1. School of Education

Adolescent-Young Adult Education| Major

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts

Program Overview

The Adolescent-Young Adult Education program focuses on developing professional, knowledgeable, and reflective educators. It emphasizes collaboration, a commitment to diversity, and the continuous development of all students. Education programs are performance-based, with an emphasis on field and clinical experiences to prepare future teachers for the classroom.

Key Program Features

  • Liberal Arts Foundation: Students acquire a broad-based repertoire of knowledge and critical thinking skills.

  • Field Experience: Opportunities for hands-on learning and application of teaching practices in real-world classroom settings.

  • Professional Expectations: Students are expected to demonstrate behaviors that support the growth and development of students.

Admission Requirements

  • GPA Requirement: A minimum GPA of 2.7 in CORE courses.

  • Grade Requirement: Students must earn a grade of C or better in core courses.

  • Admission to the program is selective and contingent on criteria outlined in the Teacher Education Handbook

Note: While student teaching is not required for graduation, licensure is mandatory. State requirements may result in students completing more than the 120-credit-hour minimum.

Program Requirements

To complete the major, students must earn a total of 25 semester credits, which include the following:

Education Core (12 SH):

  • Foundations of Education (3 SH)

  • Educational Psychology (3 SH)

  • Introduction to Students with Exceptional Learning Needs (3 SH)

  • Educational Media and Technology (3 SH)

AYA Core (6 SH):

  • The Pre-Adolescent/Adolescent Learner (3 SH)

  • Literacy in the Content Areas (3 SH)

Field Experience (6 SH):

  • Field Experience (1 SH)

  • Field Experience II (1 SH)

  • Field Experience III (1 SH) (for Dual Licensure only)

For Teaching Licensure Option (12 SH):

  • Student Teaching: Adolescent/Young Adult (12 SH)

Concentration Areas

AYA teacher candidates are required to select one of the following concentration areas:

  • Integrated Social Studies

  • Language Arts

  • Integrated Mathematics

  • Physical Science (Chemistry Concentration)

  • Life Science Concentration

Concentration Details

Integrated Social Studies Prepares teachers for 7th-12th grade History, Civics, and Economics.

  • Required Credits: 39-41 SH

  • Key courses include American History, Comparative Politics, and Sociology.

Language Arts Prepares teachers for 7th-12th grade English classrooms.

  • Required Credits: 39 SH

  • Key courses include Public Speaking, Advanced Writing, and Composition Theory.

Integrated Mathematics Prepares teachers for 7th-12th grade Mathematics classrooms.

  • Required Credits: 41 SH

  • Key courses include Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations.

Physical Science (Chemistry Concentration)

  • Required Credits: 55 SH Courses include General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics.

Life Science Concentration

  • Required Credits: 49 SH Courses include Biology, Botany, Zoology, and Physics.

Additional Information

  • Students must maintain a 2.7 cumulative GPA to graduate.

  • Transfer students must meet with an advisor for program planning.

  • Full details of the program are available in the Teacher Education Handbook.

Featured Course Descriptions

CourseReading in the Content Area

This course covers practical reading and study skill techniques for subject area teachers. Teacher candidates learn ways to assist students to read for different purposes. Topics such as readability formulas, directed reading activity, grouping in the classroom, vocabulary building, comprehension levels, questioning, following directions, rate of reading and study guides are covered. A review of the various reading programs significant for the preadolescent, adolescent and young adult student is included.

CoursePre-Adolescent/Adolescent Learner

This course is designed to provide the pre-service teacher with basic understanding of human development beginning in early childhood and focusing on the preadolescent and adolescent student. Teacher candidates will study the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, psychological and moral characteristics of the early adolescent within the framework of family and social context. Students will examine research findings on the psychological and social development of preadolescents/ adolescents and the impact on their learning and performance in school and in society.

CourseMethods

Students will work with a specialist who is a professional teacher in their content area and plan lessons, assessments, classroom organization materials, content standards and techniques for effective instruction and learning in each of the following separate areas: English/language arts, and integrated social studies.