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Secondary Education: EnglishMajor

Can you name a teacher who made a difference in your life? How about a book that changed the way you think? Being an English education major will give you the knowledge and skills needed to bring both of those gifts to other students.

Overview

What is Secondary Education: English at WVU like?

Description

“An English major ... what are you going to do with that ... teach?” Why, yes!

Secondary English language arts teachers are privileged to teach content that allows them to get to know their students well through discussions about texts and through many forms of student writing. If you’re interested in sharing your love of language, literature and writing with others, this is the major for you.

In four years, you’ll not only have completed all the requirements for graduation, but also for teacher certification in West Virginia. You’ll have spent many hours in local schools, observing, tutoring and student teaching, and will be ready to apply for teaching positions or jobs in other educational settings.

Secondary Education: English program highlights:

At a Glance

Next Steps

Interested in this major? Here are some suggested next steps:

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Fast Facts

What makes Secondary Education: English at WVU unique?


Research and Academic Opportunities

Many English education majors have worked as tutors in the Eberly College Writing Studio or as assistants with the West Virginia Dialect Project. Both opportunities provide important practical experiences for future teachers, especially in terms of understanding more about how to approach writing and language instruction.

Others have volunteered with the Appalachian Prison Book Project, housed in the Department of English, helping provide books to incarcerated people in the region.

Student members of WVU’s student chapter of the National Council of Teachers of English have helped organize statewide conferences and presented at these conferences.

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs)

Live, study and pursue outside-the-classroom learning in a residence hall community that shares your interests:

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU. Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Student Organizations

Connect with other students who share your academic interests as a member of:

View all of the student organizations you can join.

Professional Organizations

Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:

Careers

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Students in the English/Secondary Education major will graduate with a BA in English Secondary Education and West Virginia teaching certification — and because West Virginia has a reciprocity agreement with 45 other states to facilitate certification in those states, your West Virginia certification doesn’t limit you to teaching in West Virginia.

In fact, virtually all recent English education graduates are employed as classroom teachers within a year of their matriculation, both in West Virginia and in other states.

And many of our graduates have used their classroom experience and pedagogical knowledge to obtain full-time employment with organizations like 4-H, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Literacy Lab and other nonprofit educational and mentoring organizations.

Possible Careers

Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Secondary Education: English major? Check out these ideas from WVU Career Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Courses

What are the courses like in Secondary Education: English at WVU?

Plan of Study

Check out a program overview, learning goals, course descriptions and suggested plan of study for WVU's Secondary Education: English major.

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Popular Courses

ENGL 226:
Non-Western World Literature

Selected readings in non-Western world literature, ancient and modern.

ENGL 405:
Fiction for Adolescents

A survey of fiction for adolescents with special attention to literary theories that assist its interpretation.

Cost and Aid

How much does Secondary Education: English at WVU cost? And how can you save?

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.

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Scholarships

Estimate your eligibility for merit scholarships at WVU Morgantown.

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Net Price Calculator

Estimate your cost of attendance and eligibility for financial aid and scholarships at any WVU System campus.

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Ways to Save

Here is a way for you to save on the cost of attending WVU in addition to university scholarships.

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.

Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Learn How to Transfer Course Credits

Requirements

What are the requirements to apply for Secondary Education: English at WVU?

To be admitted to WVU's Secondary Education: English major, you must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements for the 2024-25 academic year. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.

Next Steps

I like this major. What are the next steps?

Apply Now

Your first step to becoming a Mountaineer is applying for admission. Our online application makes the process as convenient as possible.

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Request Information

Want to know more about Secondary Education: English at WVU? Fill out the Request Information form to receive more information about the program and life at WVU.

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Visit WVU

It's the next-best thing to being here – you can virtually tour residence halls and the WVU Morgantown Campus.

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