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Education: Secondary Education

Education: Secondary Education

Students who want to obtain a Pennsylvania Department of Education teaching certification in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics or Social Studies must declare a co-major in Secondary Education at Chestnut Hill College. 

Photo of Colin holding a US Flag in Paris

Colin Boyle, History and Secondary Education Co-Major, Class of 2015

"Receiving a holistic education makes me a well-rounded individual and that's the kind of person I want to be." 

What makes CHC unique? 

“The size and placement of CHC are what makes it unique to me. The size allows for great relationships and gives the student the chance to connect with their professors on a personal level. You certainly don’t feel like a number in the classroom. The location is also great. We are located right next to Fairmount Park, which gives us that nice woodsy feel, but we are also inside the city of Philadelphia. This gives students a great chance to get into the city and take full advantage of everything it has to offer.” 

 Benefits of a holistic education 

"Receiving a holistic education has many benefits. Instead of leaving CHC with knowledge in only one specific area, I will be leaving with an education in a broad variety of subjects. This will help me in both my life and career. This holistic education will allow me to use my knowledge in many fields to teach my students about history beyond the textbooks. Receiving a holistic education makes me a well-rounded individual and that's the kind of person I want to be." 

Colin's Activities: 

Men's soccer 
RA 

Requirements

For information about requirements, download the undergraduate catalog.

Certification Program

Students who are registered for a Secondary Education co-major are expected to complete all courses for secondary certification including student teaching. Students may complete student teaching after graduation, but the co-major will not be included on the transcript without successful completion of the student teaching. In order to complete the certification, students are to obtain the appropriate forms and have them signed by members of the Education Department. 

Student Teaching

Our partnerships with public, private and parochial schools in surrounding urban, suburban, and rural school districts offer students a rich tapestry of classroom teaching experiences. Chestnut Hill College education programs require students to begin as volunteers, advance to teaching lessons six hours a week, and then finally take charge of a full classroom of students. These classroom environments increase the opportunities for our majors to gain valuable real-world experience. In fact, it's not uncommon for a student teaching experience to lead to a full-time employment upon graduation

Career Opportunities

Across the nation, teachers who have been teaching for 25 years or more are retiring from the profession. Since 2010 this mass retirement has opened up more than 10,000 new teaching positions per year.  New teachers can choose from a variety of classroom settings that match their background, college preparation and particular philosophies.

Positions are currently available in the following settings:

  • Private schools which offer specialized curricular, usually connected to a specific philosophy.
  • Parochial schools which offer specialized curricular woven with specific faith teachings.
  • Public schools; including Charter schools which offer curricula aligned to state and national standards, with many varieties of organizational structures.