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English Education
If you had an English teacher who made literature, composition, or creative writing come alive, you know the power of great teaching. As an English Education major, you’ll earn either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in English Education, preparing you for an Illinois Professional Educator’s License (9-12). You can also add a middle school endorsement with an additional state test, expanding your teaching opportunities.
Experiential Learning
By the time you graduate, you’ll have hands-on teaching experience, mentorship from expert faculty, and a strong professional network. Your experiences will include:
- Specialized Teaching Methods – Learn cutting-edge techniques from faculty who are experts in teaching English. You’ll take four methods courses alongside literature, writing, and language classes to develop a well-rounded skill set.
- Early and Diverse Field Experiences – As early as your first semester, you’ll be working with secondary students in local classrooms. With over 500 hours of hands-on experience in rural, urban, and suburban schools, you’ll graduate prepared to teach in a variety of settings.
- Faculty Mentorship – You’ll be guided by both an English professor and a teacher education professor from your first year through graduation, ensuring you’re ready for the classroom.
- Professional Development – Gain an edge in your career by attending and presenting at state and national education conferences alongside faculty who have published over 30 books on education.
Program Details
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the English Education program are in high demand and enjoy an excellent job placement rate. Many secure teaching positions right after graduation, while others continue their education or pursue careers in related fields. Career paths include:
- Secondary English teacher (public or private schools)
- Educational leadership and administration (instructional coaching, school administration)
- Educational technology and instructional design
- Library science and literacy education
- Higher education and graduate studies
- Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL/ESL)
- Careers in business, law, social services, or entrepreneurship
Graduates have earned honors such as Teacher of the Year awards, Fulbright fellowships, and competitive positions with Teach for America. With a strong foundation in both literature and education, you’ll be ready to inspire the next generation of students.
Minors
The creative writing concentration prepares you to be a versatile writer in a variety of business or nonprofit careers. You’ll explore authors from the past to sharpen your analysis of the present and future.
Courses give you a foundation in fiction, poetry, nonfiction and screenwriting. This major is structured to enable you to add another major or minor of your choice.
The literary studies concentration prepares you for graduate school and a career in an academic or professional setting. You’ll explore courses focused on analyzing texts’ culture and history.
Small class sizes foster intellectually challenging conversations with faculty mentors and classmates. This program is structured to enable you to add another major or minor of your choice.
The professional writing concentration prepares you for a career in business, nonprofit, technical and related professions. Professional writing courses focus on business and technical communication, with opportunities to learn argumentative, grant and travel writing.
This program is structured to enable you to add another major or minor of your choice.