2024-2025

Secondary Education - Certification, Master of Education

Department of Teaching and Learning

College of Education

This plan is not accepting students.

We designed this academic plan to prepare you to be a teacher in grades 7-12. Coursework includes both education and content courses to prepare you to student-teach and complete this plan.

This plan meets the Arizona requirements for grades 7-12 teacher certification and provides you with an institutional recommendation that you can use to obtain grades 7-12 teacher certification in Arizona or other states. Please note that states may have other certification requirements such as the AEPA exam in Arizona; you should investigate the teacher-certification requirements for the state where you intend to teach.

This program is nationally recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children. 
 

  • To receive a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject areas, consisting of at least 30 units of graduate-level courses. Many master’s degree programs require more than 30 units.

    You must additionally complete:

    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s). This may include a thesis.
    • All graduate work with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
    • All work toward the master's degree must be completed within six consecutive years. The six years begins with the semester and year of admission to the program.

    Read the full policy here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Candidates in this program are required to demonstrate content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and skills, professional knowledge, and professional dispositions to be eligible to enter student teaching or internship placements.

Content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge or skills, and professional dispositions are demonstrated through candidate performance on key assessments embedded in the following course(s):

Minimum Units for Completion 43
Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Arizona Endorsement

Prepares student for Arizona Endorsement.
Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching is required.
Progression Plan Link View Program of Study

Graduate Admission Information

  • The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

    Admission requirements include the following:

    • Transcripts.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.


    Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

    Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

    International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

    • Grade point average below 3.0 - provisional admittance with allowance to achieve 3.0 in graduate-level coursework within first nine units
    • ENG 105 or equivalent or 6 units of English or compostion coursework with minimum GPA of 3.0 or submission of a writing sample to be reviewed by the Teacher Education Admissions Committee
    • Grade of "C" or better in a mathematics course or equivalent course that met the Bachelor's degree graduating mathematics requirement
    • Three or more units in teaching content area coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.5 (additional content specific courses will be determined by the content area advisor)
    • Recommendation Form (included in application packet) completed by someone who has directly observed your work with children or adolescents within the ages of pre-school through high school. Such work experience can be either voluntary or paid, but must have occurred in a structured setting for a minimum of 15 hours. Examples of acceptable experiences may include work as a camp counselor, swimming instructor, Sunday-school teacher, volunteer in a classroom, or other similar settings.
    • A copy of your State-approved Identity-Verified Print (IVP) fingerprint clearance card, obtainable through the Arizona Department of Public Safety (602-223-2279).
    • Be admitted to NAU Graduate College
Master's Requirements

  • This Master’s degree requires 37 - 43 units distributed as follows:

    • Foundation Courses: 6 units
    • Core Education Courses: 13 units
    • Subject Content Area: 6 - 12 units
    • Student Teaching: 12 units


    Take the following 37 - 43 units:

  • Subject Content Area (6 - 12 units)

    • Select coursework in your content area, with your content advisor’s approval; in some content areas, you may be required to take additional coursework in the content area in consultation with your academic advisor (6 - 12 units)

  • Student Teaching (12 units)

    • ECI 595, which is a 16-week, full-day student teaching experience (12 units)

  • This plan leads to a terminal degree; you cannot apply the coursework for this plan to a doctoral degree.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.