The English with Secondary Education Licensure major prepares qualified candidates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach secondary students, and to evidence Christian values in their personal and professional practice while respecting the exercise of individual moral decisions. The program provides an emphasis on language and literature. It enables students to communicate clearly and effectively and to develop skills in the interpretation and evaluation of literature. Candidates who successfully complete the major and pass required state licensure exams are eligible to receive an Illinois Professional Educator License for the high school grades 9-12. An endorsement for the middle grades (5 – 8) can be added be taking an additional course and passing a middle grades licensure exam.
Important note: Students may not double major in English with Secondary Education Licensure and Middle Grades English Education. The majors are too similar to constitute a double major.
Program Outcomes:
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with Secondary Education Licensure will:
- display thorough content knowledge to teach in their respective fields
- be able to plan, deliver and assess effective instructional experiences that align with learning standards, educational theory, and knowledge of student development
- exhibit appropriate professional dispositions that reflect the personal, professional, and practical components of teaching
- evidence Christian values in their personal and professional practice, while respecting the exercise of individual moral decisions
- address the differing needs of a diverse student population with professional competence, respect, and fairness
Additional Licensure Requirements
Candidates must pass the appropriate content area test(s), the teacher performance assessment (edTPA), and all required licensure tests in order to complete their program. Candidates are required to comply with all state requirements that are in place at the time of application for licensure. Consult the Division of Education for specific information.
Optional Additional Endorsement
A candidate may earn the Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement (an addition to the teaching license) by completing ED 330, ED 352, ED 353, and ED 354, and passing the appropriate Illinois Licensure Testing System exam. Earning this additional endorsement may be a good investment of elective credit hours for interested candidates, since LBS1 is currently a teaching shortage area throughout the state of Illinois.
Requirements total 86 hours. This includes 39 hours of English courses and 47 hours of professional education and required supporting courses.
Required English Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses for General Education | ||
| Critical Thinking and Writing | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| Genre Courses | ||
| ENG 222 | Studies in Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 224 | Studies in Drama | 3 |
| Skill Courses | ||
| ENG 336 | Creative Writing | 3 |
| COM 112 | Speech | 3 |
| ENG 210X | Business Communication | 3 |
| or ENG 240X | Writing for the Media I | |
| Period Courses | ||
| ENG 306 | Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENG 310 | Romantic Literature | 3 |
| Period and Author Courses | ||
| Choose one of the American literature courses, plus 9 additional hours. | 12 | |
| Classical Literature | ||
| Modern British Literature | ||
| Russian Literature | ||
| American Literature I: Puritanism Through Transcendentalism | ||
| American Literature II: Civil War Through Depression | ||
| Topics in Literature | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Discipline Specific Literature | ||
| ENG 360 | Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| Advanced Major Course | ||
| ENG 420 | Capstone Seminar in the British Novel | 3 |
| Professional Education Courses | ||
| ED 101 | Introduction to Teaching | 1 |
| ED 103 | Professional Skills for Teachers | 1 |
| ED 124 | Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 3 |
| ED 260X | Educational Psychology/Human Development | 3 |
| ED 306 | Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum | 3 |
| ED 309 | Foundations of Teaching English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ED 310 | General Teaching Methods | 2 |
| ED 311 | General Teaching Methods Pre-Clinical Experience | 1 |
| ED 330 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| ED 362 | Teaching English in Secondary School | 3 |
| ED 368 | Secondary Methods Pre-clinical Experience | 2 |
| ED 380 | Diversity in Education | 1 |
| ED 381 | Diversity Pre-clinical Experience | 1 |
| ED 413 | Clinical Practice in the Secondary School | 12 |
| ED 421 | Classroom Management | 1 |
| ED 422 | Advanced Seminar in Education | 2 |
| ED 430 | Educational Research and Assessment | 2 |
| PSY 337 | Psychology of Adolescence | 3 |
| Total Hours | 86 | |
