Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Secondary Education Plus Certification (M.A.)


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Admissions Information  

This program enables individuals with a baccalaureate degree in a content area equivalent to an approved University of South Dakota teaching major to become certified at the secondary-school level in South Dakota and earn a Master of Arts degree. Students with degrees in art, music and physical education will also have to satisfy the necessary requirements for K-12 certification. This program is unique in that students are required to complete specific undergraduate course work that is required for certification and one semester of student teaching in addition to graduate course requirements. Specific requirements are determined through a careful transcript review process.

Praxis Information for Initial Teacher Certification

A series of Praxis tests are required for successful completion of the program and to earn initial teaching certification. Students pursuing initial teacher certification will need to pass the Praxis II subject-specific Content Knowledge test in their teaching major, and the Praxis II, Principles of Learning (PLT) for successful completion of program and teacher licensure. Admission is provisional until the content knowledge test is successfully passed.

Master of Arts, Secondary Education with certification Plan B only (non-thesis only): Total 36-39 credit hours


  • Graduate SEED core 21 credit hours
  • Required supporting courses 12 credit hours
  • Undergraduate SEED courses 3-6 credit hours

Required undergraduate course work: 3-6 credit hours


  • MFL 420 K-12 Foreign Language Methods
  • MUS 351 Education Methods
  • MUS 452 Secondary Methods
  • PE 480 K-12 Physical Education Methods
  • SEED 413 7-12 Science Methods
  • SEED 415 7-12 Social Science Methods
  • SEED 418 7-12 Math Methods
  • SEED 424 7-12 Language Arts Methods
  • SPCM 476 7-12 Speech Methods

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