Are you interested in a rewarding career that allows you to make significant, meaningful contributions to society? The English Education program focuses on learning how to grow and develop middle and high school readers, writers, thinkers, speakers, and listeners, using equity-driven and critically conscious research to prepare young people to become critically thinking global citizens.
Our program is based in local schools, offering you authentic opportunities to engage with 6th-12th grade students to learn responsive teaching practices and discover how teaching is a work of the heart. Using socially, culturally, and linguistically diverse approaches, our courses emphasize the transformative power of literacy as a tool for liberation, promote equity and access, and enact social change.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
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Participate in learning experiences with 6th-12th grade students in local schools to apply meaningful, real-world literacy skills and research-based and culturally responsive instructional strategies.
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Design inclusive, culturally responsive and sustaining literacy curriculum and instruction to prepare students to be critically thinking global citizens.
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Learn and apply best practices for using socially, culturally, and linguistically diverse approaches to teaching which engage all learners in the classroom.
Where can an English Education degree take you?
English students in the English Education concentration most often go on to become middle and/or high school English Language Arts teachers, and each CSU graduate earns their Colorado teaching license (which can be transferred to other states).
Additional career options include:
- School department chair or administrator
- Curriculum designer
- School librarian
- School and library marketing for children’s and young adult literature
- Educational expert for organizations that conduct trainings for their employees
Effective Fall 2025
For graduation, an English major must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in all Composition (CO) and English (E) courses. Students may enroll in either the standalone major or (at most) one of the concentrations under the Major in English.
For licensure, students must complete all coursework in the teaching concentration and professional education with a grade of C or above, and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.750.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| E 150 | English Studies Symposium | 3 | |
| E 200 | Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating (GT-AH2) | 3B,3B | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Reading Without Borders (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||
| World Drama (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||
| Encountering the Global (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||
| 1B | 1B | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 4 | |
| Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |
| Electives | 5 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| CO 301D | Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3) | 2 | 3 |
| EDUC 275 | Schools, Society, and Self (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| EDUC 340 | Literacy and the Learner | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Language Use in Society (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| Creative Writing as Transformative Practice (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Short Fiction | 3B | ||
| Contemporary Global Fiction (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||
| Introduction to Poetry | |||
| Reading Shakespeare (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| World Drama (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||
| Introduction to American Literature (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| British Literature--Medieval Period to 1800 (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| British Literature--After 1800 (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Electives1 | 6 | ||
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3C | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Junior | |||
| E 301 | Framing Texts and Critical Theory in Equity | 4A,4B | 3 |
| E 322 | English Language for Teachers I | 3 | |
| E 401 | Teaching Reading | 3 | |
| E 402 | Teaching Composition | 3 | |
| E 405 | Young Adult Literature | 3 | |
| EDUC 331 | Educational Technology and Assessment | 2 | |
| EDUC 350 | Instruction I-Individualization/Management | 3 | |
| EDUC 386 | Practicum-Instruction I | 1 | |
| Upper-Division English/Composition Electives1 | 9 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Senior | |||
| EDUC 450 | Instruction II-Standards and Assessment | 4 | |
| EDUC 463 | Methods in Teaching Language Arts | 4 | |
| EDUC 485B | Student Teaching: Secondary | 11 | |
| EDUC 486E | Practicum: Instruction II | 1 | |
| EDUC 493A | Seminar: Professional Relations | 1 | |
| Select one capstone course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Topics in Literature and Language | 4C | ||
| Integrated English Studies Capstone | 4C | ||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Electives1 | 3 | ||
| Elective2 | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
- 1
Select Upper-Division English/Composition electives in consultation with advisor.
- 2
Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
For graduation, an English major must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in all Composition (CO) and English (E) courses.
For licensure, students must complete all coursework in the teaching concentration and professional education with a grade of C or above, and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.750.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| E 150 | English Studies Symposium | X | 3 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| Reading Without Borders (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||||
| World Drama (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||||
| Encountering the Global (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||||
| 1B | 1B | 3 | |||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| E 200 | Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating (GT-AH2) | X | 3B | 3 | |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | X | 3A | 4 | ||
| Historical Perspectives | X | 3D | 3 | ||
| Electives | 5 | ||||
| AUCC 1B and CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| EDUC 275 | Schools, Society, and Self (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| EDUC 340 | Literacy and the Learner | X | 3 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| Short Fiction | 3B | ||||
| Contemporary Global Fiction (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||||
| Introduction to Poetry | |||||
| Reading Shakespeare (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| World Drama (GT-AH2) | 1C | ||||
| Introduction to American Literature (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| British Literature--Medieval Period to 1800 (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| British Literature--After 1800 (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| Biological and Physical Sciences | X | 3A | 3 | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | X | 3C | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CO 301D | Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3) | X | 2 | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| Language Use in Society (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| Creative Writing as Transformative Practice (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2) | 3B | ||||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Electives | X | 6 | |||
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| AUCC 3A (Biological and Physical Sciences), AUCC 3B (Arts and Humanities), and AUCC 3C (Social and Behavioral Sciences) must be completed by the end of Semester 4. | X | ||||
| Must be admitted to Teacher Licensure Program by the end of Semester 4. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| E 301 | Framing Texts and Critical Theory in Equity | X | 4A,4B | 3 | |
| E 322 | English Language for Teachers I | X | 3 | ||
| E 405 | Young Adult Literature | X | 3 | ||
| EDUC 331 | Educational Technology and Assessment | X | 2 | ||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Elective | X | 3 | |||
| CO 301D must be completed by the end of Semester 5. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 14 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| E 401 | Teaching Reading | X | 3 | ||
| E 402 | Teaching Composition | X | 3 | ||
| EDUC 350 | Instruction I-Individualization/Management | X | 3 | ||
| EDUC 386 | Practicum-Instruction I | X | 1 | ||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Electives | X | 6 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| EDUC 450 | Instruction II-Standards and Assessment | X | 4 | ||
| EDUC 463 | Methods in Teaching Language Arts | X | 4 | ||
| EDUC 486E | Practicum: Instruction II | X | 1 | ||
| Select one capstone from the following: | X | 3 | |||
| Topics in Literature and Language | 4C | ||||
| Integrated English Studies Capstone | 4C | ||||
| Upper-Division English/Composition Elective | X | 3 | |||
| E 401, E 405 must be completed by the end of Semester 7. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| EDUC 485B | Student Teaching: Secondary | X | 11 | ||
| EDUC 493A | Seminar: Professional Relations | X | 1 | ||
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||