Educational Studies
CERTIFICATION COURSE REQUIREMENTS

English Language Arts

Upon completing the approved program in English Language Arts and taking all ISBE tests, you will earn a secondary certificate (Type 09) with an endorsement in English Language Arts.  You will be qualified to teach honors and AP courses in English, as well as lower level courses.  While the secondary certificate is for grades 6-12, teaching grades 6-8 requires a middle school endorsement. 

Professional Education
The courses below must be taken in the sequence listed. Refer to the IWU catalog for course prerequisites. None of the courses below may be taken concurrently.

First year, spring semester or sophomore year, fall semester Educ 225 Education and Social Justice (CSI)
Sophomore year, fall or spring Educ 255 Studying Children and Adolescents (WI)
Sophomore year, spring or junior year, fall Educ 260 Middle School Philosophy (elective; required for middle school endorsement)
Junior year, spring Educ 360 Curriculum and Pedagogy in Humanities and Social Sciences
Senior year, fall * Educ 491 Student Teaching in Humanities and Social Science, with Seminar *
Senior year spring ** Educ 498 Educational Inquiry (WI)

*ACM Urban Education (UEP) participants may student teach spring semester senior year, with approval.

**Ninth semester graduates and spring semester UEP candidates may take Educ 401 during the spring semester of the junior year, with department approval.

Middle School Endorsement Option
Candidates wishing to teach subject specific grades 6-8 must complete Teaching and Learning in the Middle School (Educ 260). Coursework on early adolescent development is included in Educational Studies 255 and 260. Candidates wishing to student teach in grades 6-8 should take Educ 260 prior to student teaching, but not concurrent with Educational Studies 362.

General Education
While Illinois Wesleyan University general education requirements are the same as those required by all students in the College of Liberal Arts, the following courses are recommended.

Analysis of Values                     Phil 214         Philosophy of Education
                                                      Soc 122          Social Problems and Values
Art                                                  Thea 241        Introduction to Dramatic Literature
                                                      LC 275            Heroic Poetry in Performance
Cultural/Historical Change       Hist 249          Revolutions in American Child and Family Life
Formal Reasoning                    Phil 102         Elementary Symbolic Logic
                                                      CS 126            Introduction to Computer Science
Life Science                                 Psych 100      General Psychology
                                                       Psych 101     Lifespan Development

Major Requirements
The English curriculum provides students with a sound background in interpreting literature and expository writing, and prepares them to teach these subjects to secondary students. The diversity of the secondary education English curriculum requires competence in language arts and grammar, teaching ability in several periods of literature, knowledge of various genres and major figures, and a strong background in both English and American literature.

Engl 280 Practical Criticism
Engl 290 Grammar and composition for middle and high school English teachers
Engl 480 Senior Seminar


English Majors with a Writing Concentration ADD:

Select 1 from Engl 220-259 Foundations course
Engl 170, 220, 240-272 Foundations and Literature courses
Select 2 from Engl 101, 201, 202, 206, 211, and/or 212. Writing courses
(At least one must be at the 200 level.)
Select 2 from Engl 300 level Writing courses
Select 4 from Engl 300/400 level Literature courses (one must be pre-1830 literature)


English Majors with a Literature Emphasis ADD:

Select 1 from Engl 220-259 Foundations courses
Select 1 or 2 from
Engl 170, 220, 240-272		 Foundations and Literature courses
(only one unit of 170 may be counted toward the major)
Select 5 or 6 Engl 300/400 Literature (one must be pre-1830 literature)

English majors seeking licensure in teaching are strongly advised to take at least one 300-level Shakespeare course. See your English faculty advisor or the IWU catalog for allowed substitutions.

Prior to student teaching in English, the following coursework in English must be completed:

English Literature majors—a minimum of all required lower division literature courses, 280, 290, and four 300-level literature courses

English Writing majors—a minimum of all required lower division literature courses, 280,  290, three of the four required writing courses, and three upper division literature courses.

ISBE Standards

English candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the content area standards in English Language Arts . The APT test, Grades 6-12 (103) is required prior to recommendation for certification. Registration can be completed at www.icts.nesinc.com.

Second Subject Teaching Endorsements

English candidates may earn a second subject endorsement in Foreign Language (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish) by completing:

  • Educ 360A3 concurrent with 360A2.
  • A major in the target language, including upper level coursework and study abroad.
  • ISBE Content Area test in the target language. French (127), German (128), Italian (130), Japanese (131),Latin (133), Russian (134), Spanish (135).

English candidates may earn other second subject endorsements only by completing the appropriate approved program as outlined in this handbook. Refer to www.iwu.edu/~edstu for specific program requirements.

The completion of endorsement requirements is noted during the entitlement process completed by the Educational Studies office.

You may add endorsements to your certificate after graduation and any time during your teaching career by completing state requirements . The application form can be found here.