Program type:

Major
Teaching Certification
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

4 years
Credit Hours:

120
Pass your passion for reading and writing down to future generations.
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences encourages students to explore teaching at the secondary level as a career option. Upon completion of this program, you'll be prepared to sit for the certification examinations in Language Arts and Reading.

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Why Earn an English Degree with Language Arts and Reading Teacher Certification?

The English major is one of the largest in UNT's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. It is widely recognized as a foundational liberal arts degree, preparing you not only for graduate study in literature or creative writing, but for a range of careers - including teaching, the law, publishing and business - in which the skills of analytical thinking and effective communication are at a premium.

The curriculum develops your writing, critical thinking and analytical skills while introducing you to American, British and world literatures, creative writing, literary theory, composition, language arts and rhetoric.

Whatever path you choose, you'll also gain something invaluable: a fuller sense of the possibilities of life, expanded intellectual and imaginative horizons, and a greater capacity for understanding both yourself and others.

Marketable Skills
  • Write clearly, concisely, and compellingly
  • Communicate meaningfully to diverse audiences
  • Develop solutions to complex problems
  • Think critically, creatively, and independently
  • Identify and evaluate credible sources

English Language Arts and Reading teacher certification Highlights

Our faculty hail from the top graduate programs in the country, are active scholars and researchers, and are consistently recognized as some of the best teachers at UNT.
Some of our faculty honors include the BBC International Short Story Award, a $1 million U.S. State Department grant and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry.
As an English major, you can participate in a number of student organizations, including the Sigma Tau Delta international English honor society.
Creative writing students receive feedback from published writers, and the Visiting Writers Series provides a forum to meet accomplished authors.
You may also help faculty members with research projects or with one of the department journals—the American Literary Review, Studies in the Novel, or Conradiana.
At all levels, our class sizes are restricted in order to provide opportunities for collaboration with other students and close interaction with professors.

What Can You Do With an English Degree with Language Arts and Reading Teacher Certification?

A Bachelor of Arts degree in English prepares you for jobs that require strong writing, communication and analytical thinking skills. Our graduates choose careers in a variety of fields, including law, publishing, education, advertising, journalism or public relations.

Many alumni teach English composition, British or American literature, or English as a Second Language in public and private schools. Some pursue master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields in competitive graduate programs nationwide.

Other alumni include:

  • An editor with Rolling Stone magazine
  • A curator in the Rare Book Division of the New York Public Library
  • A member of the public relations staff at PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm
  • Novelists Karleen Koen, David Lindsey and Larry McMurtry
  • Poets Chad Davidson and John Poch
  • Screenplay writer and director Ken Harrison
  • Various employees of government agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Government Printing Office

English Language Arts and Reading teacher certification Courses You Could Take

Advanced Grammar and Usage (3 hrs)
Covers basic and advanced concepts of grammar; usage and punctuation; and techniques and practices for effective writing and publishing in the humanities.
Instruction and Assessment in English Language Arts (3 hrs)
Study of English Language Arts curriculum, instruction and assessment designed for students in the Language Arts teacher preparation program.
Professional Issues in Teaching (3 hrs)
Overview of American education, including history, purposes, legal bases, school organization, education as a profession and analysis of characteristics required for professional success.
Content Area Reading (3 hrs)
Provides an overview of the reading process with emphasis on reading to learn in the content area. Provides knowledge and skills for identifying reading problems, modifying instructional materials and processes, and using writing to promote learning and thinking in the content areas.
Teaching Diverse Populations (3 hrs)
Provides knowledge and skills required for developing and implementing challenging instruction for students who are culturally different, students who receive special education services, and students who are identified as gifted and talented.
Academic Writing in the Humanities (3 hrs)
Intermediate-level study in essayistic and academic literacies. Practice-centered approach to writing, with a particular focus on drafting, revision and research-based academic argument.

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