We have temporarily suspended applications to the Secondary Education joint degree program.
In collaboration with the Department of Education, English majors may follow a joint program as a preparation for teaching at the high school level. English majors who wish to avail themselves of this choice should consult the undergraduate advisers for both departments as soon as possible in their undergraduate careers.
The Department of Education offers interested English majors three programs in Secondary Education:
English and Secondary Education
The double major in English and Secondary Education requires ten courses in addition to the twelve required for the English major. Since it is the most demanding and least flexible of the joint programs, students should carefully consider whether one of the other options might be more appropriate.
Suggested sequence of courses:
Freshman Year: Survey of British Literature (ENG 231 and 232)
Sophomore Year: Chaucer (ENG 351 or 352), Shakespeare (ENG 461), Survey of American Literature (ENG 235 and 236), EDUC 251, 361
Junior Year: Two (of three) genre courses (ENG 331, 332, and 333), Grammar or Linguistics (Eng 324 or 325), one course in world literature, Speech (DR 102 or 205), EDUC 586, and one course in teaching methods
Senior Year: Senior Seminar (ENG 431 / 432), a writing course (ENG 326 or 327), EDUC 597, 598, 599
English Major with Teacher Certification
This program allows students to obtain teaching certification by the time they graduate. In addition to completing all requirements for the English major, students take 12-15 credits of coursework in education and a full semester of student teaching.
Applications to the program are accepted at the end of the sophomore year. Admission requirements include an overall GPA of 2.5, a GPA in English of 2.75, successful completion of Praxis I exams, and two letters of recommendation.
English Major with Education Minor
The minor in Secondary Education is designed for those who may be interested in teaching in private, parochial, or non-traditional settings. Although the program does not include an opportunity for student teaching or licensure, students will take courses in the Secondary Education sequence and participate in field experiences.
Students with a major in English and a minor in Secondary Education may be eligible for a one-year MA program with teaching certification. Applicants to the MA program must have a 3.0 overall GPA and a 2.75 GPA in English, satisfactory scores on the GRE or the Miller Analogies Test, three letters of recommendation, and a completed graduate application.