What makes this program special?
The Secondary English Education program at WCU is unique in being nationally recognized for excellence by the National Council of Teachers of English, an honor almost unique in North Carolina. Housed in the English department, the program offers a selection of content area courses both broad and deep. Beyond the basic surveys, students take two required grammar courses, a required course in non-print media (such as film), a course in adolescent literature, and literature courses in multicultural and international electives. In addition, they must complete at least one course focusing deeply on a single author. A great strength of the program is rich field experience. Students begin observations in local schools during their sophomore year, and the field experiences increase in depth as candidates move through the program, culminating in a yearlong internship in the specialty area, usually in the same classroom where they observed. The program is lengthy and rigorous, but when the program’s students become teachers, they’re ready for that demanding profession.

Are there any additional admission requirements?
All students graduating in English Education must be admitted (usually early in the sophomore year) to the Teacher Education program. That requires a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 for the College of Education and Allied Professions, with an additional requirement specific to English of a 2.75 GPA. Entering students must achieve a passing score on PRAXIS I, write a short autobiography, and complete a brief teacher education interview.

What scholarship monies are available?
All students are considered for merit-based scholarships at the time of admission. Additional scholarships are available based on FAFSA information. The English department offers a writing award of $100, the Ashby Wade, to an outstanding freshman writer, and the merit-based Crum Scholarship of $1,000 to an outstanding English major. English Education majors also are eligible for consideration for the $500 Stephanie Stowe fellowship.

What will I be able to do with this degree when I graduate?
Students who graduate in Secondary English Education with recommendation for licensure (which is contingent on successful completion of student teaching) are prepared to teach secondary English not only anywhere in North Carolina, but in any of the 40-plus states with which WCU has reciprocity agreements. North Carolina, because of its rigorous requirements, is considered a “good” state to be licensed in, and the licensed graduate is highly portable to other areas. Also, demand for teachers is high and rising rapidly, and not just in math and science. North Carolina produces 2,000-3,000 teachers each year, but needs 8,000-10,000. The Secondary English Education program’s placement rate is 100 percent. Over the past five years, every English Education student who has graduated with licensure and sought a job has found one within a few months—usually within a few weeks.

What are the professors like?
Faculty involvement is another strength of the program. Students consistently speak well not only of their professors’ knowledge, but of the interest they take in students, such as their willingness to take time for students when students are having doubts, worrying about school problems and non-school problems, or when students just need someone to listen. They call English a “friendly” and “caring” department. Also, faculty members are well qualified. They’re publishing scholarly books and articles, as well as books of fiction and poetry and screenplays, and performing in national TV and film productions. Students in the program express appreciation for the small class sizes (usually between 10 and 25) and the faculty’s “personal touch” in class.

What are the students in the program doing?
Our students are studying abroad and competing for, and receiving, statewide awards and recognitions. They’re also working with faculty on research projects. Several of our majors attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to present their research to a nationwide audience. Some program graduates are working toward National Board Certification. And they’re going back to school for graduate work in order to continue developing professionally.

Will I be able to participate in internships, clubs and other extracurricular opportunities?
Yes. Recent graduates and current students participate in the English Club, the Creative Writing Club, and in the Sigma Tau Delta national English honor society. Many also belong to national sororities and fraternities and to service and political organizations. Others are involved with Nomad, WCU’s literary magazine, and attend national conferences specific to English Education. Additional opportunities for learning, service and fun include the annual Rural-Urban Exchange trip, which allows interested students to spend a week at N.C. A&T experiencing more diverse classrooms than the local area commonly provides. But our majors also are pursuing their own interests, such as playing in their own bands, designing their own service-learning and honors projects, and exploring service in local schools and groups.

Contact

Dr. Catherine Carter
E-mail: ccarter@email.wcu.edu
phone: 828-227-3931
Visit the Secondary English Education Program Website

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