Major in English with a Teacher Education Emphasis (5-12)
Plan A (2012-2014 Undergraduate Catalog)

This is the English portion of the Minnesota Teacher Licensure in Communication Arts and Literature, which prepares students for teaching middle and secondary school. This version of the English major requires courses in linguistics, literature, writing, and writing pedagogy. It requires, therefore, early and careful planning.

Download a Degree Planning Worksheet (2010-2012 catalog)
Download a Degree Planning Worksheet (2012-2014 catalog)

English Coursework (44 credits/11 courses at 4-credits each)

Core Courses from 2012-2014 Undergraduate Catalog

Under this sequence, students enroll in two 4-credit courses:

First Course
ENGL 121 Critical Thinking: Literature and Writing (4 credits)

Second Course (choose one of the following courses)
ENGL 201 Texts in Conversation: Perspectives on Genre and Craft (4 credits)
ENGL 202 Texts in Conversation: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (4 credits)
ENGL 203 Texts in Conversation: Thematic and Intertextual Perspectives (4 credits)
ENGL 204 Texts in Conversation: Perspectives on Language, Culture, and Literacy (4 credits)

Students with qualifying ACT scores can complete the core requirement in literature and writing by taking the following sequence: 

One ENGL 201-204 Texts in Conversation course (4 credits) 
plus
One of the following 4-credit literature courses in English: ENGL 211, 212, 214, 215, 217, 218, 220, 221, 222, 297, 324, 325, 334, 337, 341, 361, 362, 364, 365, 366, 367, 370, 371, 372, 373, 390, and 395 or two 2-credit ENGL 295 courses during J-Term.

In addition to the above core curriculum courses, you must also select courses that fulfill each of the following four area distribution requirements:

• ENGL 211 British Authors I
  (Usually offered in the fall semester; 4 credits)
  or
  ENGL 212 British Authors II
  (Usually offered in the spring semester; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 214 American Authors I
  (Usually offered in the spring semester; 4 credits)
  or
  ENGL 215 American Authors II
  (Usually offered in the fall semester; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 217 Multicultural Literature
  (Usually offered in the fall semester; 4 credits)
  or
  ENGL 218 Literature by Women: Critical History
  (Usually offered in the spring semester; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 220 The Classical Tradition
  (Usually offered in the fall semester; 4 credits)
  or
  ENGL 221 The Modern Tradition
  (Usually offered in the spring semester; 4 credits)
  
  All of the following courses are required:
• ENGL 300 Theory and Practice of Writing
  (Usually offered in the fall and spring semester; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 305 Linguistics: English Language
  (Usually offered in the fall semester; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 361 Shakespeare and the Early Modern Period
  (Usually offered in the spring semester and occasionally in Summer Session I; 4 credits)
  
• ENGL 380 Issues in English Studies
  (Usually offered in the fall and spring semester; 4 credits)
  
  You must also complete one of the following:
• Four additional credits EITHER in English at the 300 or 400 level or COJO 326 Modern American Rhetoric or COJO 328 Communication of Race, Class & Gender

Communication and Journalism Coursework (16 credits/ 4 courses at 4-credits each)

COJO 100 Public Speaking (4 credits)*
COJO 211 Communication Theories and Methods (4 credits)*
COJO 212 Rhetorical Criticism (4 credits)*
COJO 260 Electronic Media Production (4 credits)*

*To register for COJO courses without the prerequisite of COJO 111 Communication and Citizenship, please contact the faculty member teaching the course in advance of registration. COJO 111 is not required for licensure, but a student completing COJO 111 and one of COJO 326 or 328 together with the COJO courses required for licensure will have completed a minor in Communication and Journalism. 

Education Coursework (34 credits/Courses vary in credits)

It is recommended that students take Education courses in the following sequence:

EDUC 210 Education's Place in Society (4 credits)
     NOTE: 30 hour field experience must be completed during this course
EDUC 212 Human Relations & Multicultural Education (4 credits)
     NOTE: Cross-listed during the summer with TEGR 512
Basic Skills Test (MTLE) or other Minnesota BOT approved exams for licensure required for admission to the program

EDUC 330 Psychology for Teaching and Learning (4 credits)
     PREREQUISITE: EDUC 210
EDUC 332 Field Experience II: Learning and Teaching (0 credits)
     NOTE: This 30 hour field experience must be taken concurrently with EDUC 330
EDUC 355 Reading for the 5-12 Teacher (4 credits)
     PREREQUISITE: EDUC 210; Usually offered in late afternoon/evening; also offered in summer

EDUC 316 Curriculum and Methods for Communication Arts and Literature (5-12) (4 credits)
     PREREQUISITE: EDUC 330 & Education program admittance; meets late afternoon once
     a week
EDUC 336 Field Experience III: Communication Arts and Literature (0 credits)
     NOTE: This 30 hour field experience must be taken concurrently with EDUC 316
EDUC 345 Adolescent Literature (2 credits)
     PREREQUISITE: EDUC 210; Usually offered in late afternoon/evening
Pedagogy and Content Tests (MTLE) or other Minnesota BOT approved exams required for licensure.  

In order to student teach and complete the Education program, the English major and EDUC 316 and EDUC 336 must already be completed.

EDUC 456 Inclusive School Communities (2 credits)
     NOTE: Portions of this course are completed in earlier Education courses
EDUC 460 Clinical Practice: Student Teaching and Seminar (10 credits)
Demonstrated competence on all state required standards

Important Note Regarding Plan A Credit Hours

Because of the number of courses required under Plan A, it is difficult for students to graduate in four years unless they take twenty credits worth of coursework instead of the standard sixteen credits during the regular semester and/or do coursework in J-Term or Summer Session I and/or II.

Under Plan A, students earn more than the minimum 132 credits required for a baccalaureate degree at St. Thomas; in most cases, students will earn anywhere from 142 credits (34 in Education, 44 in English, 20 in Communication and Journalism, and 44 in general education) to 154 credits for those that have not already fulfilled their Foreign Language requirement (an additional 12 credits). Those who prefer to begin their teacher licensure at the undergraduate level and complete it at the post-baccalaureate level should consider Plan B.

Have additional questions?

Please contact Dr. Brenda Powell in the English Department.