Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

English for Secondary Teachers, Bachelor of Arts (561)


Program Coordinator

William D. LeNoir, david.lenoir@wku.edu, (270) 745-5712

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.

Core Courses
ENG 104Introduction to Linguistics3
ENG 204English Language3
ENG 299Introduction to English Studies3
ENG 301Argument and Analysis in Written Discourse3
ENG 385Studies in World Literature3
ENG 391Survey of American Literature I3
ENG 410Composition Theory and Practice in Writing Instruction3
ENG 416Literature/EST Capstone3
COMM 145Fundamentals of Public Speaking and Communication3
THEA 151Theatre Appreciation 13
ENG 476Critical Approaches to Literature in the Secondary Curriculum3
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 Hours54
1

COMM 145 and THEA 151 also count as Colonnade courses.

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

EDU 250Discover Teaching: Introduction to Teacher Education3
PSY 310Educational Psychology: Development and Learning3
SEC 350Clinical Practices in Secondary Teaching I4
EDU 350Student Diversity and Differentiation3
EDU 360Behavior and Classroom Management in Education3
SEC 450Clinical Practices in Secondary Teaching II1
SEC 475Teaching Language Arts3
EDU 260Classroom Assessment3
SEC 490Student Teaching10
EDU 489Student Teaching Seminar3
Total Hours36

Total English with Secondary Certification: 88 hours

Finish in Four Plan

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG 1003ENG 2003
ENG 1043ENG 2043
EDU 2503EDU 2603
THEA 1513COMM 1453
Natural & Physical Science & Lab3MATH 109 or MATH 1163
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG 2993EDU 3503
ENG 3003EDU 3603
ENG 385 or ENG 3913ENG 385 or ENG 3913
ENG Survey (1 of 2: 381, 382, or 392)3ENG 3013
PSY 3103Allied Language Arts (1 of 2)3
HIST 101 or HIST 1023 
 18 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG Writing Elective (1 of 1)3SEC 3504
ENG Survey (2 of 2: 381, 382, or 392)3ENG 4763
Allied Language Arts (2 of 2)3ENG 4103
Social & Behavioral3ENG Literature of Diversity (1 of 1)3
Natural & Physical Science (w/o Lab)3Connections: Systems3
 15 16
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG 4163SEC 49010
SEC 4501EDU 4893
SEC 4753 
ENG Literature Elective (1 of 1)3 
Connections: Social & Cultural3 
Connections: Local to Global3 
 16 13
Total Hours 123