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Students seeking professional preparation in secondary education may complete a supplemental major in addition to an appropriate major offered by Aurora University. In the case of secondary education, the choice of the major is linked to subsequent licensure. For specific requirements, consult an advisor. 

The career of a high school teacher requires intellectual competence and dedication to service. For those willing and able to meet the rigorous standards for Professional Educator Licensure, the contribution of helping students grow and learn during their teen years result in lifelong rewards. 

Aurora University has designed its Professional Educator Licensure programs around the concept of achieving excellence in teaching and learning through collaboration in professional learning communities. To achieve the unit’s overarching goal of a collaborative community of learners, we have developed our programs around three main organizing concepts: the collaborative educator, the curriculum, and the community and society. These concepts, taken together, are the foundation of experiences designed to transform teacher candidates who will make a difference in the lives of grades 9–12 students. They will facilitate their influence to transform the lives of their students. Our program goals complement the mission of Aurora University: an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. 

A student seeking a Professional Educator Licensure with a grade-level endorsement of secondary level (grades 9–12) must satisfy state requirements both in the primary major, the supplemental major, and the General Education requirements. It is therefore essential that entering freshman work closely with an academic advisor to ensure all course requirements will be achieved. It is advisable for students to work toward fulfillment of Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requirements early in their academic careers. It is also essential teacher candidates apply to the School of Education as soon as the decision to teach is made. Candidates seeking licensure in one of the Aurora University ISBE-approved secondary subject areas must apply to the School of Education for acceptance no later than the end of the sophomore year, or upon admission to the university as a transfer student in the case of those who have completed the sophomore year. Aurora University is approved by ISBE to offer the following secondary teacher licensure programs: biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, and social science-history.  

Admission to the School of Education

Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to a major in the School of Education and Human Performance. Only students who have been accepted into the School of Education may take methods courses.

Admission Criteria

To be accepted into the School of Education, teacher candidates are required to have completed a Criminal Background Check (CBC); TB Test; Statement of Understanding for Initial Licensure Requirements; School of Education Application; and have established their ELIS (Educator Licensure Information System for Illinois).  

Please note that a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is a prerequisite to student teaching.

Program Requirements

Courses Required for State Licensure in Secondary Education

The required and selected courses in the “approved” major plus the following professional education courses must be satisfactorily completed for state licensure (total number of semester hours varies according to each program):

Education Courses for Biology, English, Mathematics, and Social Science-History Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-2100	Foundations of Teaching and Learning	4
EDU-2260	Learning Theories and Applications K-12	4
EDU-3720	Reading Across the Curriculum	4
EDU-3620	Teaching and Assessing Diverse Learners in the Secondary Classroom	4
SPED-2120	Characteristics and Identification of Disabilities and the Law	4
SPED-4620	Collaboration Models for Inclusion	4
EDU-4750	Student Teaching	13
EDU-4760	Student Teaching Seminar	2
Total Credits		39

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Additional Required Courses for Secondary Education Biology Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-3220	Secondary Methods in Science	4
PHY-2240 & 2240Z	Physics I (Calculus Based) and Physics I (Calculus Based) Laboratory	4
PHY-2250 & 2250Z	Physics II (Calculus Based) and Physics II (Calculus Based) Laboratory	4
NSM-1400	Earth and Space Science	4
Total Credits		16

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Additional Required Courses for Secondary Education Chemistry Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-3220	Secondary Methods in Science	4
NSM-1400	Earth and Space Science	4

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Additional Required Courses for Secondary Education English Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-3230	Secondary Methods in English	4
ENG-2260	Critical Approaches to Literature	4
ENG-2450	Grammar	4
ENG-3185	Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults	4
ENG-3550	Language, Literacy, and Cognition	4
COM-1560	Public Speaking	4
Total Credits		24

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Additional Required Courses for Secondary Education Social Science-History Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
ECN-2030	Principles of Economics	4
EDU-3250	Secondary Methods in Social Studies	4
HIS-3410	Global Environmental History	4
PSC-1300	Introduction to U.S. Government	4
SOC-1100	Introduction to Society	4
Total Credits		20

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Additional Required Courses for Secondary Education Mathematics Licensure Students¹

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-3240	Secondary Methods in Mathematics and Computer Science	4
Total Credits		4

¹

A 3.0 cumulative GPA is required one semester prior to student teaching (EDU-4750 Student Teaching & EDU-4760 Student Teaching Seminar).

Approved Professional Educator Licensure Grade-Level Endorsements

Aurora University offers ISBE- and CAEP-approved licensure programs in:

Early Childhood Special Education with ESL/Bilingual Birth-Grade 2

Elementary Education 1-6

Secondary Education 9–12 - Content Areas of:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• Mathematics
• Social Science-History

Special Education pre-K–age 21: Type 10 Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS I)

Physical Education K–12: Type 10

Students who wish to add an endorsement to their 9-12 PEL (Professional Educator License) are required to make an appointment to meet with their advisor in the Center for Student Success to:

• receive information about the specific courses required by the State of Illinois;
• receive information about endorsements offered by Aurora University; and
• receive information about requirements and prerequisites.

Approved Endorsement Areas

Aurora University offers ISBE- and CAEP-approved endorsement areas in:

• Bilingual/ESL (can be added to elementary and secondary)
• Computer Science (secondary)
• English (secondary)
• Health Education
• Mathematics (secondary)
• Physical Education (K-12)
• Social Science-History (secondary)
• Special Education (may require additional semesters to complete; can be added to elementary and secondary)

Supplemental Endorsement Course Guidance

Due to new legislation passed at the end of December 2019 to help relieve the teacher shortage in the state of Illinois, teacher candidates now have the opportunity to add subsequent endorsements to their initial teaching PEL-Professional Educator License with 18-20 hours of content coursework in the endorsement area and a passing score on the ILTS exam required for the endorsement.

Required for an endorsement in Elementary Education

plus the ILTS Content Test 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDU-2260	Learning Theories and Applications K-12	4
EDU-3330	Science Inquiry Methods	4
EDU-3360	Mathematics Methods	4
EDU-3365	Methods of Reading and Language Arts in Primary Grades	4
EDU-3380	Methods of Reading/Language Arts in Grades 3-6	4
Pass ILTS Elementary Education Content Test
Total Credits		20

Required for an endorsement in Early Childhood plus the ILTS Content Test

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
ECS-2100	Child Growth and Development and the Social and Emotional Characteristics of the Young Child -- Birth to Age 8	4
ECS-3200	Observation and Assessment of the Young Child	2
ECS-3300	Collaborating With Families, Professionals, and the Community	2
ECS-3410	Methods and Practices for Preschoolers	2
ECS-3420	Methods of Teaching Early Reading and Writing	4
ECS-3430	Methods of Teaching Early Mathematical Thinking	2
ECS-3440	Methods of Teaching Early Science, Social Studies, and the Arts	2
Pass ILTS Early Choldhood Content Test
Total Credits		18

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

A student who graduates from Aurora University with a baccalaureate degree will have met the following requirements:

1. Completion of all requirements for an approved major (with no grades lower than “C”).
2. Overall completion of at least 120 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a course may be utilized only once in application toward a degree requirement, unless otherwise noted in the academic regulations). The 120 semester hours of coursework must include:
   • At least 52 semester hours completed at a senior college.
   • Residency Requirement - At least 30 semester hours completed at Aurora University, including the last 24 semester hours in the degree, and including at least 18 semester hours in the major. (Portfolio assessment credit, life and vocational experience credit, off-campus experience credit, examination credit, participation credit, and block credit, shall not count toward the residency requirement).
   • Upper-Division Requirement - A minimum of 30 semester hours numbered 3000 or above. Of these 30 semester hours, 15 semester hours must lie within the major and 15 semester hours must be completed at Aurora University.
3. Completion of all General Education requirements (with no grades lower than “C”), as follows:
   • Quantitative and Formal Reasoning competency requirement
   • ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing
   • IDS-1200 Discover What Matters or IDS-3040 Global Justice
   • IDS-1150 First Year Experience - Not required for Transfer or AU Online students)
   • Satisfactory participation in the junior-year mentoring and assessment process designed to guide students to successful completion of their degree and to encourage planning for next steps beyond graduation. (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II - Not required for ADC or AU Online students but may be designated electives for AU Online students admitted with fewer than 15 hours of transfer credit.)
   • Distribution Requirements
     Students will complete one approved course¹ from each of the following categories:
     • Artistic Literacy
     • Cultural Literacy
     • Human Inquiry
     • Scientific Inquiry

In addition to the above, ADC and Online students will also complete one approved course¹ from the following category:

• Discovery and Reflection

¹

Only courses that are approved to meet the distribution requirement can be used toward this requirement. See the list of approved courses  for available options. Courses taken to meet distribution requirements are 4 semester hours apiece, with the following exceptions:

• An approved transfer course of at least 2.50 semester hours can be used to satisfy a distribution requirement.
• Courses with co-requisite laboratory components may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, provided that the student successfully complete both the three-credit-hour course and the single-credit-hour lab component.

Retention Criteria

In order to enroll in student teaching, a teacher candidate must be fully admitted to the School of Education, must have a cumulative major GPA of 3.0, pass the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Content Area Test, and have no outstanding dispositions. Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory progress, through completion of all required coursework and credit hours, including student teaching, successful completion of all Illinois State Board of Education Licensure exams, including successful completion of edTPA as determined by ISBE and Pearson, in order to be recommended for Professional Educator Licensure.

The School of Education is continuously redesigning its programs based on current research, state law and our conceptual framework. Students must be aware a mandated ISBE redesign may alter some of the requirements currently stated in this catalog, and programs are subject to newly adopted changes.