3.0 GPA

Minimum 3.0 GPA required.

Hybrid Classes

Mostly in person with some online/hybrid options.

No GRE

No GRE required.

Three Semesters

3 Semesters for certificate,
1 additional semester for M.Ed.

29 Credit Hours

9 additional credits for M.Ed.

Cost of Attendance

$347/per credit hour. $10,063 Total
+ $3,123 for the M.Ed.

Why This Program Is For You

The Graduate Certificate in Secondary Teaching provides qualified teacher candidates support, supervision, and evaluation. Students will be able to demonstrate the competencies required by the the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) for secondary teacher licensure in one of 17 content areas approved by USBE. Individuals already holding an earned Bachelor’s degree in one of these content  areas may earn a teaching license through the Graduate Certificate in Secondary Teaching program.  Teachers who complete the Secondary Graduate Certificate program can continue toward their Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Teaching emphasis, by taking an additional 9 required credit hours.

Testimonials

  • Portrait of Zoe TrainorThe UVU secondary teaching program has helped me accomplish a pretty big goal in my life of getting a master’s degree. And that’s something I didn’t know that I was going to be able to do, and it just outlined it step by step so that I could just learn what it was like to practice this and to apply what I was learning in my own studies into my teaching.”
    Zoë Trainor
  • Portrait of Sharon MardesichMy favorite part of the program is the professors. Their encouragement, their understanding of my weaknesses and my fears and they were just always so positive and encouraging and working with me, understanding the situations I was in week to week, maybe with my job or with my family. They really work well with me personally and with the other students in my cohort."
    Sharon Mardesich

Admission Requirements and Prerequisites

Applicants to the program must have completed coursework including required education methods courses in one of the teaching major subject areas for secondary education approved by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) prior to admission.

Candidates may apply credits from the Graduate Certificate to a Master of Education in Secondary Teaching.

To be considered for admission into the UVU Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education Program with the option of continuing on to receive a Master of Education in Secondary Teaching, individuals must successfully complete all admission criteria.

  1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
  2. Minimum 3.0 grade point average in undergraduate work.
  3. Complete all application criteria.
  4. Interview with School of Education Graduate Committee.
  5. Complete degree in one of the 17 areas.
  6. To student teach - you must have an education methods course in one of the 17 areas.

Continuance To M.ED.

All emphasis credits earned in the Secondary Teaching Graduate Certificate program can be applied to a M.Ed. emphasis in Secondary Teaching. Teachers who complete the Secondary Graduate Certificate program can continue toward their Master of Education degree in Secondary Teaching by taking an additional 12 required credit hours.

About the Curriculum

The Secondary Teaching Emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. offers a comprehensive curriculum to advance their knowledge and experiences in teaching and learning in secondary classrooms. This emphasis enhances innovative instructional strategies, effective use of assessments for learning, and responsive curriculum design after students obtain a graduate certificate for secondary teaching.  

For Graduate Certificate for Secondary Teaching, students are expected to take 21 credits of pedagogy courses and complete 8 credits of student teaching/practicum and teacher performance assessment to qualify for teaching licensure through the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). While some courses are 100% online, the majority of courses are open either in person or hybrid in the evenings at 5-8pm with an exception of practicum hours that must be completed during the daytime in secondary classrooms.   Upon completion of a USBE secondary teaching certificate for three semesters starting summer, students take 9 credits of 6000 level research-oriented courses towards a master’s degree. The three courses are open in the second summer, so students typically take the courses during the daytime (8am-4pm). The curriculum aligns with the AAQEP accreditation learning standards and the Utah Effective Teaching Standards.

About the Master's Project as a Capstone

Near the end of the program, students complete a Capstone Project to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they've gained in the program and illustrate how prepared they are to lead their professional learning communities and to become a teacher leader/mentor.   


Students have three options for their master’s project:

  1. A learning segment designed to advance teaching and learning
  2. A professional development addressing/intervening an educational issue
  3. A typical action research in education.

For more information contact Graduate Studies Academic Advisor:

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