Nov 06, 2024  
2020-2021 University Bulletin 
    
2020-2021 University Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Secondary Education Licensure


Dominican offers Illinois State Board of Education approved teacher preparation programs that lead to a Professional Educator License with secondary endorsements in the following areas: biology, chemistry, English, history, and mathematics.

Teacher preparation for secondary licensure requires course work in four specific areas.

1. General Education Competencies

The foundation requirements and core curriculum requirements of the university meet this requirement. All of these requirements must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.

2. Content Studies

A major in one of the academic disciplines named above.

3. Pedagogical and Professional Studies

A series of professional education courses that focus on the development of pedagogical and professional knowledge to prepare candidates to teach in secondary schools.

4. Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Dominican requires early field experiences equivalent to 100 clock hours. These experiences must be completed in a variety of school settings providing the candidate with an exposure to different grade levels and teaching styles, as well as to students of diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds and students with exceptionalities. At the end of their program of study, candidates participate in a semester-long clinical practice experience.

Professional Education Requirements:

Dominican requires early field experiences equivalent to 100 clock hours. These experiences must be completed in a variety of school settings, providing the candidate with an exposure to different grade levels, teaching styles, and subject areas, as well as to students of diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds and students with exceptionalities.

Additional Requirements:


  • All professional education requirements must be fulfilled prior to clinical practice. The grading scale for all courses is A-F. EDUC 496 - Clinical Practice: Middle and Secondary  is graded on a satisfactory/fail scale.
  • Courses for secondary licensure must be completed in a pre-specified sequence that is determined by the candidate’s major. Candidates should meet with their education advisor and their major advisor early in their college careers to plan their course of study.

Major Requirements and Endorsements


The State of Illinois requires a major in a given field to teach a content area at the secondary level. In some content areas, specific coursework and/or assessments are required. See the list below for the specific requirements for each content area. Endorsements/approvals are required to teach additional subjects. Information regarding adding endorsements or approvals to a candidate’s certificate may be obtained from his or her education advisor or from the licensure officer.

  • Biology - Complete the biology major as described in the biology section of this bulletin
  • Chemistry - Complete the chemistry major as described in the chemistry section of this bulletin plus one additional course in biology
  • English - Complete the English education requirements as described in the English section of this bulletin
  • History - Complete the history major as described in the history section of this bulletin plus complete ECON 101 POSC 170 , POSC 140  or POSC 150 SOC 110 , and either GEOG 250 , GEOG 320 , or POSC 160 .
  • Mathematics - Complete the math major as described in the mathematics section of this bulletin plus MATH 330 . Candidates are also encouraged to take MATH 312 .