Secondary Education (BA/BS)
Junior High/High School with Content Area
Combine your chosen major with teacher certification preparation and become a teacher at the secondary level.
- Offered Face-to-Face in Commerce.
- 4 years
- 120 credit hours
- No foreign language credits required
Take courses that prepare you to teach by deepening both your subject knowledge and your understanding of how students learn. Hands-on fieldwork and classroom experiences give you the chance to apply what you've learned, practice your teaching skills, and gain confidence working with students in real school settings.
Students interested in teaching high school will earn a BA/BS in Secondary Education with either an emphasis or double major in their chosen subject area.
What Will I Learn?
You will have the opportunity gain experience and insight into effective teaching practices in the following areas:
Content Expertise
Become a content expert through extensive coursework in the subject area you want to teach.
Establishing Safe and Productive Learning Environments
With hands-on experience in actual classrooms, develop practices to build positive learning environments for all students.
Instructional Design and Delivery
Plan and deliver developmentally appropriate lessons that synthesize knowledge of standards and needs of students to create engaging and supportive learning experiences.
See Yourself Succeed with a Degree in Secondary Education
Prepare for Certification
Upon completion of the program and passing all TExES exams, you will be certified to teach in your content area and grade band in Texas. Learn more about certification here (link to cert page).
Impactful Career
Teachers are frequently in demand, especially those certified for secondary education. Inspire students, foster critical thinking, and promote lifelong literacy and communication skills.
Classroom Experience
Kickstart your journey by observing and engage in dynamic classroom environments early in the program. As you advance, step into the action with hands-on teaching experiences, guided by mentorship from educators who are passionate about shaping the next generation.
Teach Your Passion
Each path combines coursework in your chosen discipline with hands-on classroom experience, preparing you to lead with confidence and connect your passion to real student learning.
Explore life at every level—from molecules to ecosystems—while building the tools to teach science with clarity and confidence. This emphasis combines in-depth biological study with strategies for engaging students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
Delve into the structure, properties, and reactions of matter while preparing to make chemistry accessible and engaging for students. This emphasis blends rigorous scientific coursework with practical teaching methods to support learning through experimentation and critical analysis.
Study literature, language, and writing while developing the skills to guide students in critical reading, thoughtful discussion, and clear expression. This emphasis equips future educators to inspire a love of language and storytelling in varied classroom settings.
Examine topics such as nutrition, child development, family dynamics, and personal finance through a practical, real-world lens. This emphasis prepares educators to help students build essential life skills that promote well-being at home and in their communities.
Investigate the events, ideas, and movements that have shaped societies across time. This emphasis develops both historical knowledge and the teaching strategies needed to help students think critically about the past and its relevance to today's world.
Combine core concepts from mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering to prepare for teaching in interdisciplinary STEM fields. This emphasis focuses on fostering analytical skills, problem-solving, and hands-on learning to engage students in understanding and applying scientific and mathematical principles.
Examine the fundamental principles that govern motion, energy, and matter while developing strategies to make complex concepts approachable for students. This emphasis blends analytical thinking with hands-on experimentation to support effective science teaching in the classroom.
Integrate history, government, economics, geography, and culture to help students understand the complexities of society and their role within it. This emphasis prepares educators to encourage informed citizenship and critical thinking through interdisciplinary, discussion-based learning.
Expert Faculty
Julie Mills, Ph.D.
Alum Faculty
Elizabeth Joslin
Alum Faculty
Clay Stanfield, M.A.T., M.S.
Alum Staff
Student Organizations
Our campus has many ways to engage and get involved. At East Texas A&M, student organizations strive to foster supportive communities that promote professional development, networking, and support for student success, such as Delta Kappa Gamma and the Texas Educators Affiliate (TAFE). Discover how our collaborative and innovative student organizations can help you reach your goals.
Program Costs
Tuition and fees for undergraduate students taking 12 credit hours are $4,212 for Texas residents and $9,108 for non-residents.
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Contact Us
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- 903.886.5537
- [email protected]
- Sowers Education South
- P.O. Box 3011
- Commerce, TX 75429-3011