Education - Secondary Grades 7-12 , Bachelor's
Overview
Add a Teaching Certificate to Your Degree (4+1 program)
Gain career flexibility and greater earning potential by adding a secondary teaching certification to your major. Late middle and high school teaching opportunities are in high demand in areas such as foreign languages, mathematics, science, computer science, social emotional wellness, and English. Adding the STEP minor to your degree adds even more value to your major and increases your professional marketability.
A STEP in the Right Direction for You?
- Earn teacher certification to teach grades 7–12, with some schools hiring for 6th grade.
- Teacher certification is easily transferable to 45 states.
- Stay in your major and graduate in your major; education is a minor overlaying the major.
- Nearing graduation? Continue your studies in our graduate-level teacher education program by only adding one class!
- Add more certifications in English as a second language, special education, computer science, and/or STEM endorsement at the graduate level.
- Student teach full-time in the last semester of senior year OR come back in the fall to student teach. In your graduate year, you are employed by a school to student teach in your own classroom.
- Interested? Contact education@desales.edu to meet with our STEP advisor. Students must add the minor by the spring of their sophomore year to stay on track for graduation.
As a middle or secondary education teacher, you'll help support adolescent youth to reach their highest potential in social interactions, artistic endeavors, spiritual growth, and academic realms.
Admissions Requirements
At DeSales, we not only look at your past academic achievement but also your potential for future growth to determine your admission.
We find that students who have demonstrated significant achievement within a demanding curriculum are best suited for academic life at DeSales. Quality of academic performance plays a critical role in the admissions decision making process. This helps indicate a student's potential for academic growth going forward. We welcome applications from all qualified students regardless of race, religion, sex, national, or ethnic origin.
Application Checklist
- Application Fee: None
- Transcripts: Official High School Transcript
- Standardized Tests: Test-optional, however, an Admissions Interview may be requested
- Recommendations: Completed Guidance Counselor Form and Teacher Recommendation Form
- Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program
All materials can be mailed to:
DeSales University Admissions Office
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA
* SAT scores are highly recommended for students applying for the Nursing and Health Science programs. Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program.
Additional recommendations
High School Academics - Remember, there is no single preferred high school academic program, but a college preparatory course of study is highly recommended. Here's an example:
- Four years of English
- Three or four years of college preparatory mathematics
- A minimum of two years of modern, foreign, or classical language
- At least two laboratory science courses
Visiting DeSales - A personal, on-campus interview is strongly recommended, but is not required. We encourage you to visit so that you'll have a chance to learn more about DeSales, and we'll have the opportunity to learn more about you, too.
Learn more about Undergraduate Admissions & Aid
When to Apply
We encourage you to apply early in your senior year. We use a rolling admissions system, which means you will be notified promptly about your admissions status—usually within four weeks of our receipt of your completed application.
Priority deadline for scholarship consideration is December 1 of your senior year.
Curriculum
You can complete the STEP certification program in one of six areas as an add-on minor to your major:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- English
- Spanish
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
The education-specific courses required comprise nine three-credit courses (27 credits).
DeSales Theatre students seeking Secondary Education certification in grades 7-12 are eligible to apply for the Theatre Endorsement. An endorsement is a credential in an area where formal certification does not exist in Pennsylvania and is intended to show a student's specialized training and skill in the endorsed area. DeSales is one of five Universities in the state that has been approved by PDE to offer the Theatre endorsement, which consists of four Theatre courses.
Academic Catalog
Graduation Requirements
View the graduation requirements and example schedule for this programFaculty
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Facilities
Added Value through the STEP Program
Enriching Field Experience: Students gain experience and sharpen skills through our exceptional field experiences, under the guidance of their professors. To arrange placements, DeSales employs two former principals with important contacts in local districts. Students benefit from excellent field placements with great local teachers.
Technology-Rich Curriculum: DeSales University Teacher Education has received a special designation from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for industry-leading technology integration in our teacher education programs. This holds even more value for STEP students in STEM majors.
Transferable Certification to Other States: Pennsylvania mandates rigorous, clear, teacher certification standards that make Pennsylvania certification easily transferable to other states. For additional detail on individual state certification requirements, refer to the state of choice.
Education Resource Lab
Students of DeSales education programs benefit from having access to the Department of Education's Resource Lab. The Lab is a convenient space where students gather to discuss topics, research, study, and work together on group projects. All the resources needed -- computers, art supplies, research library texts, and more -- are available to assist education students with their academic pursuits.
Careers & Internships
Nationwide career opportunities for middle and high school teachers in specific disciplines makes the STEP program a worthwhile option.
As an educator you'll help students delve more deeply into subjects introduced in elementary school and expose them to more gradually complex information about the world. Specializing in a specific subject, such as English, Spanish, mathematics, history, or biology you may also teach subjects to older adolescents, which are career-oriented.
With the added emphasis today in STEM education, middle and high school math, biology, and chemistry teachers play a vital role in shaping the next generation of professionals in STEM related fields.
Tuition & Fees
DeSales can help make your college expenses affordable through a combination of grants, loans, student employment, and scholarship resources.
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Cost of attendance for undergrads for 2024-2025
Resident Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Room and Board - $13,800
Mandatory Fees - $1,800
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $60,800 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Total cost for resident students: $67,116
Commuter Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $2,298
Total cost for commuter students: $57,122
Off-Campus*
Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $9,192
Total cost for off-campus students: $64,016
*First-year students are required to reside on campus or commute from home.
Parking Fee - $100
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Dual Degree Undergraduate-to-Graduate Programs
If you are enrolled in an undergraduate-to-graduate degree program — for example a 5-year, 3+2, 3+3, program — the undergraduate tuition and fees apply only to the undergraduate portion of the program. As you progress into the graduate phase of your program, graduate tuition and fees apply. Please see your respective graduate program for more information.
The financial aid process may appear overwhelming at first glance, but don't worry, we'll help you through it.
Accepted students are automatically considered for scholarships upon receipt of a completed application and are awarded regardless of financial need. Funds for scholarships are limited, so we do encourage students to apply early.
Our comprehensive financial aid packages carefully explain the types and amounts of assistance —including federal, state, and institutional — that you may be eligible for to help cover education related expenses.
Total cost of attendance includes estimates for tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal, transportation, and living expenses.
You can estimate your total cost of attendance with our Net Price Calculator
DeSales Teachers are in Demand
