1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Departments and Programs
  4. Education, Counseling and Leadership Department
  5. Major
  6. Middle School Education

Middle School Education

The middle school education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator's License in Elementary Education, which qualifies you to teach children from fifth through eighth grade. It also includes an English as a Second Language endorsement that certifies you to teach English Language Learners.

The degree includes licensure in one or more of four academic concentrations:

Preparing You For Success

You participate in classroom field experiences your first year, then you gain additional field experiences your sophomore and junior years. These prepare you for the senior year student teaching experience. Bradley faculty and your supervising teachers are valuable mentors throughout the process. 

Additionally, Bradley is the first university in Illinois to embed the ESL endorsement within its early childhood, elementary, middle school and special education degrees. That experience enhances your value to school districts as English Language Learners are one of the fastest-growing demographics in Illinois schools. 

The Department of Education, Counseling, and Leadership is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education. It also is a member of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The middle school education program (English language arts) is recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

By the time you graduate, your experiences include:

  • Professional development and licensure in middle school education
  • More than 100 hours in classroom settings for the ESL endorsement
  • More than 600 hours of field experience and student teaching in local classrooms
  • Instruction and mentorship from faculty who taught on six continents, published 30 books on education and served in educational leadership at state and national levels
  • Research opportunities with faculty
  • Use of technology such as Smart Boards, virtual reality, 3-D printing and wearable devices

Making Your Mark

All middle school education students who completed the program and graduated boast a 100 percent pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. That success means you can enter the teaching profession or graduate school after graduation. As an educator, you can consider future graduate studies in curriculum and instruction or other fields.

Major Requirements

Required Course from the English Department (choose one) - 3 hrs.

  • ENG 311: Introduction to Language - 3 hrs.
  • ENG 312: English Grammar - 3 hrs.

Education Courses for the Program - 71 hrs.

  • ETE 100: Technology Applications - 1 hr.
  • ETE 115: The History of Education in the United States - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 116: Field Experience - Schools and Schooling in American Society - 1 hr.
  • ETE 210: Human Development from Birth to Young Adulthood - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 211: Human Development from Birth to Young Adulthood and Effective Teaching Field Experience - 1 hr.
  • ETE 216: Effective Planning and Instruction for Teaching - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 227: Development of the Early Adolescent - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 228: Strategies for Middle School - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 230: Adapting Curriculum to Support Inclusive Environments - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 234: Language Development - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 235: Methods of Teaching English Language Learners - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 236: Assessment of English Language Learners - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 237: Practicum for Teaching English Learners I - 1 hr.
  • ETE 240: Practicum for Teaching English Learners II - 2 hrs.
  • ETE 260: Children's Literature - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 270: Physical Development and Health - 1 hr.
  • ETE 280: Exploring Diversity: Learners, Families and Communities - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 307: Novice Teaching Experience in Grades 5-8 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 310: Teacher Performance Assessment - 1 hr.
  • ETE 315: Methods of Literacy II: Reading, Writing and Language Arts Grades 3-8 - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 345: Guiding Learners: Creating Safe, Inclusive Learning Environments - 3 hrs.
  • Methods courses that correspond with the concentration (choose one) - 3 hrs.
    • ETE 355: Methods of Teaching Middle School Social Studies - 3 hrs.
    • ETE 356: Methods of Teaching Middle School Science - 3 hrs.
    • ETE 357: Methods of Teaching Middle School Mathematics - 3 hrs.
    • ENG 391: Methods of Teaching Writing - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 365: Teaching Reading Within the Content Areas - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 371: Secondary Assessment and Technology - 3 hrs.
  • ETE 491: Student Teaching 5-8 - 12 hrs.