English Teaching Major

English Major with Communications Arts/Literature Teaching Licensure

Completion of the Communication Arts/Literature sequence allows students to seek initial licensure in the state of Minnesota as a teacher in grades 5-12 of reading, writing, speaking, listening, media literacy, and literature.  Students seeking Communication Arts/Literature licensure with an English major must complete the following track.  (Students interested in Communication Arts/Literature licensure with a speech communication major should contact the CSTA Dept.)

It is important that students plan a well-rounded sequence of English courses.  Requirements for the major are intended to offer experience with classic and contemporary literature, writing, and grammar and language history.  Because secondary English teachers work with their students in all areas of the fields of English and communication arts, it is important for preservice teachers to have broad exposure in the disciplines of English and communications.

Participation in co-curricular activities approved by the CSTA and English Departments is a required part of the Communication Arts/Literature licensure.  Teaching majors are responsible for getting specific information on co-curricular participation requirements from the CSTA, English, and Education Departments.  Suggested activities include forensics, theatre, a media activity such as KORD, Concordia On-Air, The Concordian newspaper, AfterWork, and Student Leadership and Service (when English or education related and not a requirement for an existing course), or alternate co-curricular activity approved in advance by advisor and department chair.
Two different co-curricular activities are required.  A minimum of one semester of participation for each activity is suggested; however, participation should not occur during the student teaching semester.  Advisees should pick up the co-curricular form from the Education Department and then have it initialed by the advisor and supervisor from the co-curricular activity to indicate participation.  The student teaching endorsement process will track student participation.


The ten-week student-teaching experience is a senior year capstone.  Leading toward that experience is the course work in literature, writing process theory and experience, reading theory, communication theory, public speaking, mass media, language study, curriculum design, teaching methods, and theories of learning and assessment.

An English major may earn departmental honors.   Full details are here.   One of the requirements is completion of either the Capstone in Literature or the Capstone in Writing. The capstones are offered only in the spring semester so if you wish to follow this path, you will need to schedule your student teaching for fall semester.

Since many of the required courses are offered only one semester per year, you should plan your semesters well in advance to avoid overloading and to help you complete the major in four years.  Students and advisors should check with the Education Dept. if they have questions about the education courses or sequence.  All English Education students are now required to take examinations before licensure:  PPST (the basic skills test) and Praxis (the Principles of Teaching and Learning test and the content area test).  See the Education Dept. for registration information.

Download the checklist here.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
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