COURSE CURRICULUM

The English (English Education) BA degree is a 124-credit program designed to prepare students for secondary-level English teaching licensure while also building strong skills in literature, writing, language analysis, and education theory. The program begins with a broad general education foundation that includes written communication through ENG 101 and ENG 102, natural sciences with lab-based coursework across biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and environmental science options, humanities courses such as literature, philosophy, religion, and history, aesthetic appreciation through arts or music, social and behavioral sciences like psychology, sociology, geography, and economics, and a mathematics requirement that ensures basic quantitative competency. Students also complete speaking-intensive coursework and a senior capstone seminar in English, which integrates their academic learning and prepares them for advanced professional practice. The core English education curriculum emphasizes both literary study and pedagogy, requiring foundational courses in literary analysis, surveys of British and American literature across multiple historical periods, and specialized study in ethnic, multicultural, and global literatures. Students must also complete upper-level electives in writing, language, and literature, with a portion at the advanced 400-level to ensure depth of study. In addition to literary content, the program includes professional education courses focused on classroom management, adolescent development, literacy instruction across content areas, and assessment strategies. A significant component of the degree is the teacher licensure sequence, which includes practicum experiences and full student teaching placements where candidates gain supervised classroom experience in real secondary school environments. Students must also complete coursework in psychology, sociology of education, or related fields to better understand learner development and educational systems. A foreign language requirement further strengthens communication and cultural understanding. Overall, the program is structured to produce highly qualified secondary English teachers who possess strong subject knowledge, pedagogical skills, and practical classroom experience, along with eligibility for Mississippi educator licensure after meeting all academic and testing requirements.