Middle School or High School

Middle and high school teachers provide lead instruction in a specific subject. They develop expertise in an area such as math, science, or reading, and teach that subject to multiple groups of students throughout the day. You’ll build on your students’ foundation in elementary education and inspire continued learning about a subject that you love. Middle and high school teachers get to focus on their favorite subjects. They encourage students to make real-world connections and be creative while helping to develop their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Gaining Experience

As a prospective teacher, it’s important to gain experience with the grades, populations, and subject(s) you wish to teach. Learn more about gaining experience to help enhance your application for a graduate teaching program.

Majors

To become a middle school or high school teacher, you’ll need to choose a subject area specialization and major in that subject area before earning a master’s degree in education. Review the list of subject areas below to see the corresponding major available at PSU.

School Subject You Teach	PSU Majors
Biology	Biology, Biochemistry
Chemistry	Chemistry
Integrated Science	Earth Science, Environmental Science, Geology, Science
Language Arts	English
Mathematics - Foundational (middle school)	Science with Minor in Mathematics for Middle School Teachers, Mathematics
Mathematics - Advanced (high school)	Mathematics
Music	Music: Education
Physics	Physics
Social Studies: History, Political Science, Geography, or Economics	Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, or Social Science
World Languages	French, German, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish

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Master's Programs

A teacher stands in the middle of a secondary school classroom talking with her students.

Graduate Teacher Education—Master’s

Once you have completed a bachelor’s degree in your subject area specialization, you’ll complete PSU’s graduate teacher education master’s program to learn how to teach your chosen subject and get your teaching license. You will graduate prepared to inspire middle and high school students to learn by connecting curriculum to their everyday lives and helping them develop real-world skills.

Graduate Teacher Education

A group of teenagers are gathered together on laptops and tablets.

Special Education—Master's and License

If you already have a bachelor’s degree, this program’s graduate coursework prepares you to earn your Oregon Teaching License and a master’s degree. You will learn to effectively teach students with a wide range of support needs from complex disabilities to those who need targeted support with behavior, social, or academic skills. We prepare you to understand your students’ unique needs and prepare creative practices to support those needs. Special education teachers work in a variety of settings, including regular classrooms, resource rooms, co-teaching roles, and transition spaces.

Special Education

A teacher stands at the front of a math class teaching the order of operations.

International Teacher Education—Master’s or License

If you earned your teaching credential outside of the United States, this program provides you with an abbreviated and customized path to earn an Oregon Teaching License. The coursework is focused on classes that prepare you to work specifically with children in U.S. public schools.

International Teacher Ed

Endorsements & Specializations

If you are a teacher candidate or already a licensed teacher, you may wish to add a specialization. The following graduate certificates and endorsements meet the requirements for the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC), Oregon's education licensing board.

Added Secondary Endorsement: Add a subject-area endorsement to your existing Oregon Teaching license if you are a graduate of a PSU College of Education teacher licensure program. Students can add subject area endorsements in: Advanced Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, English Language Arts, Foundational Mathematics, Foundational Science, Foundational Social Studies, Integrated Science, Music, Physics, Social Studies, World Language: Chinese, World Language: French, World Language: German, and World Language: Spanish World Language: Russian, World Language: Japanese.

Added Special Education (AddSPED) Graduate Certificate/Endorsement: Bring inclusion to your own classroom and create a space where all students can learn and thrive; blend evidence-based research with creative classroom practices; and expand your opportunities to work with students ages 3–21 who have a range of support needs. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement: The 21st-century classroom is diverse, and must be inclusive and equitable. Help today’s students succeed in an ever-changing landscape. Strengthen your professional practice by adding an ESOL endorsement that will help you serve your students, their families, and their communities as a whole. This endorsement is included in the Elementary Education Master’s curriculum. This program can culminate in a master’s degree with additional credits.