English Education
*M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
The English Education Program is no longer accepting students to its M.A.Ed. program.
Do you want to be an English teacher at the secondary level? Check out our new undergraduate major in English Education!
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The English Education Teacher Preparation Program is designed for students interested in teaching secondary English and Language Arts (grades 6-12) who have successfully completed an undergraduate major in English.
The M.A.Ed. in English Education includes a combination of graduate coursework (including educational foundations, methods of teaching English) and fieldwork (including a 3-hour early field internship during the fall semester and a 9-hour student teaching internship during the spring semester). Students admitted to the program are required to complete 9-12 hours of coursework before beginning the early field internship. The program requires a minimum of 15-18 months to complete. There is also a two-year option.
Our program welcomes those seeking initial teacher preparation at the graduate level, and current English educators seeking a master’s degree in English Education.
Successful graduates of our English Education Teacher Preparation Program will be eligible for licensure in Virginia. The program is NCATE approved and meets the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) guidelines. The Virginia Tech licensure program has reciprocity with over 35 states and/or territories.
Our graduates have the perfect mix of theory and practice, which helps them land a job after graduation and prepare them for ongoing professional and personal growth.
WHAT YOU'LL STUDY
The M.A.Ed. in English Education includes a combination of graduate coursework (e.g., educational foundations, methods of teaching English) and fieldwork (e.g., a 3-hour early field internship during the fall semester and a 9-hour student teaching internship during the spring semester). The plan of study is below (note: courses in bold are required).
Students admitted to the program are required to complete 9-12 hours of coursework before beginning the early field internship. All students must register for and pass the Praxis II test: English Language Arts: Content Knowledge (5038) and the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA). The Praxis Core test is no longer required.
Students may enter the program on one of two different tracks:
- 5th Year Program (Dual Status)
- 2 Year Program
Plan of Study
Foundations (9 credits):
- EDCI 5104: Schooling in American Society
- EDEP 5154: Psych Foundations for Teachers
- EDCI 5554: Educating Exceptional Learners Across the Lifespan
Concentration (9 credits):
- EDCI 5724: Teaching in the Middle and Secondary School I (Joint English and HSSE)
- EDCI 5744: Teaching in the Middle and Secondary School II (Joint English and HSSE)
- EDCI 5784: Graduate Seminar: Case Studies in Education. Developing Professional Disposition
Cognate & Research (9 credits):
- EDCI 5134: Gender and Education
- EDCI 5264: Comprehending Processes and Reading in the Content Areas
- EDCI 5444: Teaching Adolescent Readers
- EDCI 5454: Teaching Composition (Preferred)
- EDCI 5524: Behavior Management in K-12 Classrooms
- EDCI 5784: Graduate Seminar: Inquiry-Based Learning with Digital Technology
Field Experience (12 credits):
- EDCI 5964: Field Experience (3 hrs. Fall)
- EDCI 5754: Internship in Education (9 hrs. Spring)
Possible Additional Electives:
- EDEP 5114: Learning and Cognition (offered during Fall semester)
- EDCI 5134: Gender and Education (offered during Fall semester)
- EDCI 5784: GS: Topics in Diversity and Multicultural Education (offered during Fall semester)
- EDCI 5784: GS: Philosophy of Education Technology (offered during Spring semester)
- EDCI 5784: GS: Schooling and Post-Civil Rights (offered during Spring semester)
- EDCI 6034: Education and Anthropology
- EDIT 5614: Digitally Mediated Learning (offered during Spring semester)
Course Descriptions
A study of the people and forces that impact on American education, analyzing the social setting of schooling and the relationships among school, curriculum, clients, personnel, and culture.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Introduction to gender in the context of education. This course is intended to raise awareness of how gender is implicated in teaching and learning in K-12 schooling and higher education. School policy as it relates to gender equality and sex education. Theoretical frameworks for gender analysis in education. Pre-requisite: Graduate standing required
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Explores basic processes involved in comprehension: the role of concepts about text structure, task demands, and the role of the reader; includes teaching strategies for comprehending and using information in content area texts and in job related materials.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Examination of active reading processes, instructional strategies, and appropriate adolescent literature for teaching both the developmental and the remedial reader in secondary language arts. Admission in a graduate teacher education program or instructor permission required. Prerequisite: Graduate standing admission into a teacher education program or instructor permission.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Investigation of theory and research into pedagogy in teaching composition in K-12 settings. Consideration of the reasons K-12 students write, the ways they learn to write, and the genres and forms they utilize. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, admission into a graduate teacher education program or instructor permission.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Analysis and application of research-based instructional and behavioral techniques for supporting individuals in the K-12 classroom. Trends, assessment, ethics, and collaborative involvement in behavior management. Pre: Graduate standing.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Analysis of purpose, rationale, and foci of educational programs, and related services for individuals with special needs. Identification of characteristics associated with each exceptionality. Review of procedures for assessment, eligibility decisions, and the development of individualized educational programs. Overview of selected instructional strategies, environmental adaptations, and special materials. Examination of findings concerning program efficacy.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Introduces concepts and methods that enhance the teaching of specific academic disciplines (English, history and social sciences, science, mathematics, foreign languages, and music) in combination with a field studies course.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Intensive instruction in methods of teaching an academic discipline (English, history and social science, science, mathematics, foreign languages, and music). Emphasis on classroom management, use of instructional technology, planning and delivery.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Student participation in a planned clinical experience under supervision of a university staff member in an appropriate work center.
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 12
Selected topics in curriculum and instruction, supervision, educational foundations, special education, research, and evaluation.
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 6
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 6
Applied study in one or more educational institutions. Research, evaluation, curricular, and instructional projects are examples of appropriate projects of study. The student is graded on the basis of the design of the project and ability to carry it through and report the results.
Credit Hour(s): 1 TO 19
Lecture Hour(s): 1 TO 19
Exploration of anthropological ideas and findings relevant to educational institutions and the teaching/learning process. Emphasis on how sociocultural patterns affect what is taught and learned.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Psychological theories and models which serve as a basis for educational models and practice. Emphasis on conceptions of learning and cognitive process. Pre: Graduate standing.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Emphasizes applying human learning and developmental theories to classroom settings including school learning theories, child and adolescent cognitive development, instructional strategies, classroom management, student motivation, and learning assessment strategies. Graduate Standing Required. Admission in a graduate teacher education program or instructor permission required.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
Critical examination of the design, adoption, and use of a digital media (digital games, simulations, social networking technologies) for primarily PK-20 education. Applications to formal and informal learning environments.
Credit Hour(s): 3
Lecture Hour(s): 3
THE COHORT MODEL
This program operates on a cohort model. Members of a given cohort attend all of the same classes in the same sequence and pursue common plans of study.
The benefits of a cohort model are many. It is designed to facilitate social interaction, collaboration, and the formation of a supportive learning community.
Students in cohorts learn from and help each other with the successful completion of coursework and professional networking. They report a strong sense of community and are more likely to complete their programs of study in a timely manner.