Why Major in Secondary Education?
A career as a middle or high school teacher can be an extremely rewarding one. As experts in a particular content area and in the art and science of teaching, Belmont-prepared middle and high school teachers are well-equipped to meet the learning, social and emotional needs of the racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and linguistically diverse students in classrooms in Middle Tennessee and across the U.S.
Belmont’s secondary teacher education graduates are particularly noted for their content expertise and ability to provide a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment conducive to the learning needs of their students.
Plus, Belmont's program emphasizes:
Advocacy for families and children
Belmont University’s College of Education prepares candidates to be advocates for families, children and for the profession. With its emphasis on advocacy, the program teaches candidates to recognize and honor the worth and dignity of every learner.
Passionate teachers starting day one
Belmont University’s College of Education believes that exemplary educators are passionate about their students, the families and the content that they teach. Therefore it is important to begin to learn about these areas early. Belmont teacher candidates can begin education courses on day one of their first semester at Belmont.
Course-embedded field experience
Belmont University’s College of Education believes that authentic engagement in the field of practice is an essential part of becoming an effective educator. With this commitment, every education course at Belmont will either be embedded in a school setting or have a direct field experience to the content covered. As a result, the Belmont teacher candidate will have had exposure to public, private and charter schools prior to their final clinical practice experience.
Faculty who are teachers
Belmont’s nationally accredited teacher education program is delivered by faculty who are experts in their fields. All education courses are taught by education faculty, most with doctorates, who are committed to teaching and learning and as a result regularly work alongside PK-12 teachers and work with community agencies.
Emphasis in content knowledge
All teacher candidates have a content major beyond the courses required for teacher licensure. As a result our candidates are highly sought after for their content knowledge and teaching skills.
What You'll Learn
- Gain an understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments enable each learner to meet high standards.
- Create learning experiences that make the central concepts, tool of inquiry and structures of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
- Develop multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
- Plan instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Program Details
Courses You'll Take
Belmont’s secondary education program leads to secondary teacher certification in the following subject areas:
- Biology 6-12
- Chemistry 6-12
- English 6-12
- Political Science 6-12
- History 6-12
- Mathematics 6-12
- Physics 6-12
- Psychology 9-12- Add-on Endorsement only
- Sociology 9-12- Add-on Endorsement only
- Spanish 6-12
Master of Arts in Teaching 4+1
All Students interested in earning a Master's degree can do so in our 4+1 program, allowing students to earn a Master's degree and initial teaching licensure in 5 years. The program offers a year-long internship experience across two diverse settings under the guidance of licensed experienced teachers. The intern program entails being school based during the day (following the school district’s schedule) and attending classes in the evening. The internship portion of the program runs from fall to spring only, and candidates must have completed the professional core courses before entering the internship part of the program. This means undergraduate students will major in a core subject area (History, Science, English, Math) and minor in Education and then select a licensure area concentration in their Master's year.
Belmont Teacher Education candidates have many opportunities to practice their advocacy, leadership and teaching skills through participation in Belmont’s service-learning and volunteer opportunities as well as education department-specific opportunities.
Candidates should explore coaching, teaching, and tutoring opportunities, as well as create their own opportunities as they engage in service in their new home community of Nashville.
Our community partners include area charter, independent and public schools, as well as nonprofit and for profit community agencies serving Nashville’s families. Belmont University requires all students to be engaged in community and service-learning opportunities but it is not uncommon for teacher education candidates to go beyond the required hours and in a number of opportunities take leadership roles.
Below are some of the opportunities in which our candidates engage:
Belmont’s Service-Learning and Volunteer Opportunities
Through Get Connected, Belmont’s online volunteer service directory, our candidates can connect with over 70 area organizations where they can connect and serve. Our teacher candidates take seriously the opportunity to serve the greater-Nashville community and volunteer in programs such as: English Language Tutors with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, athletic coaches with area middle schools, tutoring programs with the YMCA, Martha O’Bryan Center and area faith-based programs.
Best Buddies©
BESTBUDDIES® builds one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), through school and community friendship programs that provide socialization opportunities to help erase the invisible line that often separates students or adults with and without IDD. Best Buddies at Belmont is an active student organization where Belmont students and community members with IDD become friends and hang out together with the focus on reducing barriers and building inclusive communities focused on strengths and relationships.
Homework Hotline
Homework Hotline is the largest provider of tutoring in Tennessee, the only service available by phone, and the only program that provides tutoring in six languages. Belmont University candidates serve as a volunteer satellite of Homework Hotline, housed on the Belmont campus. In this way, Belmont University students practice teaching techniques while providing one-on-one tutoring to at-risk children.
Kappa Delta Pi National Education Society
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), International Honor Society in Education, fosters excellence in education and promotes fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. Belmont’s Nu Phi Chapter is additionally, concerned with assisting the community and has been involved with food drives, raising funds for local literacy programs, as well as helping with Homework Hotline.
Student Teacher Education Association
Through its affiliation with the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) and the National Education Association (NEA), our student program leads tomorrow's teachers to a bright professional future. STEA exists to help our members move smoothly from student on campus to beginning teacher. This is achieved through a variety of avenues including organization meetings with speakers who highlight opportunities at Belmont and beyond to broaden understanding of what it means to be an educator, discussion of issues and trends in education, conference attendance for members to network and develop professionally, and a focus on service to communities and families. STEA is proud to work with Belmont University for Annual Family Literacy Day each spring by forming a reading circle where we read aloud books around a theme with children from the community. We also collect canned goods for local food banks as well as school supplies for teachers and children in Nashville Public Schools. Each spring we also host a campus-wide Valentine’s Day card-making event for the children and families of the Ronald McDonald House and residents of local nursing homes. STEA provides all of the art supplies and the students provide the creativity for these amazing hand-made cards.
Create a BU4U account to apply, request information and more! To apply for admission as a traditional freshman, traditional transfer, undergraduate non-degree seeking or undergraduate Re-enroll student, please choose the Traditional Undergraduate Application.
Belmont University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Belmont University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Belmont’s Teacher Education Program is approved by the Tennessee Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) legacy site visit of 2021.
The Belmont University School of Music is a fully-accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
The Watkins College of Art at Belmont University is an Accredited Institutional Member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Career Possibilities
Belmont’s secondary education program leads to secondary teacher certification in the following subject areas:
- Biology 6-12
- Chemistry 6-12
- English 6-12
- Spanish 6-12
- Government 6-12
- History 6-12
- Mathematics 6-12
- Physics 6-12
- Psychology 9-12- Add-on Endorsement only
- Sociology 9-12- Add-on Endorsement only
Kaitlin Stefanski
Secondary Education
Fairview High School
"Belmont was extremely pivotal to my journey as both an educator and an independent woman. I could go on for days about all of the positive differences people and experiences at Belmont have made in my life!"
Addie Janowiak
"Belmont College of Education has gone above and beyond in accommodating my academic and personal needs. Every professor has had no problem adding me into classes that were full, giving me extensions on assignments or simply getting coffee to check in on me. I am seen as much more than just a student at Belmont; I am a friend, a collaborator and a leader."
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Hallie Caddy
Admissions Coordinator
615.460.5505
Email Hallie