The requirements for a secondary school teaching certificate include completion of both a teaching major in an academic subject area appropriate to the secondary school and the professional education sequence. The degree is awarded as a B.A. with a double major. Upon declaration of a major in secondary education, students are assigned an advisor in the Education Department to plan the completion of the teaching major and the education sequence of courses.

The teaching major must be in an academic subject area approved for a State of Alaska secondary school teaching certificate and available as a B.A. degree: art, biology, chemistry, earth science, English, French, German, history, mathematics, political science or Spanish.

Admission Requirements

Submit your undergraduate application electronically to the UAF Office of Admissions. A professional student teaching internship application has to be turned in to the secondary program before student teaching (last year before graduation).

Professional Student Teaching Internship:

In the last year before graduation, student teaching internships begin in August or September on the date when teachers return to school (this varies across districts). Since internship placements are arranged with principals and mentor teachers in the spring, all materials necessary for determining admission to the internship should be submitted by Feb. 15.

Faculty in the School of Education consider multiple criteria in making valid and reliable judgments about each applicant’s knowledge, skills, and professional characteristics prior to approval for the year-long internship in a classroom with secondary children. A criminal background check is necessary to work in schools. Declaring a B.A. major in secondary education does not guarantee admission to the professional internship year. 

Students must submit the following information before the student teaching internship year to the School of Education by Feb. 15:

1. Copies of transcripts from all institutions attended.
 Evidence of plan of completion of all B.A. degree in secondary education degree courses and completion of the majority of the content major requirements by Aug. 1st (except for those required in the professional internship year), with a minimum of a 2.75 overall GPA.
2. Three current letters of reference that address qualifications and potential as a teacher.
3. A personal statement of 500-800 words addressing motivation to enter the teaching profession, self-assessed qualifications to teach, and experiences which have prepared the candidate for teaching.
4. Official copies of ACT or SAT scores.
5. Passing scores on an Alaska Department of Education and Early Development-approved basic competency exam (BCE) http://education.alaska.gov/TeacherCertification/praxis.html
6. Passing scores on the Praxis II test for each content area the applicant expects to teach. The scores must meet the score set by the State of Alaska (https://education.alaska.gov/TeacherCertification/). World language applicants may need an oral proficiency test as required by EED.

Other Information:

Secondary faculty as part of the admission process will interview applicants.

Minimum Requirements for Degree: 121 credits

Students must earn a C grade or better in each course.