COURSE CURRICULUM

Northwest Missouri State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Education in English Education with a writing emphasis, designed to prepare students for middle and high school English teaching. The program integrates literature, writing, language, and teaching pedagogy with extensive classroom and field experiences to develop effective, career-ready educators. Students complete 57 credit hours in the major within a total of 130 credit hours required for graduation.The program begins in the first year with foundational courses such as Composition I and II, Introduction to Literature, Creative Writing, Ecology and Developmental Foundations of Education, and Professional Learning Community I and II. Students gain early classroom experience, completing a minimum of 5 to 12 hours of fieldwork per course in their first-year education classes. Summer courses include Educational Psychology and Fine Arts.In the second year, students continue building content knowledge with American or British Literature, Physical Science with Lab, Digital Literacy, Social and Behavioral Science, and Special Education. Writing-focused courses, including Introduction to the Teaching of Writing or Schoolhouse Grammars, are introduced alongside developmental literacy courses for adolescents. Students also participate in Professional Learning Community III and IV, completing field experiences, and in the summer, courses in Young Adult Literature and Adolescent Psychology. Admission to the Teacher Preparation Program requires passing the MOGEA and meeting GPA standards.The third year emphasizes teaching methods, content literacy, classroom and behavior management, and integrated curriculum design for middle and secondary education. Students engage in Professional Learning Communities V and VI and complete courses such as Intervention and Assessment for Literacy and English Language learners. Summer courses focus on Multiculturalism in Education and Global Perspectives.The fourth-year curriculum focuses on advanced teaching methods and student teaching experiences. Courses include Methods of Teaching English, Senior Seminar, and Teaching Reading or Studies in Language and Linguistics. Students complete a secondary school practicum, the Professional Education Capstone, and 16 weeks of directed secondary teaching, ensuring they meet state certification requirements, including passing MOPTA and MESS assessments.Through this program, students gain skills in lesson planning, literacy instruction, classroom management, adolescent development, and assessment, combined with a minimum of 45 clock hours in practicum settings and extensive student teaching, preparing them for immediate success in secondary English classrooms.