Career Tips for English Majors
Teaching K-12
Post-baccalaureate study in Education can be divided into two paths: certification and graduate study (Masters and Doctoral programs). The paths are quite different but not mutually exclusive. A student who acquires certification might go on to study at the graduate level, but to make that shift, s/he would have to apply for the Masters or Doctoral program.
Recommended Courses from the Department of English
All courses in the English Department will contribute toward preparation for graduate study in education, but the Department strongly recommends that students take:
ENG 230 Literacy Studies
ENG 203 Topics in Writing (specifically, the Academic Writing version)
ENG 305 Rhetoric, Syntax, and Style
ENG 461 Seminar in the Teaching of Writing
ENG 462 Internship in the Teaching of Writing
Several courses focusing on American Literature and Culture (K-12) are highly recommended for teaching in K-12.
Certification in Maine:
The following courses are required for certification:
K-8
English 6 credits
Math 6 credits
Science 6 credits
Social Science 6 credits
7-12
English 24 credits from a 4-yr. accredited school
Additionally, professional requirements must be met by enrolling in programs such as USM's Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP) or the Education Certification at UNE. It is almost impossible to get student teaching without being enrolled in a program.
To apply for programs, students must take and pass the following exams:
Praxis I (math, reading, writing)
Praxis II (English)
The Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) or Praxis I is offered in two formats: a paper-based test and a computer-based test. These tests can be taken at the Sylvan Learning Center . All individuals seeking Maine teacher certification must achieve minimum scores on a basic skills assessment in reading, writing, and math.
Maine 's passing scores for teacher certificates are:
Reading 176
Writing 175
Mathematics 175.
Education faculty at USM recommend that students who wish to teach in Maine have a “strong American literature background” and a “strong ability to guide students through the writing process.” Schools are looking for teachers who are familiar with the “writing process” and who have a “good understanding of the qualities of good writing.” They must be versed in literary analysis, “good writing about literature.”
Recent legislation (No Child Left Behind Act) mandates that teachers at all levels have their B.A.'s in a content area. English Majors are in a good position to apply for graduate study in Education because of the field's emphasis on writing and critical inquiry.
TEAMS
TEAMS, an acronym for Teachers for Elementary and Middle Schools, is the undergraduate path to K-8 teacher certification at the University of Southern Maine. It includes coursework in an academic major, leading to a degree in a liberal arts field, and a professional program of elementary teacher certification (grades K-8). See a fuller description of the program at http://www.usm.maine.edu/cehd/TEAMS/index.htm.
ETEP
Students interested in USM's ETEP should consult the online “ETEP Application Handbook” ( http://www.usm.maine.edu/cehd/etep/ ). The handbook clearly presents the prerequisites and processes for students who wish to apply successfully to the program.
Graduate Study in Education
Graduate study in Education is for students who are interested in becoming educational administrators, college/university professors, or researchers in the field of education. Additionally, advanced degrees often lead to higher salaries. Graduate study in education proceeds through concentrations or specializations in various areas. For example, UCAL at Berkeley has several tracks: Cognitive Development; Leadership for Educational Equity; Language, Literacy, Society and Culture; Policy, Organization, Measurement, and Evaluation.
Requirements for different graduate programs vary widely. For example, Harvard requires GRE's (663 verbal/684 quant.), while UCLA requires GRE's for some, but not all, of its graduate programs. As well, minimum GPA's vary, but none of the top programs will accept candidates without a minimum GPA of 3.00.
It's important to check each website for the specific requirements of the program. Unless s/he is applying to only one particular program, a student should presume that s/he must take the GRE's. Additionally, most programs stipulate that applicants whose native language is not English must take standardized tests such as the TOEFL.
Necessary Skills
All graduate programs (not just in Education) advise applicants to have strong writing skills. Additionally, if an applicant wishes to specialize in one of the quantitative areas (for example, “Measurement and Evaluation”), s/he must have strong math/quantitative skills. Stanford has a useful online admissions pamphlet, “When Considering A PhD Program,”
( http://ed.stanford.edu/suse/admissions/index.html ) that addresses not only questions specific to Stanford's program but also general advice and queries on graduate study in education.
Top Graduate Programs in Education (US News..)
Harvard
Stanford
Columbia University (Teachers College)
Vanderbilt University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
See the list from 1-47 at:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/edu/brief/edurank_brief.php
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