Communication Arts: Secondary Education BA/BS

The Secondary Teacher Education program prepares teacher candidates for certification in grades 6-12. It requires 27 credits of Education coursework in professional foundations and studies and 13 credits during internship. Students apply for admission to the program after successfully completing nine credits of Education coursework in professional foundations. During the course of the studies, candidates may be asked to reapply to the program if their GPA falls below 3.0 in general coursework and 3.0 in their selected content area(s) of endorsement such as biology, chemistry, communication arts, earth science, English, math, natural sciences, physical education/health, psychology, or social studies. There are separate degree requirements for each major and minor endorsement area.

Secondary Teaching Certificates (6-12) are endorsed for subject areas according to Idaho Teacher Certification standards. All certificates require a minimum of 30 semester credits for a major endorsement area and 20 semester credits for a minor endorsement area, or a minimum of 45 semester credits for a single endorsement. The following LC State areas are approved for teaching field majors: Biology; Chemistry; Communication Arts with a Speech and Debate emphasis; Earth Science; English; Kinesiology-Physical Education K-12 and Health 6-12; Mathematics; Natural Sciences; Psychology; and Social Science with a History emphasis (see degree requirements for each major). For marketability purposes, students are encouraged to pursue endorsements and minors in a second teaching field; consult with an advisor for the proper procedure. Secondary Education majors must have a content area advisor and a Secondary Education advisor.

Graduates from other colleges or universities seeking secondary teacher certification must fulfill all Secondary Education professional coursework requirements in addition to meeting all academic major or minor teaching field requirements for subject area endorsement.

Students in the Secondary Education Certification program are expected to provide evidence through performance that they have met Idaho's requirements for certification and become dedicated and knowledgeable professionals, content specialists, competent educational designers, capable educational facilitators, insightful educational evaluators, reflective professionals, and culturally responsive professionals before being recommended for secondary teacher certification.

General Education Requirements

Written Communication
Select one of the following:6.00
WRITING AND RHETORIC I
and WRITING AND RHETORIC II
COLLEGE WRITING AND RESEARCH
Oral Communication
COMM-204PUBLIC SPEAKING3.00
Mathematical Ways of Knowing
Select one of the following:3.00-5.00
MATH IN MODERN SOCIETY
FINITE MATHEMATICS
COLLEGE ALGEBRA
COLLEGE ALGEBRA AND TRIGONOMETRY
STATISTICAL REASONING
CALCULUS I
STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE SCIENCES
MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS II
FINITE MATHEMATICS
MATH FOR TECHNOLOGY
STATISTICAL REASONING
Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing
Select one course from two categories:6.00-8.00
Literature
LITERATURE AND IDEAS
WORLD CLASSICS
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE
MYTHOLOGIES
Arts
INTRODUCTION TO ART
THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURE
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS
SURVEY OF MUSIC
MUSIC IN AMERICA
WORLD MUSIC
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER
HISTORY OF JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC STYLES
SURVEY OF THE THEATER
Language
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II
Scientific Ways of Knowing
Select one course from two disciplines; one lab7.00-8.00
INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS
CONCEPTS OF BIOLOGY
PLANTS AND PEOPLE
BIOLOGY IN FILM
HUMAN BIOLOGY
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY
GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY
PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCE
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SYSTEMS
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
INTEGRATED SCIENCE II
INTEGRATED SCIENCE I
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL SCIENCES 1
NATURAL SCIENCE FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR
GENERAL PHYSICS I
GENERAL PHYSICS II
PHYS SCIENCES FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS
DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY
PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I
Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing
PSYC-205LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY3.00
Select one from the following:3.00
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
WORLD PREHISTORY
INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
WORLD HISTORY I
WORLD HISTORY II
UNITED STATES HISTORY I
UNITED STATES HISTORY II
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Diversity
Select one of the following:4.00
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
Integrative Seminar: Ethics & Values
Select one of the following:3.00
ID 300A - 300Z (see course descriptions for options)
HELLS CANYON INSTITUTE
Foreign/Heritage Language
Select 16 credits of language if selecting Bachelor of Arts Degree16.00
Total Credits38.00-43.00

Program Requirements

Secondary certification candidates must meet the graduation requirements for their major and the Secondary Teacher Education Program and must have two advisors. (see below)

Major Requirements
COMM-202INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION3.00
COMM-203SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION3.00
COMM-205LOGIC AND ARGUMENTATION3.00
COMM-291WORKSHOP IN COMMUNICATIONS3.00
COMM-301MEDIA RELATIONS3.00
COMM-304ADVANCED PUBLIC SPEAKING3.00
COMM-320PERSUASION3.00
COMM-380ETHICAL ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION3.00
COMM-384COMMUNICATION THEORY3.00
COMM-420RESTORATIVE COMMUNICATION3.00
COMM-498SENIOR RESEARCH PROJECT DESIGN3.00
COMM-499RESEARCH PROJECT AND SEMINAR IN COMMUNICATIONS3.00
Selectives
Select two courses from COMM or THEA Arts 16.00
Secondary Education Certificate
See Secondary Education Certificate Requirements below
Total Credits42.00
1

See Catalog section "Teacher Education Division: Secondary Teacher Certification" regarding certification requirements for this major. Selective course choices could be affected.

Secondary Education Certificate Requirements

Application for admission to the Teacher Education Program is required after successful completion of the first three Phase I courses.

Phase I - Professional Foundations of Education
ED-214PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION 13.00
ED-225TECHNOLOGIES FOR TEACHING, K-123.00
ED-318ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 13.00
ED-321EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 13.00
ED-345CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING3.00
SE-322INCLUSION STRATEGIES K-12 (may be taken in Phase I or Phase II)3.00
Phase II - Professional Studies in Education
ED-445INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, 6-123.00
ED-447TEACHING METHODS IN THE CONTENT AREA2.00
RE-309DISCIPLINARY LITERACY3.00
Phase III - Instructional Methods in Education
ED-452INTERNSHIP SEMINAR1.00
ED-460PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 6-1212.00
Total Credits39.00
1

Additional requirements must be met for teacher certification. See your Teacher Education Division advisor for details.

No grade lower than a “C-” will be accepted in any General Education core, Content Major, or 200-level Professional Foundations course. No grade lower than a “B-” will be accepted in any 300- or 400-level education courses in the Secondary Education Program.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for admission into the Secondary Teacher Education Program. Candidates must also maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in their content area classes.

Sequential Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
COMM-204 PUBLIC SPEAKING 3.00
COREScientific Ways of Knowing 3.00
ENGL-101 WRITING AND RHETORIC I 3.00
PSYC-205 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 3.00
SPAN-101
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
or NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
4.00
 Credits16.00
Spring
COMM-202 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 3.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
ENGL-102 WRITING AND RHETORIC II 3.00
 Credits12.00
Second Year
Fall
COMM-203 SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION 3.00
COMM-205 LOGIC AND ARGUMENTATION 3.00
COMM-291 WORKSHOP IN COMMUNICATIONS 3.00
COREMathematical Ways of Knowing 3.00-5.00
Program RequirementSelect COMM or THEA course 3.00
 Credits15.00-17.00
Spring
COREIntegrative Seminar: Ethics & Values 3.00
COREScientific Ways of Knowing 4.00
CORESocial & Behavioral Ways of Knowing 3.00
Program RequirementSelect COMM or THEA course 3.00
 Credits13.00
Third Year
Fall
COMM-320 PERSUASION 3.00
COMM-384 COMMUNICATION THEORY 3.00
COMM-420 RESTORATIVE COMMUNICATION 3.00
COMM-498 SENIOR RESEARCH PROJECT DESIGN 3.00
 Credits12.00
Spring
COMM-301 MEDIA RELATIONS 3.00
COMM-304 ADVANCED PUBLIC SPEAKING 3.00
COMM-380 ETHICAL ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION 3.00
COMM-499 RESEARCH PROJECT AND SEMINAR IN COMMUNICATIONS 3.00
 Credits12.00
 Total Credits80.00-82.00

Secondary Education Certificate Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ED-214 PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION 3.00
ED-225 TECHNOLOGIES FOR TEACHING, K-12 3.00
ED-318 ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 3.00
ED-321 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 3.00
ED-345 CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING 3.00
 Credits15.00
Spring
ED-445 INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, 6-12 3.00
ED-447 TEACHING METHODS IN THE CONTENT AREA 2.00
RE-309 DISCIPLINARY LITERACY 3.00
SE-322 INCLUSION STRATEGIES K-12 3.00
 Credits11.00
Second Year
Fall
ED-452 INTERNSHIP SEMINAR 1.00
ED-460 PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 6-12 12.00
 Credits13.00
 Total Credits39.00

Graduates with a BA/BA in Communication Arts: Secondary Education go on to obtain careers in a variety of fields:

  • Secondary Language Arts/English Teacher (6-12)
  • Adult and Continuing Education
  • Training Specialist
  • Business and Industry
  • Instructional Coach
  • Media