English for Secondary Teachers, Bachelor of Arts (561)
Program Coordinator
Leigh C. Johnson, leigh.johnson@wku.edu
The English for Secondary Teachers major prepares students for certification to teach grades 8-12. The major is well rounded, featuring work in literature, writing, language study, and allied language arts. It is structured to meet specific accreditation and certification requirements while still offering students choice in course selection.
Instead of a minor or second major requirement, this major includes a component of Professional Education courses, culminating in a semester of student teaching. In addition to the usual study-abroad opportunities available to students, a portion of the student teaching semester may be completed abroad.
Although the major is specifically aimed at preparing future secondary teachers, graduates are free to pursue other career paths appropriate for English majors, and they have the flexibility to go on to graduate study either in English or in education.
Program Requirements (54 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major in English for secondary teachers is intended for those seeking certification to teach in grades 8-12. It requires a minimum of 54 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. No minor or second major is required. (Teacher certification requires an additional 33 hours of education courses specified by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.) A grade of “C” or higher is required in all courses applying to the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ENG 104 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| ENG 204 | English Language | 3 |
| ENG 299 | Introduction to English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 301 | Argument and Analysis in Written Discourse | 3 |
| ENG 385 | Studies in World Literature | 3 |
| ENG 391 | Survey of American Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 410 | Composition Theory and Practice in Writing Instruction | 3 |
| ENG 416 | Literature/EST Capstone | 3 |
| COMM 145 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking and Communication | 3 |
| THEA 151 | Theatre Appreciation 1 | 3 |
| ENG 476 | Critical Approaches to Literature in the Secondary Curriculum | 3 |
| Literature Surveys | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Survey of British Literature I | ||
| Survey of British Literature II | ||
| Survey of American Literature II | ||
| Allied Language Arts | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Argumentation and Debate | ||
| Advanced Public Speaking | ||
| Introduction to News Writing | ||
| Play Production in the Schools | ||
| Theatre in Education | ||
| Writing Electives | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Digital Texts and Media | ||
| Intermediate Fiction Writing | ||
| Intermediate Poetry Writing | ||
| Creative Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Special Topics in Creative Writing | ||
| Drama Writing | ||
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Editing and Publishing | ||
| Writing and Technology | ||
| Literature Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Medieval Literature | ||
| Special Topics in Literature | ||
| Speculative Fiction | ||
| History of Drama to 1640 | ||
| History of Drama Since 1640 | ||
| Film Adaptation | ||
| Studies in Autobiography | ||
| Kentucky Literature | ||
| Contemporary U.S. Literature | ||
| Mythology | ||
| Hemingway and Faulkner | ||
| 19th Century American Literature | ||
| American Drama | ||
| British Literature Since 1900 | ||
| Modern Drama | ||
| Literary Theory and Criticism | ||
| Early Modern English Literature | ||
| Chaucer | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| British Romanticism | ||
| The Eighteenth Century | ||
| Dante’s Divine Comedy and Its Influences | ||
| Victorian Literature and Culture | ||
| The English Novel | ||
| The American Novel | ||
| American Poetry | ||
| Southern Literature | ||
| Literature of Diversity | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Queer Literature | ||
| U.S. Ethnic Literature | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Women’s Literature | ||
| Total Hours | 54 | |
NOTE: A former requirement—either CIS 141 or LME 448—is now recommended only for students who perceive a weakness in their technology skills.
Professional Education Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDU 250 | Discover Teaching: Introduction to Teacher Education | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Educational Psychology: Development and Learning | 3 |
| SEC 350 | Clinical Practices in Secondary Teaching I | 4 |
| EDU 350 | Student Diversity and Differentiation | 3 |
| EDU 360 | Behavior and Classroom Management in Education | 3 |
| SEC 450 | Clinical Practices in Secondary Teaching II | 1 |
| SEC 475 | Teaching Language Arts | 3 |
| EDU 260 | Classroom Assessment | 3 |
| SEC 490 | Student Teaching | 10 |
| EDU 489 | Student Teaching Seminar | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Total English with Secondary Certification: 88 hours
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| ENG 104 | 3 | ENG 204 | 3 |
| EDU 250 | 3 | EDU 260 | 3 |
| THEA 151 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| Natural & Physical Science & Lab | 3 | MATH 109 or MATH 116 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 299 | 3 | EDU 350 | 3 |
| ENG 300 | 3 | EDU 360 | 3 |
| ENG 385 or ENG 391 | 3 | ENG 385 or ENG 391 | 3 |
| ENG Survey (1 of 2: 381, 382, or 392) | 3 | ENG 301 | 3 |
| PSY 310 | 3 | Allied Language Arts (1 of 2) | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG Writing Elective (1 of 1) | 3 | SEC 350 | 4 |
| ENG Survey (2 of 2: 381, 382, or 392) | 3 | ENG 476 | 3 |
| Allied Language Arts (2 of 2) | 3 | ENG 410 | 3 |
| Social & Behavioral | 3 | ENG Literature of Diversity (1 of 1) | 3 |
| Natural & Physical Science (w/o Lab) | 3 | Connections: Systems | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENG 416 | 3 | SEC 490 | 10 |
| SEC 450 | 1 | EDU 489 | 3 |
| SEC 475 | 3 | ||
| ENG Literature Elective (1 of 1) | 3 | ||
| Connections: Social & Cultural | 3 | ||
| Connections: Local to Global | 3 | ||
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Total Hours 123 | |||