The English and Language Arts Education Program is available for students who plan to teach English to students in upper elementary, middle, and high school. English Education candidates participate in hands-on, classroom-based field and student teaching experiences in urban area upper elementary, middle, and high schools. Candidates who satisfactorily complete the program requirements also meet the Wisconsin teacher certification requirements for teaching English subject areas in grades 4-12 middle/high school.
Students at this level of certification may add the following licenses while pursuing or after obtaining their Mathematics licensure as their initial certification:
- Bilingual
- English as a Second Language
- World Languages
Requirements
General Education Requirements (GERs)
UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s degree. Some of the requirements of your program may fulfill the campus GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.
Students must meet certain criteria and apply to their specific licensure program in addition to admission to UWM. Please see information about minimum credits, GPA, and other requirements at Advance to Professional Sequence.
Program Core
Program core is comprised of foundational courses and should be completed prior to beginning the professional education semesters.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CURRINS 300 | Introduction to Teaching: Colloquium and Fieldwork (fulfilled prior to program admission) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Content Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CURRINS 234 | Teachers as Writers (GER OWC-B, HU) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 212 | Grammar and Usage | 3 |
| ENGLISH 215 | Introduction to English Studies (GER OWC-B, HU) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 233 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| or JAMS 201 | Media Writing | |
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking (GER-HU) | 3 |
| CURRINS 233 | Introduction to Children's and Young Adult Literature (GER-HU, highly recommended) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 276 | Introduction to American Indian Literature: (topic: History, Literature & Sovereignty of Wisconsin Tribes (GER-CD, HU) | 3 |
| Advanced Writing, Journalism, and the Composing Process | ||
| ENGLISH 430 | Advanced Writing Workshop (GER OWC-B) | 3 |
| CURRINS 547 | Curricular Applications of the Internet | 3 |
| JAMS 306 | Feature and Magazine Article Writing: (journalism focused topic) | 3 |
| Advanced Language, Speech Communication, and Linguistics | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to English Linguistics | ||
or LINGUIS 350 | Introduction to Linguistics | |
| History of the English Language | ||
or LINGUIS 350 | Introduction to Linguistics | |
| Survey of Modern English Grammar | ||
| Language, Power, and Identity | ||
| Critical Analysis of Communication | ||
| History and Politics of Second Language Education | ||
| Developing Biliteracy | ||
| Advanced Literature | ||
| Survey I: Periodization/Historical, Genre, Focus | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of English Literature, Beginnings to 1500 | ||
| Survey of English Literature, 1500-1660 | ||
| Survey of English Literature, 1660-1798 | ||
| Survey of English Literature, 1798-1900 | ||
| Survey of English Literature: 1900 to the Present | ||
| Survey of Irish Literature | ||
| Survey of American Literature to 1865 | ||
| Survey of American Literature, 1865-1965 | ||
| Survey of Contemporary American Literature | ||
| The Development of the Novel: | ||
| The Development of the Short Story | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| The Development of Drama: | ||
| The Development of Poetry: | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Milton | ||
| Writers in English Literature, 1500-1660: | ||
| Writers in English Literature, 1660-1798: | ||
| Writers in English Literature, 1798-1900: | ||
| Writers in English Literature, 1900 to the Present: | ||
| Writers in American Literature, 1500-1900: | ||
| Writers in American Literature, 1900 to the Present: | ||
| Studies in Literature, 1660-1800: | ||
| Studies in Literature, 1800-1900: | ||
| Seminar in American Literature: | ||
| Seminar in Modern Literature: | ||
| Seminar in Literary History: | ||
| Honors Seminar: | ||
| Survey II: Literature and Culture | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| LGBTQ+ Literature: (GER-HU) | ||
| Survey of American Indian Literature (GER-CD, GER-HU) | ||
| Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature (GER-CD, GER-HU) | ||
| Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature (GER-CD) | ||
| Survey of Asian American Literature (GER-CD) | ||
| Survey of African-American Literature to 1930 (GER-CD) | ||
| Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present (GER-CD) | ||
| World Literatures Written in English: | ||
| Writers in African-American Literature: (GER-CD) | ||
| Women Writers: | ||
| Literature in Context: | ||
| Literature and the Other Arts: | ||
| Studies in African-American Literature: | ||
| Studies in Irish Literature: | ||
| Studies in American Indian Literature: | ||
| Studies in World Literature Written in English: | ||
| Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature: | ||
| Studies in Asian-American Literature: | ||
| Seminar in Literature and Culture: | ||
| Seminar in Literature by Women: | ||
| Seminar in Literature and Sexuality: | ||
| Seminar in Literature and the Other Arts: | ||
| Seminar in African-American Literature: | ||
| Seminar in American Indian Literature: | ||
| Young Adult Literature | ||
| CURRINS 650 | Reading Interests of Adolescents | 3 |
| Literary Critical Theory | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Current Literary and Cultural Theory | ||
| Studies in Theory and Criticism: | ||
| Seminar in Critical Theory: | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Professional Sequence
Students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in all professional education courses. This includes any transfer coursework that is counted towards certification at UWM, as well as grades earned in student teaching or field experiences
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| The following courses can be taken prior to Advancement to Professional Sequence | ||
| ED POL 375 | Cultural Foundations of Education | 3 |
| or ED POL 530 | Urban Education: Foundations | |
| ED PSY 330 | Introduction to Learning and Development | 3 |
| The following courses will be taken in 3 sequenced semesters starting after advancement to professional sequence. | ||
| Semester 1 (Spring) | ||
| CURRINS 547 | Curricular Applications of the Internet * | 3 |
| CURRINS 630 | Methods for Teaching, Managing, and Assessing English and Language Arts I | 6 |
| CURRINS 650 | Reading Interests of Adolescents * | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 531 | Inclusion for Secondary Educators: Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language | 3 |
| Semester 2 (Fall) | ||
| CURRINS 545 | Reading in the Content Areas: Middle, Junior, and Senior High School | 3 |
| CURRINS 631 | Methods for Teaching, Managing, and Assessing English and Language Arts II | 6 |
| CURRINS 632 | Fieldwork in English and the Language Arts | 5 |
| Semester 3 (Spring) | ||
| CURRINS 452 | Student Teaching in English ‡ | 9 |
| CURRINS 633 | English and Language Arts Student Teaching Seminar | 3 |
| Total Credits | 47 | |
- ‡
Students must complete an application in order to be assigned a student teaching placement. To be approved for placement, additional criteria must be met. See Benchmarks for details.
- *
This is also a Content course.
Requirements for Graduation
For information on credit, GPA, and other requirements for graduation, see UWM Degree Requirements.
Post-Baccalaureate Pathway
Post-baccalaureate candidates follow the same pathway but take 1 credit of CURRINS 400 (4th/5th grade placement) instead of CURRINS 300.
Additional Requirements for Certification
- Completion of CURRINS 452 with a C+ or better.
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in all professional education courses. This includes any transfer coursework that is counted towards certification at UWM, as well as grades earned in student teaching or field experiences.
- Successfully complete the content knowledge requirement for your program through one of the following:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in content coursework.
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Exam: English Language Arts: Content Knowledge.
- Passing content-based portfolio: in the area of English and Language Arts, as directed by the English and Language Arts Education program.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all UWM and transfer courses.
- Demonstrate successful completion of the Pedagogical Knowledge Assessment (PKA).
- Meet all applicable Wisconsin statutory and testing requirements.
- Complete approved coursework in the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian tribes and bands located in Wisconsin, met through one of the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 213 | American Indian Peoples of Wisconsin (GER-CD, GER-SS) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 276 | Introduction to American Indian Literature: (topic: History, Literature & Sovereignty of Wisconsin Tribes (GER-CD, GER-HU) | 3 |
| ACT 31: History, Culture and Sovereignty Rights of Wisconsin Indians Workshop | ||
| Or an approved equivalent | ||
Advance to Major
Advance to Professional Sequence
Advance to the English Education program Professional Sequence requires satisfactory completion of the requirements listed below. For more information about the application process, visit our website.
- English Composition: Successful completion of GER OWC-A.
- Completion of CURRINS 300 with a grade of C or better.
- A 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA in all UWM and transfer courses at the time of admission application.
- A 2.75 cumulative GPA in all English content courses.
- A minimum of 58 credits (UWM and transfer credits) at the time of admission application. It is not required to have all the Core Curriculum courses completed at the time of application.
- For post-baccalaureate candidates, a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Criminal Background Check
Criminal Background Check (CBC). For all students, a background check shall be completed no more than 6 months prior to the date of admission (advance to professional sequence) into the educator preparation program. The background check shall include a review of criminal conduct at the state and federal levels.
Benchmarks
Student Teaching
Students must complete an application to request/be assigned a student teaching placement. Deadlines for submission are posted by the Office of Clinical Experiences.
To be approved for placement, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be advanced to the professional sequence.
- Completion of all required coursework.
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
- Minimum of 2.75 GPA in all content area and professional education courses.
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or better in the major, OR Pass the Praxis Subject Assessment exam: English Language Art: Content Knowledge, OR Have a Passing Score on content area Portfolio.
- Removal of all F or I (incomplete) grades.
- TB test results submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.
- Criminal Background Check submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.
- Completion of CURRINS 630, CURRINS 631, CURRINS 632, CURRINS 633, and CURRINS 650 with a C+ or better.
Undergraduate Advising
Our purpose is to provide collaborative, mentoring relationships which promote educational, career, and professional development. We value a student-centered, holistic, and ethical approach to advising based on strong partnerships with students, faculty and staff, and the larger campus community. We are committed to creating a respectful and supportive environment. We encourage students to be self-reliant through informed decisions and choices based upon dissemination of accurate information. We value our own continuous professional development to enhance the quality of the advising experience.
How to Prepare for an Advising Meeting
- Review your Advisement Report in PAWS.
- Come prepared with questions or topics for discussion.
- Make a list of courses you think you should take.
- Investigate opportunities to prepare for the job you want.
- Keep a record of your academic progress.
- Understand you are ultimately responsible for creating your educational, life, and career plans.
- Maintain honest and open communication with your advisor.
- Take responsibility for choices you make as a student and member of the UW-Milwaukee community.
Scheduling an Appointment
Office of Student Services
Enderis Hall, Room 209
(414) 229-4721
soeinfo@uwm.edu
Graduate Advising
If you are a School of Education graduate student, you may schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor by contacting your faculty advisor directly. Faculty contact information can be found in the Directory. Your faculty advisor will be listed in your PAWS account.
Honors in the Department of Teaching and Learning
Departmental Honors are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester.
College of Community Engagement and Professions Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.