Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Contact: English Department
Location: Ross 1284
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: www.unco.edu/hss/english
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned English Education advisor each semester prior to registering. Assigned advisor is available through the English Department Office.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of six parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- English Education Credits
- Required Minor Credits
- Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits
- University-Wide Elective Credits
*For Educator licensure majors, PTEP coursework counts towards the minimum of nine upper-division UNC credits (300-400).
Program Description:
The English Education (EED) Major prepares its graduates to serve as secondary English/Language Arts teachers (grades 7-12). Students can choose from three concentration areas: EED: Language and Literature Concentration; EED: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education Concentration, or EED: Special Education Concentration. The program participates in the UNC/partner school program and supervises student teachers during their field experiences.
Program Admission Requirements:
Students must apply to and be admitted to the English Education program. In order to be considered for admission, students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Overall GPA of 3.00
- GPA in the Major of 3.00 with no grade lower than a "C" ("C-" is not acceptable)
- Completion of at least six (6) credits in ENG courses applicable to the major, including ENG195. (Students whose six credits include courses in which they are currently enrolled must include a completed "Student Status" form with their application materials.)
Completion of an application packet to EED that includes:
- An essay that will be used as a writing sample
- Recommendation Forms from two UNC faculty
- A copy of Degree Works that reflects student's GPA and completion of and/or enrollment in the required classes
- Progress report for any ENG courses in progress during the application period
- The Colorado Commission on Higher Education and this program require the completion of a yearly assessment of student progress. The progress of all EED teacher candidates will be reviewed annually to ensure compliance with program requirements
Complete admissions information and required documents are available on the English Department Page at www.unco.edu/hss/english.
PTEP Program Requirements:
Teacher candidates who complete an approved content degree and the UNC professional teacher education program, as well as pass the appropriate Colorado Department of Education designated PRAXIS exam (if applicable), will be eligible for recommendation from UNC for a Colorado Department of Education teaching license.
If you are seeking licensure in your program area, the following items are required to complete your program.
- Completion of Application for Initial Admission to PTEP – referred to as Checkpoint #1 (Enrollment in this checkpoint will result in a one-time program fee, assessed to student accounts to pay for assessment software. This checkpoint will also require an out-of-pocket payment - to the chosen approved vendor - to obtain a fingerprint background check, which is required by the Colorado Department of Education.)
- Completion of Full Admission to PTEP – referred to as Checkpoint #2
- Completion of Application for Student Teaching – referred to as Checkpoint #3
- Completion of content specific PRAXIS test prior to Student Teaching
- Candidates may not take extra courses with Student Teaching without prior approval from the Program Coordinator and the STE Director.
- All PTEP Field Experiences and methods courses need to be successfully completed prior to Student Teaching.
- Student Teaching outside the supervision of UNC Faculty may or may not be approved.
- Teacher Candidates will not be placed in a school where they were once students or where they have a close relative attending and/or working.
- Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field-based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.
Please work with your content advisor to determine when these requirements will be completed throughout your program.
Degree Requirements — 121 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 121 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the required major credits.
Completing LAC coursework outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
ENG 225: Issues in Education is recommended and will meet both the LAC Intermediate Composition and EED program requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
ENG 205 or ENG 262 and ENG 206, ENG 207, or ENG 236 and FILM 120 are recommended to fulfill Arts & Humanities requirements and will double count for the EED program requirements. ENG 207 and ENG 236 fulfill U.S. Multicultural Studies and ENG 205, ENG 206, and ENG 262 fulfill International Studies.
MAS 100 or PSY 247 are recommended to fulfill Social & Behavioral Sciences and will double count for the EED requirements.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. English Major Requirements — 39 credits
Required Courses — 9 credits
| ENG 195 | Introduction to the Discipline of English | 3 |
| ENG 225 | Communications on a ThemeLAW2 | 3 |
| ENG 295 | Approaches to Literary and Cultural Analysis | 3 |
Note: only ENG 225: Issues in Education will meet EED program requirements.
Category A: British Literature — 3 credits
Choose one of the following courses:
| ENG 380 | Medieval Literature | 3 |
| ENG 381 | Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENG 382 | Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature | 3 |
| ENG 383 | Romanticism | 3 |
| ENG 384 | Victorian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENG 385 | Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Literature | 3 |
Category B: American Literature — 3 credits
Choose one of the following courses:
| AFS 205 | Survey of African American LiteratureLAA2 | 3 |
| ENG 370 | Colonial American Literature, 1492-1800 | 3 |
| ENG 371 | Antebellum American Literature, 1800-1865 | 3 |
| ENG 372 | American Realism and the Making of America | 3 |
| ENG 373 | American Modernism and the Crisis of Representation | 3 |
| ENG 374 | American Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
Category C: World Literature — 3 credits
Choose one of the following courses:
| ENG 263 | Western World Literature ILAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 264 | Western World Literature IILAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 325 | Studies in Fantasy and Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 375 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
400-Level Elective — 3 credits
Choose one of the following courses:
Additional Electives — 18 credits
Choose three credits from ENG 205 or ENG 262 if not taken as part of the LAC. Choose three credits from ENG 206, ENG 207, or ENG 236 if not take as part of the LAC. Choose FILM 120 if not taken as part of the LAC. Remaining credits can be any 200-, 300-, or 400-level ENG, FILM, or HUM course.
| ENG 205 | World Folklore and Fairy TalesLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 262 | Masterpieces of World LiteratureLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 206 | Regional MythologiesLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 207 | Native American LiteratureLAA2LAMS | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 236 | Ethnic American LiteratureLAA2LAMS | 3 |
| FILM 120 | Introduction to FilmLAA1 | 3 |
| | Any 200-, 300-, or 400-level ENG, FILM, or HUM course | |
3. English Education — 21 credits
| EED 308 | Foundations of Teaching English Language Arts: Learners and the Learning Environment | 3 |
| EED 318 | Pedagogy and Practices in Social Emotional Learning | 3 |
| EED 402 | Methods of Teaching English Language Arts II: Enacting Pedagogy | 3 |
| MAS 100 | Introduction to Mexican American StudiesLAB3LAMS | 3 |
| | or | |
| MCS 101 | Multiculturalism in the United States: Concepts and Issues | 3 |
| EDSE 325 | Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I | 3 |
| ECLD 360 | Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
ECLD 360, along with MAS 100 or MCS 101, fulfills the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) requirements in culturally and linguistically diverse education.
4. Required Minor - Special Education — 12 credits
This concentration is designed for undergraduate students who desire a special education minor to accompany any major or teacher licensure program other than a special education program. Additional requirements in other special education programs must be met before students with a minor are eligible for special education licensure.
Note: EDSE 360 is required in the PTEP program, and EDSE 325 is required by the English Education program. Both of these courses double count with the Special Education Minor. The remaining 12 credits will be selected in consultation with your advisor.
For additional information, see the Special Education Minor requirements in the UNC catalog.
5. PTEP — 33 credits
Students are encouraged to review the policies and procedures for PTEP that are described on the School of Teacher website at https://www.unco.edu/cebs/teacher-education/undergraduate-programs/secondary-education/current-students/.
Phase I — 5 credits taken concurrently
| EDF 290 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| STEP 161 | Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching I | 2 |
Phase II — 8 credits taken concurrently
| EDSE 360 | Adaptation, Modification, and Integration of Curriculum for the Secondary Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| PSY 247 | Adolescent Learning and MotivationLAB3 | 3 |
| | or | |
| PSY 349 | Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
| STEP 262 | Observation and Analysis of Secondary Teaching II | 2 |
Note: PSY 247 can substitute for PSY 349 only if taken during Phase II of PTEP. EDSE 360 fulfills an elective option in the Special Education Minor.
Phase III — 8 credits taken concurrently
| ET 449 | Integrating Technologies into Secondary Education Pedagogy | 3 |
| STEP 363 | Clinical Experience: Secondary | 2 |
| ECLD 340 | Academic Language/Literacy Development in the Content Areas at the Secondary Level | 3 |
ECLD 340 may be taken outside of Phase III with EED advisor approval.
Phase IV — 12 credits
6. University-Wide Credits — 0 credits*
*Note: Students must apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum requirements and the major requirements to complete this degree program in 121 credit hours. This degree requires 0 university-wide electives and has received an exception from the CDHE to exceed the typical limit of 120 credit hours.
Program Notes:
- Admission to the English B.A., Secondary Teaching Program is by application. See Program Admission requirements above.
- Provisional admission to PTEP (Phases I and II) is by application to the School of Teacher Education. See Program Admission requirements above.
- Full Admission to PTEP (Phases III and IV) requires completion of at least 30 hours in the EED major with a grade point average overall and in the major of 3.0 (with no grade in the major lower than a C (C- is not acceptable). Majors receiving a grade of "C-" or lower must retake the course -- or an equivalent approved by the academic advisor -- and receive a grade of "C" or better to have the course counted toward the major.
- Admission to PTEP Phase IV/Student Teaching requires completion of all required courses (LAC, ENG, EED, and concentration area, if applicable), with a grade point average overall and in the major of 3.0 with no grade in the major lower than a C (C- is not acceptable). In addition, teacher candidates must earn a grade of B or better in all EED courses.
- Student progress will be assessed annually. Any student who fails to maintain the required GPA overall and in the major may be removed from the program. All English Education majors must demonstrate professional promise as a teacher to the satisfaction of the English and English Education faculty.