Secondary Education Major - English
Program Director: Wayne H. Slater, Ph.D.
English Education (Grades 7-12)
This double major is designed for students seeking certification to teach English (English Language Arts) in grades 7-12. The curriculum includes a range of courses that provide future educators with the background they need to teach English at the secondary level, including a rigorous foundation in British and American literary history and a substantive knowledge of language, writing, and rhetorical studies. Completion of the English and professional education courses with field experiences in diverse school settings results in the awarding of a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with a double major in English and Secondary Education. The program also meets the teaching certification or licensure requirements for the State of Maryland and most other states.
Secondary Education Pathways
The Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership offers undergraduate curricula in secondary education that lead to the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree and prepares teachers in various subject areas for teaching in middle schools, secondary schools (grades 7-12), and PreK-12 settings (Art and World Languages).
Multiple pathways are available for individuals who are interested in teaching at the secondary level:
The Dual Major option, which is designed for incoming freshmen or sophomores, leads to the Bachelor's degree with a major in an academic content area plus a second major in secondary education. All secondary majors are required to have an academic content major which satisfies the requirements of the academic department and meets the standards for teacher certification. Candidates who follow the proposed sequencing of courses can complete both majors in four years with careful advisement and scheduling;
The five-year Integrated Master's with certification program. See http://www.education.umd.edu/MCERT/.
Graduates of the Secondary Education programs meet the requirements for certification in Maryland and additional states that are affiliated with the Interstate Reciprocity Agreement through the Maryland State Department of Education.
Note: For more information on the Mathematics Education and Science Education programs, please visit the Terrapin Teachers website http://terrapinteachers.umd.edu.
Admission to the Major
Admission to the Teacher Education Professional Program is competitive. Admission procedures and criteria can be found on the College of Education, College Requirements tab.
Placement in Courses
The Secondary Education programs include both pre-professional and professional education course work. Before undergraduates may enroll in courses identified as part of the professional sequence, they must complete the selective admissions requirements and be fully admitted to the College of Education's Teacher Education program. Admission procedures and criteria are explained in the College of Education entry. Teacher candidates will not be permitted to enroll in professional sequence courses — including the yearlong internship — prior to completion of the selective admissions requirements and full admission to the College of Education.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Secondary Education teacher candidates have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they teach as described in professional (e.g., National Council of Teachers of English - NCTE, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - NCTM, etc.); state (MSDE); and, institutional standards.
- Secondary Education teacher candidates can effectively plan classroom-based instruction or activities for their roles as teachers. Candidates' knowledge, skills, and dispositions are applied effectively in practice.
- Secondary Education teacher candidates practice evidence-based decision-making through the use of assessment as well as the critical interpretation of research and inquiry in order to improve educational practice. They accurately assess and analyze student learning, make appropriate adjustments to instruction, monitor student learning, and have a positive effect on learning for all students.
- Secondary Education teacher candidates demonstrate understanding of learners and their social and cultural contexts with a global perspective and intentional sensitivity to other cultures. They are able to work with students, families, and communities in ways that reflect the dispositions expected of professional educators as delineated in professional (e.g., NCTE, NCTM, etc.); state (MSDE); and, institutional standards.
- Secondary Education teacher candidates competently integrate technology in instruction to support student learning and develop data-driven solutions for instructional and school improvement. They demonstrate proficiency in each of the seven Maryland Teacher Technology Standards.
All Teacher Education Programs have designated pre-professional courses and a specified sequence of professional courses. Before undergraduates may enroll in professional education course requirements they must be fully admitted to the College of Education's Teacher Education Program. An overall grade point average of 2.75 must be maintained after admission to Teacher Education. All teacher candidates are required to obtain satisfactory evaluations on the College of Education Foundational Competencies/Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) standards and to attain qualifying scores for the State of Maryland on a test of basic skills (Praxis CORE, SAT, ACT or GRE) and Praxis II assessments. The test of basic skills is required for admission, and Praxis II is required for the teaching internship and graduation. The culminating experience of the program is the yearlong internship, which takes place in a public Collaborating School (i.e., partner school, PDS - Professional Development School).
The department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership offers a variety of secondary education programs-tracks leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. Teacher candidates who complete a secondary education program at UM meet the Maryland State Department of Education requirements for the Professional Eligibility Certificate. Consult the Curriculum and Instruction program advisor for updated information.
Secondary Math Education and Science Education are part of Terrapin Teachers, an innovative program designed to produce a new generation of highly qualified instructors in STEM subjects. In this program, you can earn a STEM degree PLUS eligibility for certification as a middle or high school teacher. For more information about this program please visit our website at the following link: tt.umd.edu.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| College Requirements | ||
| Pre-Professional/Subject Area Courses | ||
| Students must successfully complete the following five elements: 1 | ||
| ELEMENT 1: This is English | 3 | |
| This is English: Fields and Methods | ||
| ELEMENT 2: Historical Studies | 15 | |
| Students must take 1 course in at least 5 out of these 6 historical periods: | ||
Beginning and Medieval | ||
Early Modern | ||
Eighteenth Century | ||
Nineteenth Century | ||
Twentieth Century | ||
Contemporary | ||
| ELEMENT 3: Language, Writing, and Rhetoric | 9 | |
| Students must take 1 course in each of following topics, leaving the remaining 3 credits open for any language, writing, or rhetoric course: | ||
History, Analysis, and Theory | ||
Practice, Performance, and Pedagogy | ||
| ELEMENT 4: Electives | 12 | |
| To allow students to explore additional topics, skills, and encounters of interest, the major includes elective credits, which may be filled by any ENGL or CMLT course. | ||
| ELEMENT 5: Perspectives, Methods, Writing, and Preparation for the Core Curriculum | ||
| This element is a set of co-requirements, meaning that these should be fulfilled in the process of completing Elements 2-4 of the major. That is, students may count the same course toward one co-requirement and one requirement in Elements 2-4. | ||
American Literature: Future educators in the Common Core Curriculum require a knowledge of American literary history, so students are required to take at least one course on American literature. | ||
Shakespeare: Future educators need to be prepared to teach Shakespeare’s works, so students will take at least one course on Shakespeare. | ||
Differences and Diasporas: Students will take at least one course focusing on minority and other non-dominant voices pertaining to forms of social difference, such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, and disability. | ||
Methods: Students will take at least 1 course that foregrounds major approaches within English Studies, including, poetics, critical theory, discourse analysis, critical making, and more. | ||
Advanced Writing: To ensure that students have dedicated time, space, and guidance in composition and analysis, they must take at least one course designated as Advanced Writing. 2 | ||
| Pre-Professional/Education Courses | ||
| COMM230 | Argumentation and Debate | 3 |
| or COMM330 | Argumentation and Public Policy | |
| or COMM402 | Communication Theory and Process | |
| EDHD413 | Adolescent Development | 3 |
| EDHD426 | Cognitive and Motivational Literacy Content | 3 |
| TLPL488 | Special Topics in Education (TLPL488B Teaching Academically, Culturally, and Linguistically Diverse Students in Secondary Eductation) | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Foundations of Education | ||
| Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Education | ||
| Professional Education Courses | ||
| TLPL457 | Literature for Adolescents | 3 |
| TLPL456 | Teaching Writing 3 | 3 |
| TLPL451 | Teaching and Learning in Secondary Education: English | 3 |
| TLPL452 | Bases for English Language Instruction | 3 |
| TLPL479 | Field Experiences in Education (TLPL479C Field Experience in English Teaching) 3 | 2 |
| TLPL300 | Digital Learning Tools and Communities | 1 |
| TLPL478 | Professional Seminar in Education 4 | 2 |
| TLPL489 | Internship in Education 4 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 82 | |
- 1
See https://go.umd.edu/EnglishEducation for an up-to-date list of approved courses.
- 2
Students cannot count their Fundamental Studies Professional Writing course toward this requirement (or toward the double major more generally).
- 3
TLPL479C and TLPL456 taken concurrently
- 4
TLPL478C and TLPL489C taken concurrently
For more information on the sequence of pre-professional and professional courses, consult the Curriculum and Instruction program advisor.
Click here for roadmaps for four-year plans in the College of Education.
Additional information on developing a four-year academic plan can be found on the following pages:
- http://4yearplans.umd.edu
- the Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy section of this catalog