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Our Leading Teacher Secondary Education (7-12) programs prepare you for Grade 7-12 classrooms in Pennsylvania and many other states. In our programs, we combine professional education with an academic content area in English, Mathematics, Physics or Social Studies. If you are interested in pursuing certification in Science, you can earn an undergraduate in Biology, Chemistry or Physics and then apply to the master's Secondary Science Education program as graduate student working towards a science teaching certification.
Expand Your Horizons
Gain diverse classroom and field experience
Our Secondary Education (7-12) program consists of a minimum of 126 credits. While enrolled in this program, you build the academic content required for certification in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The majority of courses in our University/General Education Core and in the Foundations of the Leading Teacher Program are typically completed in the early semesters and courses specific to your content area taken prior to student teaching. Student teaching will be the culminating capstone experience of the Leading Teacher Program, where you will apply the knowledge, learning principles and teaching techniques in a full-time setting.
Student teaching — here or abroad
You also have the opportunity to experience a part of your student teaching abroad. As a partner university, Duquesne University students have the opportunity to be placed by IU Global Gateway in an overseas student teaching experience in one of 18 countries. Participating countries include, but are not limited to, Australia, Costa Rica, England, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Tanzania.
Get a jump start on your graduate studies
Along with gaining experience in the classroom, starting in your Junior year, qualified students may begin graduate coursework through our 5-Year Early Start Graduate Pograms.
Learning Together
Learn from experienced faculty, in a highly accredited program
The Secondary and K-12 Education programs are guided by Pennsylvania's state standards and by standards of national professional organizations. The Secondary Education faculty work with you to address professional standards in respective content areas through coursework and projects and implementation of the standards in your fieldwork.
In addition to the School of Education's national recognition by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), as a point of distinction, content areas are nationally accredited by their respective Specialized Professional Association (SPA).
- The English content area is accredited by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
- The Mathematics content area is accredited by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
- The Social Studies content area is accredited by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).