Students who have a passion for literature and education should consider the English Pre-Education specialization. Intended for students who plan to pursue further study and eventual licensure in Integrated Language Arts, Adolescence to Young Adult (Grades 7-12), this specialization gives students in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they will teach. Once students complete this concentration, they typically seek admission to either (a) an M.Ed. program in Integrated Language Arts with licensure, or (b) a post-baccalaureate program in Integrated Language Arts with licensure. The English Pre-Education specialization offers an excellent foundation for future teachers in both their graduate work and in their own classrooms.
Basic Information
- Students pursuing the English major with a Pre-Education Specialization will complete a minimum of 12 unique courses (36-38 hours).
- Students must have a cumulative minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) for all courses in the major program and a minimum grade of C- for each individual major course. A minimum grade of C is required for English 3398.
- 27 credit hours must be at 3000+ level.
- Up to 6 credit hours may be counted towards your GE Theme requirements. These courses are indicated with §. Please consult with your advisor to get more information on how you can (and can't) overlap GE Theme requirements with major requirements.
- Not all courses are offered every term: please consult with your advisor.
Requirements for Pre-Education Specialization
English 3398 (Methods for the Study of Literature) is a required course for this specialization. 3 credit hours. This course fulfills GEN Embedded Literacy: Advanced Writing and Data Analysis
3 credit hours. Select one of the following:
- 2290: Colonial & US Literature to 1865
- 4550: Topics in Colonial & Early National Lit. of the US
- 4551: Topics in 19thc. US Lit
- 4552: Topics in American Poetry
- 4553: 20th c. US Fiction
- 4564.03: Major Author, Am Lit to 1900
3 credit hours. Select one of the following:
- 2201(H): British Lit: Origins to 1800
- 2202(H): British Lit: 1800 to Present
- 4513: Intro to Medieval Lit
- 4514: Middle English Lit 4515: Chaucer
- 4521: Renaissance Drama
- 4522: Renaissance Poetry
- 4523: Topics in Renaissance Lit/Culture
- 4531: Restoration & 18th c. Lit
- 4533: Early British Novel: Origins to 1830
- 4535: Topics in Restoration & 18th c. British Lit/Culture
3 credit hours. Select one of the following:
- 2220(H): Intro to Shakespeare
- 2221: Introduction to Shakespeare, Race, and Gender
- 4520.01: Shakespeare
- 4520.02: Topics in Shakespeare
3 credit hours. Select one of the following, each from a different genre (fiction, poetry, nonfiction):
- 2263: Intro to Film
- 3378: Topics in Film & Literature
- 4578: Topics in Film
3 credit hours. Select one of the following:
- 2281: Intro to African American Lit
- 2581: Intro to US Ethnic Literatures
- 4580: Topics in LGBTQ Lit/Cultures
- 4581: Topics in US Ethnic Literatures
- 4582: Topics in African American Lit/Culture
- 4586: Studies in American Indian Lit/Culture
- 4587: Studies in Asian American Lit/Culture
- 4588: Studies in Latino/a Lit/Culture
3 credit hours. This requirement also fulfills GEN Embedded Literacy: Technology. Select one of the following:
- 2269: Digital Media Composing
- 4569: Digital Media in English Studies
All of the courses below are required:
- English 4592: Special Topics in Women in Literature and Culture. 3 credit hours.
- English 4583: Special Topics in World Literature in English. 3 credit hours.
- English 3271: Structure of English Language. 3 credit hours.
- English 4572: Traditional Grammar & Usage. 3 credit hours.
- EDUCST 2189S: First Educational Experience Program (FEEP). 3–5 credit hours.
The following courses are not required to complete the English Pre-Education major, but these courses are prerequisites for the Ohio State School of Teaching & Learning’s M.Ed. program in English Education/Integrated Language Arts:
- EDUTL 3356: Literature for Adolescents
- ESEPSY 5401 or PSYCH 3351: Adolescent Learning/Development
- EDUTL 5501: Inclusion: Philosophical, Social, and Practice Issues
Honors and Research Distinction Information
English majors in the Pre-Education Concentration in addition to fulfilling above requirements must take at least 2 courses (6 credits) from the following list of honors seminars: these courses may count towards other distribution requirements (as noted below).
- 4590.01H: The Middle Ages
- 4590.02H: The Renaissance
- 4590.03H: The Long 18th c.
- 4590.04H: Romanticism
- 4590.05H: Later 19th c.
- 4590.06H: The Modern Period
- 4590.07H: Lit in English after 1945
- 4590.08H: US and Colonial Lit [American Lit]
- 4591.01H: Topics in Study of CW
- 4591.02H: Topics in Study of Rhetoric
Students planning to pursue research distinction in English will complete at least 4 credit hours of English 4999 (4999H for honors students), the course number assigned for work on undergraduate theses, in addition to the 36 hours required for the major. To graduate with research distinction in English, students must meet the following requirements at the time of their graduation: (a) have completed 60 graded hours at Ohio State, (b) have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (note: the GPA requirement for honors students is 3.4), and have successfully defended their thesis during an oral examination.
Information about the thesis process and requirements can be found on the Research Distinction page on the ASC advising website.
Honors students should consult the information and requirements available at the Honors Distinction page on the Honors Program website.
All English majors are encouraged to consider completing a thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor(s). Thesis projects may involve the drafting of a scholarly research paper; the production of a novel, set of short stories, or collection of poems; the analysis of narratives and/or other qualitative data collected from a particular cultural or regional community; and/or the creation of a digital media artifact. Students are encouraged to talk with members of the English faculty and their English Undergraduate Advisors, as early as possible in their undergraduate careers, if they are interested in developing a thesis project or would like more information about the thesis process and requirements.