B.Ed. in Secondary Education Degree

Why Study Secondary Education at ORU?

Love working with teens? Want to mentor youth and make a lasting impact in middle or high school? Passionate about your subject area? ORU’s Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Secondary Education prepares you to teach upper-level students in public or private schools while inspiring them to grow academically and personally.

Choose from five concentration areas for grades 6–12, including English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Speech, Drama & Debate—or Art for grades K–12.

Develop your expertise, strengthen your teaching skills, and become a Spirit-empowered educator ready to lead and influence the next generation.

Start your journey in secondary education at ORU today!

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Flexible Study Options

ON CAMPUS

Experience hands-on learning, face-to-face interaction, and vibrant community life at our main campus.

ORU FLEX

Join live, scheduled classes online with real-time interaction and a structured learning environment.

ONLINE

Access coursework anytime, anywhere—perfect for self-paced learning and flexible schedules.

When you serve, you have to be careful not to exhaust the people at the expense of actually serving them. At ORU, we focus so much on meeting the needs of those we serve and leaving them better than we found them.

Gabe Frohlich

California

Concentrations

Art

Inspire creativity and artistic expression in students from kindergarten to high school. This concentration equips you with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach visual arts while integrating faith, imagination, and technique in the classroom. Please note, this degree program must be completed residentially.

English

Prepare to inspire a love for literature and language in middle and high school students. This concentration equips you with the skills to teach grammar, writing, and literary analysis through a biblical lens.

Mathematics

Develop the knowledge and tools to make math meaningful and accessible for middle and high schoolers. This concentration prepares you to teach key mathematical concepts while integrating critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.

Science

Explore the wonders of God’s creation and help students do the same in secondary classrooms. With a focus on biology, this concentration prepares you to teach scientific principles with clarity and purpose.

Social Studies

Lead students in understanding history, government, geography, and economics from a biblical worldview. This concentration equips you to teach critical social concepts and inspire civic engagement amongst adolescent learners.

Speech, Drama, and Debate

Foster confident communication and creative expression in the next generation. This concentration trains you to teach public speaking, performance, and debate with excellence and faith-based values. Please note, this degree program must be completed residentially.

Secondary Education courses offered

As an ORU secondary education teacher candidate, you’ll gain expertise in key areas of the field, including:

Whole Child Education
Innovative Secondary Teaching Methods
Inclusion & Individualization
Classroom Leadership

Secondary Literacy Intervention
Multiple Pre-Clinical Courses
Two Student Teaching Placements
Plus, specialty courses for your concentration

Degree Path

View your Degree Path For Secondary Education

Tuition and Scholarships

Nearly 100% of our full-time, undergraduate residential students receive ORU grants and scholarships through academic achievement and through ORU’s premier Quest Whole Leader Scholarship. To learn about general scholarships and financial aid information, visit our financial aid page. The College of Education also offers program-specific scholarships every spring. and you can earn up to $5,000 each academic year. Ask your Admissions Representative how to apply!

Explore Tuition & Aid Inspire to Teach Grant

Careers with an Education Degree

Secondary Education Careers Example Image

As an ORU secondary education graduate, you'll enjoy careers such as:

Middle School Subject Area Teacher (6-8)
High School Subject Area Teacher (9-12)
Curriculum Developer
Instructional Designer

Missionary Educator
International School Teacher
Youth Program Coordinator
Youth Ministry Leader

Program Features

Aligned with state and national standards, graduates have the opportunity to apply for certification upon completion of the program. Applicants must complete the program, all key assessments and benchmarks included in the program, be admitted to the Professional Education Program, and pass the designated certification exams required by the state of Oklahoma. Because Oklahoma participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, candidates are eligible to transfer their teaching certificate to other member states, pending that state’s specific requirements.

Candidates in the College of Education gain hands-on experience through pre-clinical placements in local schools, which is incorporated into their curriculum. These pre-clinicals allow future educators to apply their training in real classrooms under the guidance of experienced teachers. Most teacher candidates are enrolled in at least one pre-clinical each semester during the matriculation of their degree, and can earn anywhere from 60 to 120 hours before student teaching!

Candidates experience hands-on learning in our innovative Zoom Room designed for interactive teaching, collaboration, and virtual field experiences that prepare you for today’s connected classrooms.

Teacher candidates complete two student teaching placements, or clinicals, at two different schools in two different grades. For secondary education, both clinicals will take place in the concentration, but one clinical is a middle school placement, and the other clinical is a high school placement. These final clinical experiences build confidence and often lead directly to job offers after graduation!

Candidates complete a 16-week micro-credential aligned with Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act (SB 362) preparing teacher candidates to support adolescent readers in grades 4–12. Grounded in the science of reading, it covers phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Includes assessment, intervention design, classroom application, and a Credly badge for evidence-based literacy expertise. For more information, click here.

The Fifth-Year Mentoring Program, founded by Dr. Charlene Martin, provides continued support for our graduates during their first and second years in the classroom (the fifth year)…at no cost. Each new teacher is paired with a dedicated mentor, a former faculty member who offers both academic support and emotional guidance. Through social gatherings and professional development sessions, the program fosters positive self-efficacy, resilience, and success in the early years of teaching.

ORU's Fast Track program offers you the opportunity to complete up to 12 hours of graduate course work as an undergraduate student—with no additional cost!

Fast Track program

The College of Education is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and by the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA). It is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE).

MEET YOUR FACULTY

At ORU, our secondary education faculty are passionate educators and mentors who bring years of classroom experience and academic expertise into every course. Whatever concentration you choose, our faculty will walk alongside you with personalized guidance, helping you develop the skills, confidence, and calling needed to thrive in today’s classrooms.

Get to know your faculty

Bachelor of Education inSecondary Education

Why Study Secondary Education at ORU?