Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education with 7-12 Licensure

Program of Interest

Select: College of Education & Human Sciences > Teacher Education/Educational Leadership and Policy > Secondary Education > Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education with 7-12 Licensure

In the “Faculty Member Preferences Box,” instead of indicating a faculty member, please indicate at which campus you will be attending: Albuquerque, Gallup, or Farmington.

Letter of Intent

In your Letter of Intent (1-2 pages in length), you should share your experiences that have led you to become a teacher, your philosophy of education, and characteristics you possess to be an excellent teacher of students in grades 7-12. Be sure to include your experiences working with and teaching students, your experiences in multicultural and/or diverse settings, and your experience with or openness to working with students with special needs.

Style of Letter of Intent

• Typed single-or double-spaced
• 12-point font in Times New Roman
• One or two typed pages in length (no longer than two please)

Resume

Prepare a Resume (1-2 pages in length) that provides us with information about your educational achievements, your employment experiences, and your community and extra-curricular experiences. Please highlight any paid or volunteer experiences in working with children, especially those at the secondary level (ages 12-18).

Your resume represents you as a professional. Please use the template below in constructing your resume.

• Name
• Current Address
• Preferred Phone
• Preferred Email

Educational Experiences:

• Degrees completed (including years) and institutions attended • Overall grade point average earned
• Overall grade point average earned
• Any academic honors or scholarships received

Employment Experience:

• Significant employment experiences, including work with children and/or young adults • Dates and duration of employment (beginning with most recent)
• Dates and duration of employment (beginning with most recent)
• Employer’s or company’s name(s)
• A brief description of the position you held and your major responsibilities

Community and/or Extra-Curricular Experiences:

Please list up to three significant extra-curricular and/or community activities, including any offices held. Please list:

• Dates and duration of activity (most recent to least recent)
• The sponsor of the activity
• A brief description of your role

Transcript Review for Content Area Requirement

Your transcripts must be reviewed by a faculty member in Secondary Education to confirm you have the required content area credit hours (24 credit hours with 12 at the 300-level or above) to enter this program.

On the application under Special Requirements, upload your Transcript Review Form completed by a Secondary Education Faculty Member.

Recommendations

Provide the names and emails of a minimum of three (3) persons to supply a reference for you. The UNM system will email these persons and request a review of your potential success as a teacher and a letter of recommendation. You may want to list up to 5 names and emails of references, as we cannot review your application until we have 2 completed references.

You DO NOT upload these letters of recommendation. You provide accurate email information and as stated above, the UNM system will email these persons. Inform your references they will receive an automated email from UNM. Their prompt response ensures a prompt review of your application. Alert your references that this email will be automatically sent from UNM as soon as you submit your application.

Each reference should check Junk and Spam folders if this email is not in their Inbox.

Once you complete your Graduate Certificate, you are encouraged to apply to the MA in Education and determine licensure coursework that can apply to the MA, in consultation with your MA Advisor.

Also, consider completing the 6-week, 9-hour TESOL Summer Institute to earn your TESOL Certificate.

• EDUC 502: Advanced Instructional Strategies* (*Note: You can work with your advisor to potentially substitute a Methods Class above for this Core Requirement and take another class. Faculty strongly recommend taking a special education course.)
• EDUC 552: Social Justice in Education
• EDUC 542: Principles of Curriculum Development
• RESEARCH COURSE:
  
  • EDUC 500: Research Applications to Education OR
  • EDUC 513: The Process of Reflection and Inquiry (513 is recommended—Action Research within your own classroom)
• EDUC 590: Seminar

*You have 7 years to complete your MA Degree from the first course taken that applies to your degree.