Middle Grades Endorsement
Students in the BA Urban Education - Elementary Education program can add a Middle Grades Endorsement for teaching grades 5-8 though coursework. They can also add areas of specialization to their endorsement that focus on specific content areas like Math, English, Science, or Social Science. Current undergraduates should contact their advisor if they have questions about their eligibility to pursue the Middle Grades endorsement.
In addition, graduate students in the MEd Educational Studies and MEd Language, Literacies & Learning programs have the option to pursue the Middle Grades endorsement if they already have a professional educator license (PEL) upon entering the program.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Services at 312-996-4532 or the Council on Teacher Education.
Endorsement Requirements Heading link
- A Middle Grades teacher must have 18 semester hours in the single subject area of the major teaching assignment (Math, Language Arts, Science, or Social Studies).
- A Middle Grades teacher must have the equivalent of three semester hours of specific coursework in middle school philosophy, curriculum and instruction and instructional methods for designing and teaching appropriate programs in middle schools, including content area reading instruction. This is covered through CI 484, Curriculum & Instruction in the Middle School.
- A Middle Grades teacher must have the equivalent of three semester hours of specific course work in educational psychology. This is covered in the course EPSY 446 Characteristics of Early Adolescence.