Meet Your Major
At Merrimack College, as an education major concentrating in high school education (8-12), you’ll gain the expertise, skills, and confidence to teach high school students.
Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, our programs provide you with the training required to earn your state teaching license in high school education. Bonus? Through hands-on learning opportunities, you’ll develop your education philosophy, create a portfolio, and hone your classroom management skills.
In the high school education program, you will:
- Deepen your understanding of how students develop and learn.
- Gain practical skills that will help you prepare students for a successful high school career.
- Build your subject matter expertise by choosing from a wide variety of electives across departments.
Hands-On Learning
100% of education majors participate in at least one practicum. You’ll gain invaluable classroom experience during your pre-practicum and practicum student-teaching. It’s your chance to take what you’ve learned at Merrimack and apply it at one of the many schools in the area.
Career Options
Upon successful completion of the education program, you’ll be well equipped to pursue a career in education. Positions may include:
- English, Math, Social Studies or Science Teacher
- Guidance Counselor
- Reading, Math or Science Tutor
- School Administrator
What You’ll Take
All education majors concentrating in high school education take teacher education courses to satisfy requirements. Of the 124 credits required for your degree, you must complete 44 credits of teacher education courses in addition to a semester of student teaching.
All students in the middle school/high school Teacher Education Program must also have a content-area as a second major, and choose the particular licensure area and the grade level in which they ultimately want to teach. This will become your concentration.
- Math (5-8, 8-12)
- Biology (8-12)
- Chemistry (8-12)
- English (5-12)
- History (5-12)
- Physics (8-12)
You must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA in your required courses prior to entering your student-teaching semester. To graduate with a degree in High School Education and teach in Massachusetts, you must also pass the MTELs.
Courses in the Winston School of Education and Social Policy are scheduled to account for instructional time that is commensurate with credits earned.
Required Courses (complete all)
| EDU 2110 | Foundations and Principles of Education |
| HDE 2230 | Applied Adolescent Psychology |
| EDU 2410 | The Exceptional Learner |
| EDU 2500 | Pre-Practicum I |
| EDU 2510 | Pre-Practicum II |
| EDU 2520 | Pre-Practicum III |
| EDU 3210 | Psychology of Learning & Assessment |
| EDU 3420 | Instructional Method and Technology for Middle and Secondary Education |
| EDU 3480 | Organization and Curriculum for the Secondary School |
| EDU 4040 | Reading in the Content Areas |
| EDU 4060-4140 | Special Methods for the Secondary School |
| EDU 4220 | Differentiation and Inclusion |
| EDU 4221 | Strategies for Group Management |
| EDU 4582 | Sheltered English Instruction |
| EDU 4902 | Practicum – High School Education (and Seminar) |
| EDU 4920 | Seminar: Practicum Organization |
| EDU 4921 | Seminar: Practicum Implementation |
