Secondary licensure is the process by which a teacher who is qualified to teach one subject becomes qualified and licensed to teach another. A person can obtain his or her secondary license through a variety of programs offered by various schools, and the coursework required for these programs varies. In general, however, it will concentrate on classes pertaining to the secondary topic’s subject matter rather than education classes. Secondary licensure is a process that allows someone with a bachelor’s degree in a subject to complete the work required to obtain a teaching license.
Secondary licensure, also known as alternative licensure, is the process by which someone who already teaches in secondary education can obtain a license to teach a second subject. Most people who want to teach secondary education choose a subject to teach, such as English, math, or physics. This person enrolls in numerous classes on the subject, as well as courses on various educational theories and teaching pedagogies. While this ensures that the person is well-versed in his or her chosen field, it also limits the person’s ability to teach a specific subject.
Secondary licensure allows a person to become qualified to teach a second subject in secondary school quickly. Because the teacher has already learned about teaching methods and philosophies, this type of program will usually focus primarily on the subject matter itself. After completing this program and passing any required tests for a teaching license in a specific region, the teacher will be granted secondary licensure to teach the second subject as well. This is especially useful for someone whose first subject, such as art or music, is already crowded with other teachers or has been reduced in many schools.
Secondary licensure can also refer to a process by which someone with a bachelor’s degree in a subject area can receive the training they need to teach more quickly. This process could be used by someone with a bachelor’s degree in English, for example, to quickly become licensed to teach English in their area. Even though the process can take up to a year, it is still much less time than getting a second degree, which can take up to four years. Two semesters of educational classes are usually followed by one semester of student teaching for this type of secondary licensure.