Spread the Knowledge
English Education Concentration
Educate to Innovate
The English Education concentration focuses on learning how to grow and develop middle and high school readers, writers, thinkers, speakers, and listeners, using equity-driven and critically conscious research to prepare young people to become critically thinking global citizens.
Our program is based in local schools, offering you authentic opportunities to engage with 6th-12th grade students to learn responsive teaching practices and discover how teaching is a work of the heart. Using socially, culturally, and linguistically diverse approaches, our courses emphasize the transformative power of literacy as a tool for liberation, promote equity and access, and enact social change.
With this concentration, you will be eligible for an endorsement from the State of Colorado in teaching English in grades 7 to 12 grade.
Interested in pursuing your M.A. in English Education? Click the button below to explore our graduate program.
Looking for resources and professional development opportunities within our English Ed. community? Tap the button below to explore our professional development webpage.
English Education Roadmap: Courses & Requirements
English majors must complete a minimum of 120 credits, 42 upper-division credits to graduate. For licensure, students must complete all coursework in the teaching concentration and professional education with a grade of C or above, and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.750.
Below, learn more about the requirements for the English Education concentration.
- CO 150 College Composition
- E 150 English Studies Symposium
- One Cross-Concentration class—choose from the following options:
- E 202 Language Use in Society
- E 204 Creative Writing as Transformative Practice
- E 206 Language for Activist Rhetoric & Writing
- E 237 Introduction to Science Fiction
- One Introductory Literature class—choose from the following options:
- E 236 Short Fiction
- E 238 Contemporary Global Fiction
- E 240 Intro to Poetry
- E 242 Reading Shakespeare
- E 245 World Drama
- E 270 Intro to American Lit
- E 276 British Literature – Medieval to 1800
- E 277 British Literature – After 1800
- One Methods class—choose from the following options:
- E 301 Framing Texts & Critical Theory in Equity (highly recommended)
- E 305 Principles of Writing & Rhetoric
- E 320 Intro to the Study of Language
- E 341 Literary Criticism and Theory
Path to My Major
Izzy Blosser (they/she) is majoring in English with a concentration in English Education and Literature. She is also minoring in Music.
Why did you choose to study English?
I study English Education because I want to be able to make a difference in the coming generations’ lives. I am learning so much about how to create an inclusive environment for students, and that is such an important ideal for me. Once I graduate, I plan to become a secondary English educator focusing on inclusive education by implementing works and voices of marginalized communities into common curriculum.
Favorite class and why?
My favorite class so far has been my English Symposium in my first semester! The Symposium class is such a great resource in beginning your English journey, as professors from each of the concentrations teach about their path for a few weeks apiece, and you get to learn about what each concentration does specifically. It’s SO helpful with deciding what you want to pursue, and all of the professors are so kind and such wonderful people!
What do you love about your major and the College of Liberal Arts?
I love that my major allows me to make a difference once I get my degree, and I love that the College of Liberal Arts provides me with a great education on how best to create an environment of inclusion in my future career. The University’s focus on diversity is extremely important to me, and that focus helps to encourage me and show me how important it is to foster an inclusive education in my future.
Explore & Engage
Course Highlights
- E 200: Inquiry-Based Teaching, Learning, and Communicating
- E 322: English Language for Teachers
- E 301: Framing Texts with Critical Theories, Teaching Equity, Justice, Activism
- E 402: Teaching Composition
- E 405: Young Adult Literature
Get Involved
Center for Educator Preparation
As a special center within the School of Education, we prepare and equip future teachers and principals seeking careers as licensed educators.
Interested in community engagement? Apply for an internship at the Community Literacy Center and facilitate literacy opportunities that invite community members to engage in supportive writing spaces.
Make friends and create community! Connect with English majors through Inklings, our student-run English social club.
Career Paths
What can I do with this major?
Students who have chosen to major in English Education have pursued careers in secondary education, curriculum development, education-based nonprofits, human resources, and more.
Alumni have also been admitted to MA and PhD programs specializing in equity, social justice, and higher education leadership.
What Are Students Saying?
“I attribute much of my success to my writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, which were honed during my time at CSU.”
~ Molly Valenta, BA English: English Education
“As an Afro-American woman, I appreciate the English Education program's focus on creating equitable and inclusive settings within the content and classrooms of our courses. I am confident in my ability to conduct my future classrooms with compassion and grace and have the resources to educate and inspire the world's future leaders holistically. I am seen, heard, valued, and equipped to do the same for my students. ”
~ Marquite Woods, BA English: English Education
