May 14, 2024

2024-2025 General Catalog

English Teaching Composite: American Studies - BA, BS

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of English

About This Degree

The English Teaching Composite: American Studies program prepares students towards professional licensure in the teaching of secondary-level English, with additional preparation in American Studies. Students become versed in their academic subject matter (the language arts, emphasizing writing); skilled in the methods of teaching the various components of the English curriculum and classroom management techniques; and committed to the achievement of all students. The English Teaching Composite: American Studies offers a robust menu of courses, recognizing the complexity and depth of English studies.

In addition to the required exploratory courses and content-focused courses in English and American Studies, students take classes in pedagogy to learn about curriculum, planning, instructional delivery, assessment, and related topics. Two clinical experiences provide in-school experiences before student teaching. Admission to STEP is required for clinical experiences.

Students receive a by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages.

English Teaching Composite: Students emphasizing in English teaching prepare to teach secondary level English in the public school system. Students take a wide range of literature, writing, and teaching courses that prepare them to teach language arts in secondary education classrooms.

For more information about English Teaching Composite (American Studies), see the Department of English website.
Admitted and current students must meet with an advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
The highest math requirement for this degree is Quantitative Literacy (QL) of the student’s choice. STAT 1040 - Introduction to Statistics (QL) or STAT 1045 - Introduction to Statistics with Elements of Algebra (QL) or STAT 1080 - Foundations of Data Science (QL) is recommended.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken through USU: 30
Total major required credits taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

New freshmen must be admitted to USU in Good Standing.
Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU: 2.5 GPA*
*Minimum GPA for Admission: 2.5 USU cumulative GPA (including courses taken for another USU major); 2.5 career total GPA (including transfer credits) for new transfer students. 2.5 GPA within all English courses (other than ENGL 1010 , ENGL 2010 , CLEP, AP, etc.); 2.5 USU cumulative (including courses taken for another USU major); 2.5 career total (including transfer credits) for new transfer students.

Major Requirements (62 credits)

Minimum GPA for Graduation: 2.75 within major courses; 2.0 USU cumulative (3.0 USU cumulative required for admission to STEP); 2.75 career total (for licensure)
Number of Required Credits: 62
Credits in Residence: Students must complete 21 credits of major-applicable coursework at Utah State University
Other Requirements:
- To obtain professional licensure at graduation, students must fulfill the requirements of the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP) prescribed by the School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL). STEP (typically requires 3 semesters; see TEAL website and advisor for STEP advising) is required for licensure, and ENGL 1410 .
- The English Teaching Composite: American Studies program prepares students towards professional licensure in the teaching of secondary-level English, with additional preparation in American Studies. Students become versed in their academic subject matter (the language arts, emphasizing writing); skilled in the methods of teaching the various components of the English curriculum and classroom management techniques; and committed to the achievement of all students. The English Teaching Composite: American Studies offers a robust menu of courses, recognizing the complexity and depth of English studies.
- In addition to the required exploratory courses and content-focused courses in English and American Studies, students take classes in pedagogy to learn about curriculum, planning, instructional delivery, assessment, and related topics. Two clinical experiences provide in-school experiences before student teaching. Admission to STEP is required for clinical experiences.
- Students are urged to complete the required Exploratory courses early in their program of study and to complete an additional 6 credits of English prior to taking ENGL 4500 and ENGL 4510 . When possible, students should complete all of their required 3000-level courses before taking 4000-level courses.

A. English Department Requirements

Students should take note of the superscripts to find emphasis-specific requirements.

English Major Core (9 credits)

ENGL 2600 is required. Students may fulfill the rest of the core credits from the following courses.

ENGL 2600 - Literary Analysis 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2050 - Literature by Women (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2060 - Reading Across Borders (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2070 - Introduction to Digital Humanities (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2140 - Introduction to LGBTQ+ Literature (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2150 - Introduction to Science Fiction 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2160 - AI and Writing: Cultural and Historical Perspectives 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2210 - Introduction to Folklore (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2220 - Introduction to Fiction (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2230 - Introduction to Film (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2240 - Introduction to Poetry (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2250 - Introduction to Creative Writing (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2300 - Introduction to Shakespeare (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2330 - Introduction to Children’s Literature (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2350 - Indigenous Voices (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2630 - Introduction to American Studies (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2640 - Race and Ethnicity in the United States (BHU) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 2720 - Survey of American Folklore 3 credit(s)
TCR 2100 - Introduction to Technical Communication 3 credit(s)
TCR 2110 - Digital Writing Technologies 3 credit(s)

Emphasis Requirements

Note: Some classes listed in sections “B” and “C” do not specifically note American content in the class title and the content must be approved by the program advisor for the class to be used toward the requirements. Please see advisor for courses that fall under this category.

B. American Studies Foundations (9 credits)

Students must complete 9 credits of American Studies Foundations courses. Students must select 3 of the following 5 foundation areas and complete 1 course in each of the 3 chosen areas.

C. American Literature and Folklore Courses (12 credits)

Choose four courses from the following list (courses may not also be used to fulfill the American Studies Foundations requirement):

ENGL 2720 - Survey of American Folklore 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3070 - Folklore on the Internet (DHA) 3 credit(s) /
HIST 3070 - Folklore on the Internet (DHA) 3
ENGL 3355 - Literary History of the Early Americas 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3365 - Nineteenth-Century American Literary History 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3375 - Literary History of the Americas Since 1900 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3610 - Multicultural American Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3620 - Native American Studies 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3630 - The Farm in Literature and Culture (CI/DHA) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3700 - Regional Folklore (DHA) 3 credit(s) /
HIST 3700 - Regional Folklore (DHA) 3
ENGL 3710 - Topics in Folklore (CI) 3 credit(s) /
HIST 3710 - Topics in Folklore (CI) 3
ENGL 4310 - American Writers 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4340 - Studies in Fiction 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4345 - Studies in Nonfiction 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4350 - Studies in Poetry 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4360 - Studies in Drama 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4365 - Studies in Film 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4370 - Native American Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4375 - U.S. Latinx Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4380 - African American Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4610 - Western American Literature (CI/DHA) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4630 - American Nature Writers 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4700 - Folk Material Culture (DHA) 3 credit(s) /
HIST 4700 - Folk Material Culture (DHA) 3
ENGL 4750 - Advanced Folklore Workshop: Fife Conference 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5300 - Special Topics in Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5310 - Contemporary Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5320 - Gender and Sexuality in Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5330 - Race and Ethnicity in Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5340 - Multimedia Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 5700 - Folk Narrative 3 credit(s) / HIST 5700 - Folk Narrative 3
PORT 3630 - Survey of Brazilian Literature (DHA) 3 credit(s)
SPAN 3300 - Introduction to Hispanic Literature and Literary Analysis 3 credit(s)
SPAN 3620 - Survey of Hispanic American Literature I (DHA) 3 credit(s)
SPAN 3630 - Survey of Hispanic American Literature II (DHA) 3 credit(s)
SPAN 3640 - Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature 3 credit(s)

D. Shakespeare Course (3 credits)

ENGL 4300 - Shakespeare 3 credit(s)

E. Linguistics (3 credits)

Select one course from the following list:

ENGL 4200 - Linguistic Structures 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4210 - History of English: Change and Diversity 3 credit(s)

F. World Literature Course (3 credits)

Select one course from the following list:

CLAS 3210 - Classical Mythology 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3210 - Classical Mythology 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3385 - Postcolonial World Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3395 - World Literature in Translation 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4330 - World Writers 3 credit(s)

G. Writing Course (3 credits)

Select one course from the following list (course may not also be used for Writing Exploration Requirement). ENGL 4540: Teaching Creative Writing is recommended.

ENGL 3080 - Introduction to Technical Communication (CI) 3 credit(s)
TCR 2100 - Introduction to Technical Communication 3 credit(s)
TCR 2110 - Digital Writing Technologies 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3420 - Fiction Writing 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3430 - Poetry Writing 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3440 - Creative Nonfiction Writing 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4540 - Teaching Creative Writing 3 credit(s)
TCR 4250 - Careers in Professional Communication 3 credit(s)

H. English Education (17 credits)

ENGL 3470 - Approaches to Research in English Studies (QI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 3500 - Teaching English 2 credit(s) (Students must register for SCED 3300 when taking ENGL 3500 .)
ENGL 3510 - Teaching Young Adult Literature 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4500 - Teaching Writing (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4510 - Teaching Literature (CI) 3 credit(s)
ENGL 4520 - Teaching Literacy in Diverse Classrooms 3 credit(s) (Students must take SCED 4300 when taking ENGL 4520 .)

I. Grammar Requirement (3 credits)

Students must complete ENGL 1410 .

ENGL 1410 - Elements of Grammar 3 credit(s)

J. Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP)

English Teaching students must complete the STEP program to be eligible for graduation and to receive a license to teach in the public school system. The STEP program is administered through the Secondary Education Program of the School of TEAL, Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Students must be admitted to STEP before taking many STEP courses. Among the requirements for admission is a Criminal Background Check. While completing student teaching, students must pass the required PPAT assessment. STEP requirements are subject to change based on changes in state licensure. Students should meet with an advisor in the School of TEAL for further information regarding this program.

STEP Requirements (29 credits)

These three courses may be taken prior to admission:
ITLS 5500 - Integration and Innovation of Technology in Education 3 credit(s)
SCED 3210 - Educational and Multicultural Foundations (CI/DSS) 3 credit(s)
SPED 4000 - Education of Students with Disabilities 3 credit(s)
SCED 3300 - Clinical Experience I 1 credit(s) (Students must register for ENGL 3500 when taking SCED 3300 .)
SCED 4300 - Clinical Experience II 1 credit(s) (Students must register for ENGL 4520 when taking SCED 4300 .)
SCED 5100 - Motivation and Classroom Management 3 credit(s)
SCED 5210 - Learning Theory, Curriculum, and Assessment 3 credit(s)
SCED 5500 - Student Teaching Seminar 2 credit(s)
SCED 5630 - Student Teaching in Secondary Schools 10 credit(s)

Licensure Notification

This program typically leads to licensure and was designed to meet licensing qualifications in the state of Utah. If students wish to work in another state within the United States, they should review the qualifications for that state and the Education Licensure Compliance Table provided by School of Teacher Education and Leadership.

For more information, please contact the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at https://cehs.usu.edu/teal/

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

Suggested Degree Map - English Teaching Composite: American Studies BA, BS

English Teaching Composite: American Studies BA, BS - 4 Year Degree Map