered by the College’s affiliated providers, the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) and Acadeum. Incoming students must speak proficient Spanish at the level to enter 300-level coursework. Studnets’ Spanish proficiency will be assessed prior to entering the program.

Prior to student teaching, Spanish certification candidates must be formally evaluated in oral proficiency before their student teaching semester.  Students must achieve a minimum level of Advanced Low on this evaluation.  

Mathematics Concentration

MAT 140 Pre-Calculus (or MAT elective 200-level or higher) 3 credits
MAT 141 Calculus I 3 credits
MAT 142 Calculus II 3 credits
MAT 210 Mathematical Probability and Statistics 3 credits
MAT 211 Calculus III 3 credits
MAT 212 Vector Calculus 3 credits
MAT 224 Discrete Mathematics 3 credits
MAT 311 Linear Algebra 3 credits
MAT 316 Modern Algebra 3 credits
MAT 324 Modern Geometry 3 credits

Total Credits: 30

Social Studies Concentration

HIS 107  European Civilization: Ideas and Experiences I 3 credits
HIS 108  European Civilization: Ideas and Experiences II 3 credits
HIS 121  Survey of US History I 3 credits
HIS 122  Survey of US History II 3 credits
HIS 224 America as a World Power 3 credits
PSC 110 American Politics 3 credits
PSC 120 Introduction to International Relations 3 credits
PSC 206 Presidents & Parliaments: Topics in Comparative Politics 3 credits
GST 100 or SOC 222 The Globalizing World OR Global Social Justice 3 credits
ECO 222 Economic Geography 3 credits

Total Credits: 30

As an alternative to the 30-credit Social Studies Concentration, students may choose to satisfy the Social Studies Concentration within the Secondary Education major with a History or Political Science major. However, students who choose this route are strongly encouraged to complete additional courses to ensure adequate coverage of PDE competencies as assessed via the Praxis exam. In particular, history majors are strongly encouraged to take as electives in the major those classes that are required for the Social Studies concentration (PSC 110, HIS 224, PSC 120, PSC 206). In addition, students should supplement their History major with GST 100 or SOC 222, and ECO 222. Political Science majors should consider concentrating in American Politics or Global Politics. Students are strongly encouraged to supplement their Political Science major with HIS 107 and HIS 108.