2023-2024 Academic Catalog

Secondary Education and School Leadership

Dr. Angel Dowden
Department Head
(757) 823-2926

The Department of Secondary Education and School Leadership offers multi-dimensional Urban Education degree programs and teacher education to assist in-service and pre-service school practitioners interested in acquiring state-endorsements and enhancing their professional development.

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Teacher Licensure Endorsement in Secondary Education

  1. Candidates must successfully complete 30 credit hours (GPA 2.75 or greater) before applying to teacher education.
  2. Candidates are required to enroll in an undergraduate degree in the field in which they plan to teach:
    • Art/Fine Arts
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • English
    • Health and Physical Education
    • History and Social Science
    • Mathematics
    • Music/Instrumental
    • Music/Vocal
    • Physics
  3. During the summer after freshman year or the first semester of their sophomore year, candidates interested in teaching need to submit an application for Admissions to Teacher Education to the Teacher Education Admissions Committee (Teacher Education Admissions). The criteria for admissions are as follows:
    1. Passing Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) 

      Please note , Elementary and Special Education candidates are required to pass the Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) in addition to the VCLA.
    2. Candidates must:
    3. Candidates who have not met this requirement are not eligible to take SED 300-level Methods Courses.
  4. Prior to student teaching, candidates must pass the Praxis II Content Area exam that pertains to the field in which the canidate plans to teach. Candidates must submit an application for student teaching as well.
    1. They must also complete the following certifications:
      • CPR
      • First Aid
      • AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)
      • Child Abuse Awareness Certificate
      • Dyslexia Awareness Training
    2.  Candidates who have not met this requirement are not eligible to take SED 499 Directed Teaching (internship) in the Teacher Education Program.

***  Milestones to Completing a Teacher Education Program

EDU 201Foundations of Education3
SED 384Curriculum & Instruction in Math3
SED 386Curriculum & Instruction in Fine Arts3
SED 387Curriculum & Instruction in English3
SED 390Curriculum/Instruc in Social Studies3
SED 405Reading in the Content Area3
SED 420Educational Technology3
EDU 486Human Growth and Development3
SED 499Directed Teaching (internship)12
Total Credits36

Throughout the program, candidates must also complete the Methods of Teaching (Curriculum and Instructional Procedures) in their content area and other licensure courses.

List of Notes for Secondary Education and School Leadership

Note A

A student needs to take the two following courses:

BIO 100Biological Science3
SCI 101Physical Science for Non-Science Majors3

Note B

A student needs to take one laboratory course. The laboratory course must be in the same area as one of the science lecture courses taken:

BIO 100LBiological Science Lab1

Note C

A student with 600 on the quantitative section of SAT I or a score of 3 or higher on the advanced placement test in mathematics need not take MTH 131 Pre-Calculus for Business Majors. Instead, the student will take MTH 132 Calculus for Business Majors and then proceed to take either MTH 300 Linear Algebra or a course in natural science or a course from the Global/ Cultural and Language Electives listed in Note D.

Note D

Humanities (3 credit hours)

A student will choose one (1) course from the list below.

ENG 207Introduction to World Literature3
ENG 383African American Literature3
GEO 141World Regional Geography3
GEO 336Political Geography3
GEO 337Geography of Africa3
HIS 336African American History Since 18653
HIS 361Readings in Latin American History3
HIS 365Caribbean History3
HIS 370Early African History/Cultures to 16003
HIS 371African History/Cultures 1600-PRESENT3
HIS 446Colonial Latin American3
HIS 448Slavery in the Atlantic Basin3
HUM 210Humanities3
HUM 211Humanities3
MUS 301Music Appreciation3
POS 315African American Politics3
POS 323Comparative Government3
POS 360International Relations,International RelationsInternational Relations3
POS 463Politics of African Nations3
POS 468Survey Contemporary Governments of Asia3
PSY 340Psychology of the African American3
SOC 101Introduction to the Social Sciences3
SOC 237Racial & Ethnic Minorities3
SPN 111
& SPN 112		Elementary Spanish I
and Elementary Spanish II		6


Note E

Cultural Perspectives (6 credit hours)

A student will choose one (1) course from the list below.

ENG 383African American Literature3
MUS 234African American Music3

A student will choose one (1) course from the list below:

HIS 335African American History3
HIS 336African American History Since 18653
HIS 370Early African History/Cultures to 16003
HIS 371African History/Cultures 1600-PRESENT3
JRN 299Multiculturalism and Mass Media3
SOC 237Racial & Ethnic Minorities3

Note F

Candidates must pass the VCLA and be admitted to Teacher Education prior to enrolling in SED 300-level courses and SED 499 Directed Teaching (internship):  https://www.nsu.edu/assests/websites/cpd/teacher-education/ milestones-to-completing-a-teacher-education-program.pdf.

Teacher Licensure Endorsement is offered by the School of Education. The various curricula prepare graduates to continue their education in graduate or professional schools, or to obtain entry-level positions in industry, government, or education.

A student must be admitted to teacher education. See other requirements under admission to teacher education listed above.