children sitting around teacher and looking at a globe

Secondary Education, Minor

Minor
At a Glance
Leads to Teaching License?
  • No
  • Credits can count towards teacher preparation program
Required Credits

15

Application Deadline

Rolling

Location

On-Campus

Avg. Class Size

17

At a Glance
Leads to Teaching License?
  • No
  • Credits can count towards teacher preparation program
Required Credits

15

Application Deadline

Rolling

Location

On-Campus

Avg. Class Size

17

Program Overview

The Secondary Education Minor provides an opportunity for non-education majors to enroll in a sequence of education courses that introduce the teaching profession. You will delve into crucial topics with courses in student development, issues in American public education, the importance of reading across the curriculum, and pedagogical foundations in teaching the core subjects in today's high schools.

88%
Americans who said a teacher had a significant, positive impact on their life
Learning Goals
  • Gain insights into adolescent development.
  • Develop an understanding of current issues and policies in American education, informing their approach to teaching.
  • Build a foundation in pedagogical skills and your chosen specialty area.
How to Apply

Students interested in the Minor in Secondary Education can apply at any time. In order to add the minor, you must:

  • Be enrolled in a certifiable content area major (i.e. Math, English, History, etc), and
  • Have a minimum 2.75 cumulative UMD GPA.
  • All courses within the minor must be passed with a grade of "C-" or better.

Students interested in declaring the Minor in Secondary Education should contact the Office of Student Services via email at educminors@umd.edu to schedule an advising appointment.

Eligible students are accepted to the minor on a rolling basis.

The minor may be declared prior to admission into one of our teacher certification programs; however, this minor does NOT satisfy ALL of the requirements for teacher certification.

Students wishing to become certified to teach are recommended to apply to one of our undergraduate double-major teacher certification programs or the five-year integrated Master's certification program.

“What I love the most about being an EdTerp is that it gave me the tools, knowledge, and practice to educate the next generation of leaders that will transform education worldwide.”

Maria L. Villacorta, ‘23

Program Requirements

The curriculum provides a foundation in adolescent development and creating a classroom community with diverse learners along with an introductory methods course in one of the core secondary areas: Art, English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and World Languages.

The minor consists of 15 credits, divided between required, foundation, elective, and methods courses. 

  • EDHD 413 Adolescent Development  (3 credits) (Students in the Terrapin Teacher program should take TLPL 414.)
  • TLPL 481 Embracing Diversity in the Classroom Community (3 credits)
     

Select one of the following:

  • TLPL 101 (3 credits) & TLPL 102 (3 credits) Inquiry Approach to Teaching STEM (Step 1) and Inquiry Teaching of STEM in Middle School (Step 2)
    (Students that select this option must take both TLPL 101 and TLPL 102. )
  • TLPL 286 Accelerated Introduction to STEM Teaching (3 credits)
  • TLPL 250 Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Education (3 credits)
  • TLPL 360 Foundations of Education (3 credits)
  • TLPL 415 Perspectives in Science (3 credits)

Select one of the following electives (*Other courses may be approved. Consult with your advisor.)

Cultural/Identity Studies

  • AASP 100 Introduction to African American Studies (3 credits)
  • AASP 202 Black Culture in the United States (3 credits)
  • AAST 201 Asian American History (3 credits)
  • AAST 222 Immigration and Ethnicity in America (3 credits)
  • HIST 106 American Jewish Experience (3 credits)
  • WGSS 200 Introduction to WGSS: Gender, Power, and Society (3 credits)
  • LGBT 200 Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies (3 credits)
  • LGBT 264 Quare/Queer Contentions: Exploration of Sexualities in the Black Community (3 credits)
  • LACS 234 Issues in Latin American and Caribbean Studies I (3 credits)
  • ANTH 264 Immigration Policy, Immigrant Lives (Special Interest Areas) (3 credits)

Special Interest Areas

  • TLPL 206 Forbidden Books: Censorship of Children's and Young Adult Literature (3 credits)
  • TLPL 287 Inquiry Into Issues in US Public Schooling: Policies, Practice and Promise (3 credits)
  • TLPL 443 Understanding Cross-Cultural Communication for Teaching English Language Learners (3 credits)
  • TLPL 453 Life in Two Languages: Understanding Bilingual Communities and Individuals (3 credits)
  • TLPL 457 Literature for Adolescents (3 credits)
  • EDHD 426 Cognitive and Motivational Literacy Content (3 credits)

 *Minimum 2.75 GPA required to enroll in this course

Select one of the following secondary education introductory methods* courses.

  • TLPL 401** Student-Centered Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
    (This option is for students in the Terrapin Teacher program.)
  • TLPL 413 Teaching and Learning Middle School Mathematics
  • TLPL 420 Knowledge, Reasoning, and Learning in Science
  • TLPL 433 Foundations of Art Education (3 credits)
  • TLPL 451 Teaching and Learning in Secondary Education: English (3 credits)
  • TLPL 445 Methods I: K-12 World Language Methods and Technology (3 credits)
  • TLPL 470 Knowledge, Reasoning, and Learning in Secondary Social Studies (3 credits)

*Minimum 2.75 GPA required to enroll in this course
**Prerequisites to TLPL 401: TLPL 101 and TLPL 102, |or| TLPL 286

A total of 15 credits is required. All courses presented for the minor must be passed with a grade of "C-" or better. A cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required
for enrollment in the secondary education introductory methods courses (TLPL401, TLPL445, TLPL420, TLPL451, TLPL470, TLPL413). No more than
six of the required credits (or two courses) may be taken at an institution other than the University of Maryland, College Park.

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Office of Student Services
educminors@umd.edu
301-405-2364