Master of Arts in Secondary Teaching and Learning

The MA in Secondary Teaching and Learning supports early-career, secondary public school teachers to engage in critical inquiry about their teaching practice and to deepen and strengthen their equity-focused and inclusive pedagogy, as well as curricular design for social justice. The program includes support for students (who are teachers) to:

  1. Deepen and expand their commitments to and engagement with theories and practices of teaching, learning, and public education. 

  2. Develop and analyze artifacts of their teaching practice in relation to relevant curricular and pedagogical issues.

  3. Design and implement curriculum that engages with current educational theory; student-centered, equity-focused, culturally responsive pedagogy; and backwards curriculum design. 

  4. Develop action research projects, which they conduct in their own classrooms.  

  5. Compile a portfolio, chronicling their development as educational thinkers and instructional leaders.

Admissions requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Additional entrance requirements include:

  • A 3.0 GPA in the undergraduate degree or last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted, including credential courses.

  • A valid preliminary or clear single subject or multiple subject teaching credential OR concurrent enrollment in a credential program in the SFSU Department of Elementary or Secondary Education. 

  • Evidence of employment as a full or part-time teacher or evidence of permission to work on a regular basis within a school setting through a volunteer program or other agreement.

  • Evidence of written English proficiency.

Students who are seeking their preliminary Single Subject Credential may apply to the MA in Secondary Teaching and Learning concurrently with their application to the credential program in the Department of Secondary Education.

For San Francisco State students: Up to 18 units of courses in the single subject credential post-baccalaureate program can be counted towards the MA in Secondary Teaching and Learning.

External applicants: Students who completed a post-baccalaureate single subject credential at an institution other than SFSU will work with an advisor to identify courses that can be counted towards the MA, but may be required to complete additional courses at SFSU to meet the residency requirement for an MA.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One

Written English proficiency will be assessed on the Personal Statement, submitted to the department as part of the application.
Students admitted conditionally or not meeting the written English proficiency standards must demonstrate that they have met the Level One Written English proficiency requirement by successfully completing the final assignment in S ED 770 and/or S ED 780.

Level Two

Writing proficiency, information literacy, and qualitative/quantitative reasoning will be assessed based on a portfolio assessment developed across S ED 770, S ED 774, and S ED 780, and submitted as the culminating experience for S ED 890.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze artifacts of their teaching practice in relation to relevant curricular and pedagogical issues.
  2. Design and implement curriculum engaging with current educational theory; student-centered, equity-focused, culturally responsive pedagogy; and backwards curriculum design.
  3. Conduct action research projects in their own classrooms.

Secondary Teaching and Learning (M.A.) – 30 Units

Up to 18 units of courses in the SFSU single subject credential post-baccalaureate program can be counted towards the MA. Students who completed a single subject credential at an institution other than SFSU will work with an advisor to identify courses that can be counted towards the MA, but may be required to complete additional courses at SFSU to meet the residency requirement for an MA.

Core (24 Units)

S ED 701Teaching for Equity in Secondary Schools3
S ED 720Critical and Digital Literacy Across Content Areas3
S ED 751Classroom Environment and Management3
S ED 752Professional Perspectives and Practices3
S ED 770Current Issues in Secondary Education3
S ED 774Teacher Research Methodologies3
S ED 780Advanced Curriculum Development3
S ED 790Teaching Multilingual Learners in Secondary Schools3

Curriculum and Instruction (3 units)

Select One:

EDUC 750Curriculum and Instruction in Art3
ENG 713Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction in English I3
KIN 750Curriculum and Instruction I: Physical Education3
MLL 750Curriculum and Instruction I: World Languages3
MUS 760Curriculum and Instruction I: Music3
S ED 759Curriculum and Instruction I3

Culminating Experience (3 units)

S ED 890Culminating Experience Seminar3