Public affairs for secondary education

What is public affairs for secondary education?

Public affairs for secondary education is where you’ll learn to become a social studies teacher with a public and international affairs focus. This program blends James Madison College’s hands-on approach to public affairs with the course work and real-world teaching experience you need to become a certified secondary teacher in Michigan.

With this major, you’ll be ready to inspire the next generation of informed citizens.

What you'll learn

In this major, you’ll build knowledge and skills in:

• domestic and international public affairs;
• social studies education and teaching preparation;
• public affairs topics that match your teaching interests;
• real-world classroom practice needed for teacher certification in Michigan.

Why study public affairs for secondary education at MSU?

This public affairs major brings together knowledge from James Madison College, the College of Education and the College of Social Science to prepare you to be a skilled and confident educator.

You’ll start with core classes at James Madison College, where you’ll learn about domestic and international public affairs. Then, you’ll pick a specific concentration to focus on, so you can become an expert in an area that matches your teaching interests.

Specialized concentrations

Concentrations include:

• international relations;
• political theory and constitutional democracy;
• politics, rights and culture;
• social relations and policy.

Alumni pursuits

Graduates with this public affairs major can bring their teaching and public affairs background into classrooms, civic education work and policy-related settings. Some also continue their education in graduate programs in education, public policy or related fields.

Next steps