English Major in English Language Arts Middle/High School Teaching License (6-12) / Bachelor of Arts
Total Credit Hours: 128
Major Credit Hours: 44-46
The Department of English features a fully approved English Language Arts program that prepares candidates to teach grades 6-12 in Illinois public and private schools. The program is approved by the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education and includes all the requirements for a major in English Language Arts. English majors specializing in Concentration One: English Language Arts must declare a major in Secondary Education. See advisors in the Department of English and College of Education for specific approval and a list of required courses.
Degree Requirements
Teacher Candidates seeking a Professional Educator License with a English Language Arts Endorsement must complete the following coursework in the content area as well as professional education courses. For a detailed description of the courses, please click on the appropriate link. Only grades of “C” and above are acceptable in professional education courses and in any courses counted toward any endorsement or certificate. A “C-” or lower grade will require that the course be repeated.
I. Core Courses in English Language Arts Teacher Licensure (44-46)
A. Required Courses in Literature
| 06-235 | U.S. Literature: Beginnings to 1865 | 3 |
| 06-236 | U.S. Literature: 1865 to Present | 3 |
| 06-237 | British Literature: Beginnings to 1800 | 3 |
| 06-238 | British Literature: 1800 to Present | 3 |
| 06-250 | Introduction to Textual Studies | 3 |
| 06-338 | Teaching Young Adult Literature | 3 |
| 06-360 | Shakespeare | 3 |
B. Required Courses in Language and Writing
Students may attempt to test out of
06-315.
Choose one course on the Structure of Language:
| 06-314 | Linguistics | 3 |
21-YYY
| Second of two semesters of a Foreign Language | 3 |
| 54-202 | Sign Language I | 3 |
| 70-200 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
Second-Semester Foreign Language courses include but are not limited to 21-104 First-Year Spanish 2, 21-204 Spanish for Heritage Speakers 2, 21-108 First-Year Arabic 2, 21-112 First-Year Chinese 2, 21-114 First-Year Japanese 2, 21-118 First-Year Polish 2, 21-122 First-Year Russian 2, 21-124 First-Year French 2, 21-126 First-Year Italian 2, 21-128 First-Year German 2, and so forth.
C. Advanced Writing Requirement: choose one of the following:
| 06-300 | Introduction to Professional Writing | 3 |
| 06-301 | Rhetoric for Writers | 3 |
| 06-302 | Writing in the Disciplines | 3 |
| 06-306 | Editing for Publishing | 3 |
| 06-307 | The Electronic Word: Computers and Writing in Theory and Practice | 3 |
| 06-308 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| 06-309 | Topics in Writing | 3 |
| 06-310 | Advanced Writing | 3 |
| 06-311 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| 06-312 | Intermediate Workshop in Creative Writing | 3 |
(Courses listed above fulfill the University’s General Education advanced writing requirement for English majors.)
D. Multicultural Literature: choose one of the following:
| 06-334 | Non-Western Literature | 3 |
| 06-339 | Topics in World Authors | 3 |
| 06-346 | Topics in Ethnic and Immigrant Literatures | 3 |
| 06-347 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| 06-348 | African American Literature | 3 |
| 06-356 | Post-Colonial Literatures in English | 3 |
E. Advanced Study in Literature: choose one of the following:
| 06-341 | Advanced Study in Early U.S. Literature | 3 |
| 06-343 | Advanced Study in 19th-Century U.S. Literature | 3 |
| 06-345 | Advanced Study in Modern and Postmodern U.S. Literature | 3 |
| 06-351 | Advanced Study in Early British Literature | 3 |
| 06-353 | Advanced Study in 18th- and 19th-Century British Literature | 3 |
| 06-355 | Advanced Study in Modern and Postmodern British Literature | 3 |
F. Required Capstone Experiences
| 06-420 | Literary Theory and Criticism | 3 |
| 06-380 | The ePortfolio Seminar | 1 |
G. English Elective: choose one of the following:
| 06-234 | Introduction to Poetry | 3 |
-
| OR | |
| 06-270 | Introduction to Film Studies | 3 |
-
| OR | |
06-361 to 06-499
| (exclusive of 06-380 and 06-420) | 3 |
H. In consultation with their advisors in the Department of English, majors must submit an ePortfolio of writing for review. The ePortfolio represents assignments and projects completed in courses. Students should register to take 06-380 ePortfolio during the final semester before graduation; i.e., the semester in which they plan to graduate. Further information can be obtained from the student’s advisor and the department chair.
II. Please see Secondary Education / Bachelor of Arts for required Education courses.