Coursework
- 16 units (42⅔ semester hours)
- Additional content area coursework may apply depending on undergraduate background (for more information see the licensure page)
MSEd in Secondary Teaching
About the Program
Northwestern’s MSEd Program takes a fundamentally different approach to teacher preparation. Our program emphasizes the development of a deep understanding of human learning—both how candidates themselves learn and how others learn. Together with your cohort and SESP’s world-class faculty, the program grounds future teachers in research-driven understandings of how people learn—cognitively, socially, culturally, and developmentally—before layering on instructional methods. Based on a field-based model from the start, candidates are encouraged to take paid, guided paraprofessional roles in the field in conjunction with their coursework.
Students will choose a specific subject area to focus on:
- English
- French (special PK-12 endorsement)
- Math
- Science
- Social Science
- Spanish (special PK-12 endorsement)
At a Glance
Timing
- Eighteen months of coursework spanning six academic quarters (fall, winter, and spring in consecutive years)
- The first year is part-time, allowing students to work
Clinical Experience
- The first year includes facilitated field experiences. In addition, students have the option to engage in paid field experiences through paraprofessional roles with local schools
- During the final year in our program, teacher candidates will complete a full year of clinical experiences in a local school under the guidance of mentor teachers
Licensure
- Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL)
- Middle grades (5-8) and high school (9-12) endorsements in chosen content area
- Pending the completion of coursework, students may choose to add ESL and/or Bilingual Education as an additional subsequent endorsement
MSED in Secondary Teaching Curriculum Overview
credits (42⅔ semester hours)
average class size
Our Guiding Commitments
Advance Equity and Social Justice
Recognize that teaching grounded in equity and social justice is essential in rigorous learning of subject matter in any setting.
Understand Learning and Human Development
Understand human development as a process of maturation within a network of areas: physical, psychological, emotional, cultural, social, and political.
Engage Within and Across Communities
Learn about the community in which a school resides to inform relational and instructional interactions with students and families.
Foster Subject Matter Sensemaking
Support the growth of children's skills, competencies, and disciplinary understandings as connected to rigorous and meaningful activities.
Our Students
Years of Post-Graduation Support
%
of graduates who pursued teaching found a job
Contact Us
847-467-1458