Secondary Education, Certificate
Combine your content-area major with professional training in effective secondary teaching practices. This certificate lets you develop deep subject knowledge and classroom teaching skills in a single, focused pathway.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation and professional licensure
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
Secondary Education undergraduate certificate description
The secondary education certificate program prepares you to teach students enrolled in grades 6-12. While you develop a strong content background through your major coursework, the secondary education certificate program focuses on gaining the requisite knowledge and abilities for successfully teaching middle or high school students. To integrate teacher preparation with the academic specialization, Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation collaborates and communicates with academic departments throughout the university. A series of internships followed by a semester-long, full-time student teaching experience are required components of this program.
If you complete this program, you are issued an institutional recommendation for a secondary certification in Arizona. If you desire to teach in a public school, you must also pass the Arizona Educator Professional Knowledge exam (either the National Evaluation Series or the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments) to be certified to teach in the state of Arizona.
The secondary education undergraduate certificate is also available if you've earned a bachelor's degree; this is considered a nondegree graduate pathway.
Format option
This program is also offered via ASU Sync. Through ASU Sync, you attend live classes remotely via Zoom. Classes are designed to foster active collaboration and discussion in real time with faculty and peers. As an ASU Sync student, you must reside in Arizona throughout the duration of the program. If you have F-1 or J-1 immigration status, you should speak with an advisor about other options to complete this program. Students with F-1 or J-1 immigration status are not permitted to complete courses via Sync.
If you're seeking to use GI Bill® benefits for ASU Sync programs, you should contact the Pat Tillman Veterans Center regarding certain limitations.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Why earn a secondary education undergraduate certificate at ASU?
At MLFC, you'll find programs designed to help you specialize in the areas that matter most to you, your learners and your community. With flexible pathways at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, you'll build the expertise to support diverse learners, strengthen inclusive practices and lead with purpose in classrooms and beyond.
Additional details
You'll take part in all the traditions and tap into the full range of resources available across ASU, while also connecting with the more intimate MLFC community, people who share your passions and professional interests.
Courses
This undergraduate certificate includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The certificate requires 32 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the certificate, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
|
This certificate requires 32 credit hours. |
||
| Required Courses | ||
|
SPE 222 Orientation to Education of Exceptional Children
(CIVI)
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
TEL 310 Instructional Design and Planning: Instructional Thought and Action
4 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 4 |
|
TEL 317 Instructional Thought and Action: Learning Environment and Management
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
TEL 318 Instructional Thought and Action: Assessment for Learning
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
TEL 332 Disciplinary Literacy Methods
4 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 4 |
|
TEL 488 Student Teaching
12 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 12 |
|
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
Students will meet with an academic advisor to determine the best methods course for their subject area. |
||
|
Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this certificate.
|
||
|
BLE 220 Foundations of Structured English Immersion (three credit hours) is strongly encouraged for students seeking full certification from the Arizona Department of Education. This course meets the Structured English Immersion (SEI) requirement. |
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Execute an instructional cycle using research-based pedagogical practices and theories appropriate for a range of learners
- Create learning experiences that address the content disciplines to engage learners in accessible, relevant, and meaningful content to ensure critical thinking and mastery of the content.
- Create and maintain inclusive, equitable learning environments that support individual and collaborative learning experiences, utilize high leverage practices, and foster critical thinking, active engagement,and well-being for all learners
- Use multiple methods of assessment and sources of data to evaluate various aspects of learners
- Apply strategies for teaming to meet students’ needs
- Evaluate and recommend appropriate strategies to promote habits of mind
- Build and implement a professional growth plan using evidence and reflective practices
- Advocate for students, families, and communities with an understanding of the historical, social, local, or global context
- Self-reflect and assess personal contributions for shaping and supporting the mission of a school/organization's culture
- Apply expectations of the profession
- Analyze key ethical issues present in a prominent social or cultural problem in education, including the ways different ethical perspectives influence decision making related to the issue
- Analyze and acknowledge the local/cultural context, personal histories, and experiences relevant to problem(s) of practice
- Engage in cycles of inquiry in collaborative educational systems to imagine new concepts, catalyze ideas, and form new solutions, guided by principles and research that create positive change for learners
- Evaluate competing perspectives on a problem of practice within an educational context and present a reasoned analysis of the issue informed by major theories and evidence-based practices
- Implement an applied project, synthesize the findings and defend the significance and implications of the study as relevant to local, social and/or global contexts
Execute an instructional cycle using research-based pedagogical practices and theories appropriate for a range of learnersEnrollment requirements
Students interested in pursuing the secondary education certificate should be enrolled as a degree-seeking undergraduate student. Students who are enrolled in a secondary education degree program are not eligible to add the secondary education certificate. Undergraduate certificates are not awarded before the completion of an undergraduate degree. This program is also available to students who have already completed a bachelor's degree and want to be certified to teach. Students interested in this option apply to ASU as a nondegree-seeking graduate student.
Students interested in this program should either major in or have a degree from one of the following content knowledge areas:
- biology
- business
- chemistry
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- earth and space science
- economics
- English
- French
- general science
- geography
- German
- history
- mathematics
- physics
- political science
- Spanish
- theatre
Students demonstrate their knowledge by having a minimum of 24 credit hours in coursework for the major, or by having a passing score on the appropriate teacher certification exam (NES or AEPA) and enrollment in an eligible major where a minimum of 24 credit hours of subject area knowledge will be accrued.
Students are required to have a valid Arizona DPS Identity Verified Print fingerprint clearance card.
A GPA of 2.00 is required for progression to the final semester of student teaching. Students should contact the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation for more information.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this secondary education undergraduate certificate prepares you for
The secondary education certificate prepares students for the high-demand, secure field of education.
Graduates who have combined the certificate in secondary education with their major program of study may become more marketable to employers. They often pursue employment as middle school teachers, high school teachers or educators at community-serving organizations.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Division for Advancing Educator Preparation
|
ED 118
educationadvising@asu.edu
480-965-5555
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
