We offer a BA in English with a Certification in Secondary Education. Take classes in the English and Modern Languages Department and in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.
Full Time
Rolling AdmissionBachelor of Arts
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If you are interested in teaching English at the secondary level, UHart offers a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Certification in Secondary Education. Take classes in the English and Modern Languages Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and in the Department of Education in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.
The program prepares you for initial certification and the English endorsement for grades 7–12. You take a full-semester of integrated instruction and experience in an urban or suburban public school setting under the supervision and guidance of clinical professors and a trained cooperating teacher.
The curriculum features a combination of English courses and education courses in a structured program that includes practice teaching.
In your English classes, work with award-winning published authors and poets who share your passion for teaching. In your education classes, acquire the qualities and expertise that make a great teacher such as:
The education curriculum gives you a theoretical base according to the state requirements, and a practical application of carefully considered educational principles. In addition, you receive a solid grounding in the essentials of the subject matter that you will go on to teach.
You must complete 36 credits in English courses, and 63 credits of professional education requirements. These include two required English courses, as well as 14 education courses. In addition, you take courses in literature, grammar or history of the language, cultural diversity and psychology and more. To see a complete listing of classes, visit the Course Catalog.
Students must complete two upper level literature, one poetry, one cultural diversity, one adolescent literature, and a senior capstone course. Examples include:
Rebellion to Restoration: 17th-Century British Literature
Satire and Sentiment, 1660-1800
American Poetry
African American Women Writers
Literature for the Adolescent Reader
For more information, and to see a complete list of degree requirements, visit the Course Catalog.
In addition to general education courses, you must complete 63 credits to meet requirements for secondary education. Examples include:
There is also a secondary English education major with an urban emphasis to prepare you for teaching positions in urban school settings. You select certain courses from a specific list of options to complete general education requirement and English coursework.
For more information, and to see a complete list of secondary education courses, visit the Course Catalog.
Bachelor of Arts in English students will:
BA in English - Secondary Education students will:
English-Secondary Education , '25
MaKenna says the tutoring and teaching experiences she has had in the English-Secondary Education program have reaffirmed that she is on the right career path. She says the program offers an abundance of opportunities and that both the English and education courses help to refine and foster her skills in both disciplines.
MaKenna is completing an internship at Choate Rosemary Hall, a private boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, where she advises students, observes study halls, teaches afternoon activities, and coordinates downtime activities both on and off campus. She says it has given her a well-rounded experience were she is seeing, working, and living in a world that revolves around the joys of education.
I was drawn to UHart for its smaller classroom sizes and ability for one-on-one connections between students and faculty. Some semesters tend to lean more toward English, while others lean toward Education, but the overarching goal is the ability to combine both to create a classroom environment that enriches, supports, and furthers students' English education.
English Secondary Education '17,
Allison says the English Secondary Education program at UHart prepared her tremendously for her position as writing teacher for grades 6-8 at St. James School in Stratford, Connecticut, and that the different techniques and strategies that she learned at UHart is what she still falls back on to this day.
Being in a classroom from day one is very beneficial to getting you used to what a real classroom is like. It’s always really helpful to see different teaching styles. This way I was able to learn different techniques and create a style that is all my own.
Kim Rodriquez-Aldoy ‘19, English with Certification in Secondary EducationThe reason the secondary education program here works is because it is structured around real-world experiences that teachers are currently having in the classroom. We are taught not only content, but how to discover ourselves as role models, leaders, and teachers. I enter the classroom with great desire to show students how to find their place in the world because those are the tools I have been given.
If you love to read and write, the Department of English and Modern Languages is where you will learn critical reading, organizational skills, and research techniques. Plus you'll learn how to use your imagination in our writing-intensive classes!