Skip to main content

This is your Donation message.

Academic Program Guide


English Education


College: Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Degree: Combined BS/MS
Specialized Admission: No

Contact: Robert Birken or Frank Amidon
Address: 2301 Stone Bldg., FSU Tallahassee, FL 32306-4460
Phone: (850) 644-3760
Email:


Description of Major

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*

The English Education BS/MS pathway is designed to prepare students to teach English in secondary school settings (grades 6 - 12). The program includes required coursework in literature, linguistics, composition and rhetoric, and speech, as well as coursework in teaching methodology, including reading, writing, multiple literacies and English for second language learners.

Combined BS/MS Degree Pathway
The English Education program is a combined BS/MS degree pathway. The BS/MS pathway requires two years of upper-division undergraduate coursework plus one additional year of graduate coursework. Admission to the graduate portion of the combined degree pathway requires a 3.00 upper-division undergraduate GPA.

Upon completion of the undergraduate program you will earn a bachelor’s degree in English Education. Your bachelor's degree will be awarded at the end of the Spring semester of your senior year. Upon completion of the graduate program you will earn a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a major in English Teaching.

Professional Educator’s Certificate
Upon awarding of the Master’s degree you will have satisfied all the requirements for a state-approved teacher preparation program in Florida. You will be eligible for a Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate in English (6 - 12) with endorsements in ESOL and Reading.


Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework: (6 hours)
The following coursework must be completed with a grade of C minus or better.

Pre-Education Coursework (3 Credit Hours)
EDF 1005 (3) Introduction to Education or an equivalent course offering a broad view of education from a historical, cultural, psychological, political, social, and philosophical perspectives. Course must include a field experience.

English Education Prerequisite Coursework (3 Credit Hours)
Any AML (American Literature), ENL (English Literature), or LIT (Literature) course

Admission to Educator Preparation
Admission to Educator Preparation is separate and distinct from admission to upper-division from lower-division or admission to the university as a transfer student. All prospective students for English Education must apply for formal admission to Educator Preparation through the College of Education.

Admissions Timeline

The BS/MS pathways utilize a cohort model with courses offered in a specific sequence over a three-year period. Students cannot progress through the BS/MS pathway at a faster or slower pace than specified by the program curriculum. Students are formally admitted to Educator Preparation in the Fall term regardless of the term they are admitted to the university and/or upper-division. We strongly encourage all prospective students (including transfer students) to plan their lower-division coursework so that they will be eligible for admission to the university and/or upper-division in the Fall term.

Students that apply and are admitted for the Spring term will be formally admitted to Educator Preparation the following Fall. They will join the next admitted Fall cohort and will follow that cohort’s curriculum map until graduation. Please note that this adds one additional term of enrollment to the student’s program of study. Spring admits will receive a custom course schedule for the spring term. Spring term coursework may include a mix of major courses, university-wide graduation requirements and/or content courses for English Education and Social Science Education majors. Priority will be given to completing university-wide graduation requirements and content course requirements.

Educator Preparation Application
The Educator Preparation application is available online at http://education.fsu.edu/teacher-ed-admissions.

Application Deadline
The application deadline for all BS/MS Educator Preparation programs is June 1 for Fall and November 1 for Spring. The first available spring term for admission is Spring 2025.

The college of reserves the right to deny any application that is not complete by the application deadline.

Common Admission Requirements
All prospective students to Educator Preparation must meet the following minimum requirements for admission:

1. Complete 60 credit hours of college-level coursework.
2. Earn a 2.50 cumulative GPA in all attempted college coursework. In calculating your GPA, we use all attempted courses (including D's, F's, and WF's) from every college you have attended. If a course is repeated, we will use both grades.
3. Complete FSU General Education Requirements or earn an AA degree from a Florida public institution.
4. Complete EDF 1005 - Introduction to Education with a C minus or better.

See http://liberalstudies.fsu.edu/curriculum.html for Liberal Studies curriculum.

See http://liberalstudiescourses.fsu.edu for a list of approved Liberal Studies courses.

Additional Requirements for Transfer Students
Transfer students must satisfy the university’s minimum requirements for admission including demonstration of satisfactory academic progress, college-level English and mathematics proficiency, and world language proficiency. Applicants who will have attempted 90+ semester hours of college credit (including withdrawals and repeated courses) before enrolling at Florida State University must submit a personal statement to the Office of Admissions. The statement must address the reason(s) for transferring to FSU this late in the academic program and should also include a plan for a timely graduation. See http://admissions.fsu.edu/transfer/ for details.

FTCE General Knowledge Exam
Effective July 1, 2021, the FTCE General Knowledge Exam is no longer an admission requirement for BS/MS Educator Preparation programs within the College of Education.


Requirements

Major Program of Studies at FSU: (78 hours)

Undergraduate Coursework: (33 hours)
LAE 3331 (3) Teaching Literature and Drama in High Schools
LAE 3333 (3) Teaching Writing and Language in High Schools
LAE 4323 (3) Adolescent Literacy and Young Adult Literature
LAE 4863 (3) Enhancing Teaching through Technology
RED 4241(3) Differentiating Instruction for Reading
RED 4310 (3) Foundations of Reading
RED 4510 (3) Teaching Reading for Understanding
RED 4541 (3) Literacy Assessment
RED 4941 (3) Reading and ESOL Practicum
TSL 4251 (3) Applied Linguistics for Second Language Learning
TSL 4520 (3) Cross-cultural Communication for Foreign/Second Language Teachers

Undergraduate Content-Area Coursework: (15 hours)
Content Course: American Literature (3)
Content Course: British Literature (3)
Content Course: Minority American Literature (3)
Content Course: Multicultural Literature (3)
Content Course: Shakespeare (3)

Graduate Coursework: (30 hours)

Twelve(12) of the thirty (30) graduate credit hours required for the Master’s degree are completed as part of the undergraduate program during the senior year study. These courses will be charged at the graduate tuition rate.

EDG 5940 (9) Student Teaching
LAE 5297 (3) Teachers as Writers
LAE 5336 (3) Applied English Linguistics for Teachers
LAE 5348 (3) Teaching Multiliteracies
LAE 5368 (3) Classroom Management and Methods of Planning and Instruction in Secondary English
LAE 5696 (3) Participatory Culture in Literacy and Learning
LAE 5941 (3) Practicum in Secondary English
LAE 8966 (0) Master’s Comprehensive Exam
TSL 5005 (3) Methodologies for Teaching Foreign and Second Languages

University-Wide Graduation Requirements

Digital Literacy: (3 hours)
EME2040 recommended, but can be completed by other University approved coursework

Oral Communication Competency: (3 hours)
Completed within General Education/elective coursework

Natural Science Lab: (1 hour)
Completed within General Education/elective coursework

Scholarship-In-Practice: (3 hours)
Completed within major coursework (TSL 4251)

Upper-Division Writing: (3 hours)
Completed within major coursework (RED 4310)

VIA
A VIA membership is required for all Educator Preparation candidates. The membership costs $139 and must be purchased within the first 30 days of your first semester in the program. Throughout your program, courses will include Signature Assessments that must be completed and uploaded into VIA for evaluation by your instructors. Your membership is good for five years and allows you to retain evidence of your demonstration of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPS) and Reading Competencies.

Required Examinations
Two exams are required before student teaching and graduation:

1. FTCE Professional Education Exam (PE) - $150
2. FTCE Subject Area Exam - $150

The FTCE Professional Education Exam and FTCE Subject Area Exam are state-mandated requirements and cannot be waived. Both FTCE exams must be completed before a candidate can participate in Student Teaching.

Criminal Background Screening
School districts have taken precautionary measures to ensure the security and safety of their students. To gain entry into a school and to comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act, all Educator Preparation candidates must complete a Level II background screening (fingerprinting). The cost of the screening and red badge is $95.00 and is effective for five years. The background check must be completed within the first 30 days of your first semester in the program.

Field Experiences
Field Experiences are a required component of all educator preparation programs at Florida State University. They provide students an opportunity to participate in teaching activities in a classroom setting with a certified teacher. The location, duration and frequency of field experiences vary by semester and program. Prospective students should think carefully about their transportation needs, work schedule, extracurricular activities and time management.

Student Teaching
Student Teaching is the culminating experience in Florida State University’s Educator Preparation Program. During this semester-long experience, you will be given an opportunity to demonstrate the various skills that you have learned throughout your program.

Professional Behaviors and Dispositions
While enrolled in an Educator Preparation program, candidates are expected to demonstrate positive behaviors and dispositions that conform to the "Code of Ethics" (State Board of Education Rule 6A10.080 FAC) and the "Principles of Professional Conduct in Florida" (State Board of Education Rule 6A10.081 FAC). Each program reserves the right to refuse or discontinue enrollment of any student who violates these expectations or in the judgment of a majority of the program faculty does not meet the program standards.

Program Completion
All Educator Preparation candidates must demonstrate mastery of the Florida Department of Education Uniform Core Curriculum and positive dispositions prior to graduation. Upon admission to the program, students will receive a cohort specific Educator Preparation Handbook that outlines these requirements in detail. A copy of the current Educator Preparation Handbook is available online at https://education.fsu.edu/educator-preparation .

Minimum Program Requirements – Summary
Total Hours Required (BS): 120
General Education: 36
Lower Division Elective Coursework: 12
Digital Literacy: 3
Oral Communication Competency: 3
Natural Science Lab: 1
Pre-Education Coursework: 6
Undergraduate Major Coursework: 33
Undergraduate Content-Area Coursework: 15
Graduate Major Coursework: 30


Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.


Remarks

1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. All of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.


Employment Information

Salary Information: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Representative Job Titles Related: Teacher of English: Middle School, Junior High, Senior High, Adult Education, Public Librarian, Sales Representative, Audiovisual Specialist, Teacher of English as a foreign language, Youth Organization Worker, Television Educational Specialist, Tutor, Editor/Editorial Assistant, Reporter, Writer of Technical Publications.

Representative job titles Related that may require further schooling: Community College Instructor, College Professor, School Librarian.

Representative Employers: Government Agencies: Overseas schools for military, Department of Education, School Boards, Department of State: Indian reservations, Peace Corps, Bookstores, Social Service Agencies, Immigrant Service Agencies, Television, Publishing Companies.


View English Education Academic Map