Earn Your Social Studies Teacher Certification
Students interested in careers in secondary education teaching can pursue JMC's Public Affairs for Secondary Education (PASE) major after reaching sophomore standing. This major is designed to prepare students to earn certification for secondary education in social studies. Graduates are qualified to teach history, political science, geography and economics.
Madison students pursuing the PASE will be held to a lower number of MC credits, along with other programmatic substitutions.
Those interested in pursuing the Public Affairs for Secondary Education (PASE) major should contact Emelia Hammond (ehammond@msu.edu), JMC Academic Advisor for Secondary Education students.
Insight from a JMC Graduate
Ellie Friedman (SRP '24) is a JMC graduate who pursued teacher certification through MSU. Friedman shares her reflections on the JMC program below:
"The skills and knowledge I acquired at JMC are the foundation of my teaching practice. JMC’s promotion of interdisciplinary learning and rigorous reading and writing has prepared me to engage in the intellectual and interpersonal aspects of teaching. I could not have asked for a more compatible set of majors.
JMC’s cross listed history courses like Asian American History and Jews and Anti-Semitism both bolstered my content knowledge and modeled innovative instructional methods that I use in my own classroom. For example, Professor Pegler-Gordon’s intentional usage of maps, journals, and movies regularly motivates my selection of sources in my own classroom.
Additionally, I think every educator (especially JMC educators) should take MC 348: Education Policy. This course was a fantastic bridge between my areas of study and allowed me to think critically about the history and purpose of public education.
Most importantly, my JMC co-curricular experiences taught me how to teach. Working at the Writing Center and as a TA for MC 201 allowed me to assess students’ writing, evaluate and adapt curriculum, and create resources."