Middle Grades Education / Mathematics and Language Arts Concentration
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Grades Education.
The Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Grades Education prepares undergraduate students for middle level teaching (fourth to eighth grades). Middle grades teachers, particularly in math and science education, are increasingly sought out and in high-demand in Pennsylvania as well as across the country.
The College of Education and Human Development program in Middle Grades Education is designed to ensure not only that there are certified teachers to fill the growing vacancies, but that our students graduate highly knowledgeable about learning and teaching as well as committed to pre/adolescent learners from diverse ethnic, economic and geographic backgrounds. To that end, our program focuses on building deep content-specific pedagogical knowledge aligned to the breadth of academic standards and the wide-ranging developmental needs of middle grades students. To develop a strong link between learning theories and actual pedagogical practice, we also require that our students engage in early, often and strategic field/clinical education experiences in middle grades settings.
Our program stands out as cutting-edge because we prepare undergraduate students to teach in both the upper elementary and middle grades classrooms.
In addition to becoming certified to teach all elementary subjects in 4-6th grades, all Middle Grades Education: Mathematics and Language Arts Concentration students will pursue dual certification for 7-8th grades in the areas of Mathematics and Language Arts; the required minimum number of credit hours is 126.
GPA Requirements:
- In order to maintain good standing in Middle Grades Education, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and a 2.0 grade point average in the course work in their concentration areas.
Summary of Requirements
University Requirements
All students are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
All students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive (WI) courses at Temple University. Writing intensive course numbers end in 96, 97 and 98.
College Requirements
Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a recommendation for Pennsylvania teacher certification upon the successful completion of their program requirements with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or must meet the Pennsylvania Department of Education's qualifying Praxis score standards.
The required total minimum credit hours for the Middle Grades Education concentration in Mathematics and Language Arts is 126. These credit hours are satisfied by taking courses in four categories:
- University General Education requirements (General Education)
- Education courses
- Teacher Education Certification Courses (i.e. methods and student teaching)
- Concentration courses
All students seeking to graduate with the recommendation for certification must also meet the requirements for Candidacy.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 2103 | Socio-cultural Foundations of Education in the United States 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 2109 | Adolescent Development for Educators 1 | 3 |
| MGSE 2111 | Applications of Teaching and Learning Theories to Classroom Practice (grades 4-12) | 3 |
| SPED 2231 | Introduction to Special Education 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 2296 | Effective Teaching: Theory and Practice 1 | 3 |
| EDUC 2306 | Assessment and Evaluation | 3 |
| SPED 3187 | Integrated Literacy and Special Education Practicum | 3 |
| MGSE 3404 | Teaching and Learning Math in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| MGSE 3405 | Teaching and Learning Science in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| TESL 3631 | Principles and Practice for Teaching English Learners | 3 |
| SPED 3211 | Effective Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 4103 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
| MGSE 3196 | Teaching and Learning Literacy in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| MGSE 4296 | Cultures, Communities, and Families | 3 |
| MGSE 4801 | Senior Seminar and Performance Assessment in Grades 4-12 Education | 3 |
| MGSE 4888 | Student Teaching in Grades 4-12 | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours | 54 | |
| 1 | These courses must be completed with a C- or better to be eligible for Candidacy approval. Pre-Candidacy coursework includes a variety of courses, including a minimum of 1) two college-level math courses totaling at least six credits, 2) one college-level writing/composition course with a minimum of three credits (GenEd Analytical Reading and Writing), and 3) one literature course with a minimum of three credits: Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life, Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good, or an ENG 2000 level course as specified in footnote 2 below the program requirements; no 0700 or pre-college level courses can count toward these requirements. |
Program Requirements for Middle Grades Education with Concentration in Mathematics and Language Arts
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1011 | General Biology I | 4 |
| BIOL 1012 | General Biology II | 4 |
| or PHYS 1022 | Introduction to General Physics II | |
| MATH 1013 | Elements of Statistics 1 | 3 |
| or MATH 2031 | Probability and Statistics | |
| or MATH 2021 | Functions and Modeling | |
| MATH 1015 | Introduction to Numbers & Figures | 4 |
| PHYS 1021 | Introduction to General Physics I | 4 |
| MATH 1022 | Precalculus 1 | 4 |
| MATH 1041 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| MATH 1042 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| HIST 1101 | U.S. History to 1877 | 3 |
| or HIST 1102 | U.S. History since 1877 | |
| CSCD 1108 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| or ENG 2821 | Introduction to Linguistics | |
| or ANTH 2507 | Language and Culture | |
| ENG 2000 level course 2 | 3 | |
| ENG 2000 level course 2 | 3 | |
| ENG 2000 level course 2 | 3 | |
| MATH 2061 | Euclidean Geometry | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 49 | |
| 1 | These courses must be completed with a C- or better to be eligible for Candidacy approval. Pre-Candidacy coursework includes a variety of courses, including a minimum of 1) two college-level math courses totaling at least six credits, 2) one college-level writing/composition course with a minimum of three credits (GenEd Analytical Reading and Writing), and 3) one literature course with a minimum of three credits: Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life, Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good, or an ENG 2000 level course as specified in footnote 2; no 0700 or pre-college level courses can count toward these requirements. |
| 2 | Choose one ENG 2000 level course from the following: ENG 2001, ENG 2003, ENG 2004, ENG 2112, ENG 2115, ENG 2501, ENG 2502, ENG 2503, ENG 2831. |
Suggested Academic Plan
B.S.ED. in Middle Grades Education: Mathematics and Language Arts Concentration
Requirements for New Students starting in the 2022-2023 Academic Year
To best prepare students in this major for the Praxis II exams, we strongly encourage taking the suggested GenEds listed.
(Certain courses require that a student secure clearances as per the College of Education and Human Development policy; students should check the current list of courses that require clearances on the College of Education and Human Development web site.)
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW]4 | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course5 | 3 | |
| BIOL 1011 | General Biology I (includes a lab)1 | 4 |
| MATH 1022 | Precalculus4 | 4 |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY]4 | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course5 | 3 | |
| PHYS 1021 | Introduction to General Physics I1 | 4 |
| MATH 1041 | Calculus I3,4 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ]4 | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course5 | 3 | |
| MATH 1042 | Calculus II3,4 | 4 |
| EDUC 2103 | Socio-cultural Foundations of Education in the United States4 | 3 |
| ENG 2000 level course6 | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 2109 | Adolescent Development for Educators2,4 | 3 |
| SPED 2231 | Introduction to Special Education2,4 | 3 |
| Select one of the following:1 | 4 | |
| General Biology II (includes a lab) | ||
| Introduction to General Physics II (includes a lab) | ||
| ENG 2000 level course6 | 3 | |
| Select one of the following:4 | 3 | |
| Elements of Statistics | ||
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Functions and Modeling | ||
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course5 | 4 | |
| EDUC 2296 | Effective Teaching: Theory and Practice [WI] | 3 |
| MGSE 2111 | Applications of Teaching and Learning Theories to Classroom Practice (grades 4-12) | 3 |
| TESL 3631 | Principles and Practice for Teaching English Learners2 | 3 |
| MATH 1015 | Introduction to Numbers & Figures | 4 |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGSE 3404 | Teaching and Learning Math in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| MGSE 3196 | Teaching and Learning Literacy in the Middle Grades [WI] (Spring only) | 3 |
| MGSE 3405 | Teaching and Learning Science in the Middle Grades | 3 |
| SPED 3187 | Integrated Literacy and Special Education Practicum | 3 |
| MATH 2061 | Euclidean Geometry (Spring only) | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SPED 3211 | Effective Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| MGSE 4296 | Cultures, Communities, and Families [WI] | 3 |
| EDUC 2306 | Assessment and Evaluation | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History since 1877 | ||
| ENG 2000 level course6 | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGSE 4888 | Student Teaching in Grades 4-12 | 9 |
| MGSE 4801 | Senior Seminar and Performance Assessment in Grades 4-12 Education | 3 |
| SPED 4103 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 126 | |
| 1 | The sequence of either 1) BIOL 1011 and BIOL 1012 or 2) PHYS 1021 and PHYS 1022 constitute a waiver for both of the GenEd Science and Technology (GS) courses required in the GenEd Science and Technology (GS) category if the courses are completed with a C- or better. Students must successfully complete all requirements in one sequence or the other. |
| 2 | Completion of 1) SPED 2231, 2) EDUC 2109 and 3) TESL 3631 constitute the waiver for the GenEd Human Behavior (GB) category if the courses are completed with a C- or better. |
| 3 | Completion of either 1) MATH 1041/MATH 1941 or 2) MATH 1042/MATH 1942 constitutes a waiver for the GenEd Quantitative Literacy (GQ) category if the course is completed with a C- or better. |
| 4 | These courses must be completed with a C- or better to be eligible for Candidacy approval. Pre-Candidacy coursework includes a variety of courses, including a minimum of 1) two college-level math courses totaling at least six credits, 2) one college-level writing/composition course with a minimum of three credits (GenEd Analytical Reading and Writing), and 3) one literature course with a minimum of three credits: Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life, Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good, or an ENG 2000 level course as specified in footnote 6; no 0700 or pre-college level courses can count toward these requirements. |
| 5 | Suggested GenEd courses: Global/World Society (GG) = ANTH 0867 or GUS 0867; Race & Diversity (GD) = AAAS 0829, ANTH 0829, GUS 0829, HIST 0829, POLS 0829, SOC 0829 or SOC 0929; U.S. Society (GU) = AMST 0848 or HIST 0848. |
| 6 | Choose one ENG 2000 level course from the following: ENG 2001, ENG 2003, ENG 2004, ENG 2112, ENG 2115, ENG 2501, ENG 2502, ENG 2503, ENG 2831. |