Earning a Teaching License at Grinnell College
As a student at Grinnell College, you may earn licensure in secondary education in at least one of the following disciplines:
- Art
- English
- Foreign Languages (Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, Spanish)
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, General Science, Physics)
- Social Studies (American Government, American History, Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, World History)
Simply majoring in one of these areas is NOT the same as earning an endorsement for licensure in that subject area. For licensure in any of the above mentioned subject areas, students must complete: 1) general course requirements 2) education course requirements and 3) subject-specific endorsement requirements. See the licensure requirements page for a listing of the various course requirements needed for licensure.
If you decide to pursue licensure, you will need to take a core of courses and 22-24 hours of education courses. To allow enough flexibility to complete a major and study off-campus, you should take our introductory course (EDU 101: Educational Principles in a Pluralistic Society) no later than the first semester of your sophomore year.
If you earn a license in one or more of the approved areas, you may want to earn licensure in a second teaching field to make you more employable. You can earn a second endorsement in any of the areas we offer as first licensure, but keep in mind that licensure in a second area is not possible without licensure in a major area. You can also earn an endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL) as a second endorsement area.
