English Education

The English Education program prepares students to be English Language Arts teachers in grades 5-12. At the undergraduate level, students typically spend the first couple of years taking foundational education coursework and English content classes. In their junior and senior years, students begin taking methods courses that are English-specific. These methods courses include how to teach writing, literature, and culturally and linguistically diverse learners. See this link for the current undergraduate Plan of Study.

Students with an undergraduate degree in English, or another field if they are able to pass the English language arts content exam, can earn a secondary ELA license for Indiana through Purdue’s Transition to Teaching program. This 18-credit program is typically completed in 15-18 months or less if students take some required coursework during their undergraduate studies via the Boilermaker Track to Teaching program. Students in the TTT program can also combine their coursework with one of Purdue’s M.Ed. programs if they are seeking an advanced degree in addition to a teaching license.

At the graduate level, students can earn an M.Ed. or Ph.D. in English Education. Both degrees are very flexible and require deep engagement in research and scholarship; the M.Ed. culminates in a master’s thesis and the Ph.D. in a dissertation. Please contact Professor Tara Johnson for more information.

Faculty