Degree Overview

(When applying, look for this major code: E54SCED)

This degree is designed for practicing teachers who are seeking an advanced degree. Individuals who are already certified to teach in Texas may seek the master of education degree to improve their practice and grow professionally. Graduates of the program are prepared to serve as campus leaders, facilitators, decision makers, researchers, curriculum developers, peer coaches, mentors, and change agents. The 36-hour degree consists of 24 semester hours in the secondary education major and 12-15 hours in the composite minor or in a minor in another subject area. The graduate advisor for Secondary Education serves as the student's primary academic advisor. If the minor is in another academic area, then an advisor from that discipline will oversee the minor part of the degree.

(*Must be successfully completed within the first 6 hours of enrollment)

(**Prerequisites -- Minimum grade of "C" in each of the following courses:  CI 5390, CI 5302, plus 6 credit hours in the major. This course serves as the capstone course for the degree.)

(When applying, look for this major code: E54SCED-CMED)

This degree is designed for students who are seeking a master’s degree and a teaching certificate. The 36-hour degree consists of 24 semester hours in the secondary education major and 12-15 hours in the composite minor or in a minor in another academic area. Students who are seeking a teaching certificate may be required to complete background courses before beginning graduate coursework. The graduate advisor for Secondary Education serves as the student's primary academic advisor for the major. If the minor is in another academic area, then an advisor from that discipline will oversee the minor part of the degree.

(* Must be successfully completed within the first 6 hours of enrollment)

(**Prerequisites -- Minimum grade of "C" in each of the following courses: CI 5390, CI 5314, CI 5333, CI 5363, CI 5370, and RDG 5324. This course serves as the capstone course for the degree.)

(When applying, look for this major code: E54SCED-TDCC)

Many school districts offer advanced academic programs that allow students to receive college credit while still in high school, through standalone dual credit courses, comprehensive college and career readiness early college high school models (including P-TECH and T-STEM), or international baccalaureate programs. The Master of Education in Secondary Education—Teaching Advanced Academics Concentration is designed for certified teachers who want to earn credentials to teach and lead effectively in these programs. Graduate students in this program complete 18 semester hours in advanced academics and 18 hours in either English, History, Math, or Political Science.

(*Must be successfully completed within the first 6 hours of enrollment)

(**Prerequisites -- Minimum grade of "C" in each of the following courses: CI 5390, CI 5302, plus 6 credit hours in the major. This course serves as the capstone course for the degree.)

Check out this video to learn more!

(When applying, look for this major code: E45SCED-TCHE)

This degree is designed for students seeking a master’s degree, a teaching certificate, and professional development to become a campus-level technology specialist. Graduates of the program are capable of establishing and directing a computer lab, providing in-service training for campus faculty, and developing grant proposals. The 39-hour degree consists of 27 semester hours in the secondary education major and 12 hours in the composite minor. The graduate advisor for Secondary Education serves as the student's primary academic advisor.

(*Must be successfully completed within the first 6 hours of enrollment)

(When applying, look for this major code: E54SCED-SETD)

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree with a major in Secondary Education and concentration in Creativity, Talent, and Transformation is a 30-hour online program. Students learn how to better foster learning, creativity, talent, and transformation through teaching, mentoring, and leadership. The program includes two electives. 

Some of the career opportunities associated with this versatile program include: instructional coordinator, mentoring coordinator, classroom teacher with skills for equitably facilitating the talents and creativity of all students, teacher of advanced/gifted classes, instructional coach, talent development specialist, and undergraduate faculty. 

This flexible program is designed for working professionals. Students in this program either are already possess a teaching license or don’t need one for what they want to do in life. There are no required prerequisite courses for admission to this program. 

More information may be found at http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/talent/ . The Talent Development Program advisor (taldev@txstate.edu) serves as the primary academic advisor. 

(When applying, look for this major code: E80SCED)

The Master of Arts in Secondary Education is designed to meet the needs of practicing teachers who want advanced professional development and of students who want to pursue a doctoral degree. The M.A. is not recommended for students who are seeking a teaching certificate. The 30-hour degree includes 21 semester hours in the secondary education major and a 9 semester hours in the cognate minor in a closely related field or a minor in another academic area. Six hours of thesis work are included in the 21 hours. A guide for preparing and submitting a thesis is available from the Graduate College. The graduate advisor for Secondary Education serves as the student’s primary academic advisor. The student, in consultation with the graduate advisor, chooses an advisor and a committee for the thesis at the beginning of the program. The research interests of the student and the thesis advisor should match.

Special admission criteria for this degree:

• 3.40 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate studies. Students who do not meet the criteria but have a GPA between a 3.25 and 3.39 in the last 60 hours may be admitted with conditions.
• Prospective students must submit a one-page essay that describes their research interests.

(*Must be successfully completed within the first 6 hours of enrollment)

(When applying, look for this major code: E80SCED-SETD)

The 30-hour Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with a major in Secondary Education and concentration in Talent Development extends educators' expertise in: supporting the development of skillful practices; encouraging the creative practices of youth, adults and communities; enhancing well-being; and thinking critically and imaginatively about educational practices, policies, and possibilities. The M.A. program includes a thesis. 

Related career opportunities in schools and communities include the following teaching, mentoring, and leadership roles: instructional coordinator, mentoring program coordinator, instructional coach, talent development or educational enrichment specialist, teacher of advanced/gifted and honors classes, community-based education specialist, creativity support specialist, extracurricular coach, general education teacher with skills for nurturing the talents of all students, professional learning/training specialist, and undergraduate-level course instructor.  

The program is designed for students who either already have a teaching certificate or who don’t need a teaching certificate for what they want to do in life.  

The courses that are listed below reflect the expected, but not yet fully approved, updated course requirements for new students who will be starting in Fall 2025 and beyond. This list of courses is dependent on the university's 2024-25 curriculum approval process. 

More information may be found at http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/talent/ . The Talent Development program advisor (taldev@txstate.edu) serves as the primary academic advisor. 

The Teacher Recruitment Program (TRP) provides an accelerated pathway for  individuals, who hold a baccalaureate, who are seeking initial teacher certification. TRP is a full-certification program including 18 hours of graduate initial teacher certification course work and 14 weeks of student teaching, typically completed in two semesters of full-time attendance. The coursework may begin in either the Fall or Spring semesters. Due to the accelerated nature of the Teacher Recruitment Program, a  substantial portion of the program requires a daytime commitment in public schools. The Secondary Grades Teacher Recruitment Program focuses on grades 7 - 12. Click here for more information.