Program overview
About the programFor more than a century, Concordia University, Nebraska has been a leader in the field of teacher education. The graduate secondary education certification program continues in that tradition, providing an alternative certification route for non-education majors to enter the teaching profession at the secondary level.
Who is the program for?
This online post-baccalaureate certification program is available to those who already have a bachelor's or master's degree in an area offered by Concordia and certifiable by the Nebraska Department of Education (view endorsements), and who meet program entrance requirements. The program is approved by the Nebraska Department of Education and meets all regulations for Nebraska secondary certificate endorsements.
The secondary certification program has been designed for working adults who already have a bachelor's or master's degree in a endorsable area and are seeking to change careers, those who may be in the education field but are not certified, and recent college graduates who would like to continue their education in the teaching profession.
Students in the program earn graduate credits that can be applied toward a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. See below for more information about earning a master's.
How is the program organized?
The program is cohort-based and offered online and in face-to-face settings in an advanced, accelerated format. A commitment of twenty-four months is expected to work through the program requirements and student teaching.
The academic course work will be completed in approximately 18 months. Each course is five weeks long, and the program is sequential. Due to the format of this program, students will not have a choice in the order in which they complete the required courses. Each cohort will have a schedule of classes that all students follow (see cohort schedule example). Each course must be completed on time with a grade of B or higher in order to move on with the cohort.
The program consists of ten required courses (30 credits) and student teaching. NOTE: Transfer credits may NOT be used to satisfy these requirements. Required courses include:
- EDUC 502 Foundations and Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
- EDUC 503 Educational Psychology (3 credits)
- EDUC 504 Principles of Middle School Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDUC 505 Principles of High School Pedagogy (3 credits)
- EDUC 506 Integrating Technology into the Classroom (3 credits)
- EDUC 507 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum (3 credits)
- EDUC 508 Multiculturalism, Exceptionality and Human Relations in a Pluralistic Society (3 credits)
- EDUC 510 Educational Assessments: Tests and Measures (3 credits)
- EDUC 511 Introduction to Special Learner Populations and the Law
- EDUC 512 Professional Ethics and the Law (3 credits)
- Content methods (2 undergraduate credits)
- Student teaching (10 undergraduate credits)
Groups of students in the program
A group of 15-20 students is accepted into the program each spring and fall. These groups are called cohorts. The application deadline for fall is August 31, and for spring March 1. Each cohort works together through the ten courses.
Your academic workload
You can expect to spend 20-25 hours per week on the course work. Students in certification programs are also required to complete pre-service teaching requirements, and to develop and maintain a teaching portfolio. Both requirements have been built into the curriculum.
Students who successfully complete the course work must also complete an entire semester of student teaching during which time they cannot continue in a full-time job.
To complete a master's degree
Upon completion of the certification program, participants may continue and complete a master's degree in curriculum and instruction by taking an additional nine graduate credits with an EDUC prefix for a total of 39 graduate credits. The master's program must be completed within five years of the initial start of the certification program.
Option 1
- Research methods
- Thesis completion/or project
- An additional three-credit graduate elective EDUC-prefixed course
Option 2
- Three EDUC-prefixed graduate elective courses
See also: Learn about the admission requirements and endorsement areas.
