English - Teacher Certification (BA)

The School of Liberal Arts offers the Bachelors of Arts degree with a major in English. The B.A. program in English serves students interested in examining literature and culture with a course of studies and degree that equip them for a variety of careers and vocations, including education, marketing and sales, communications, public relations, journalism, publishing, law, business administration and more. The English program provides students with learning experiences of increasing levels of complexity and enrichment. The program offers four tracks, including a track for students interested in teaching English at the secondary education level: Writing and Rhetoric, Language and Literature, Interdisciplinary Studies and Teacher Certification

Curriculum

General Education Requirements (60 hours)

The primary objective of the general education requirements is to guarantee that all students seeking a Bachelors of Arts in English (BA) degree will share a common body of knowledge drawn from a broad spectrum of subject areas.

Additional Requirements (3 hours)

The physical education requirement is comprised of one credit hour of Wellness and two credit hours of additional Physical Education courses.

Legislative Requirements

Georgia law requires that each candidate for a degree demonstrate knowledge of the history and constitution on the United States and Georgia. These requirements may be met by receiving a passing grade in certain courses, or by passing the appropriate examination. The courses and the requirement(s) each course satisfies are as follows:

1. HIST 2111 or HIST 2112 satisfies the Georgia and U.S. history requirement (if taken at a University System of Georgia institution).
2. POLS 1101 satisfies the Georgia and US Constitution requirement (if taken at a University System of Georgia institution).
3. Students with transfer credit (HIST 2111, HIST 2112 or POLS 1101) from outside the University System of Georgia will need to contact the Testing Center regarding the legislative exams requirement.

Major Requirements (60 hours)

The major requirements consist of six areas of study: 2000-level proficiency in a foreign language, English Core, Concentration, and General Electives, a service learning course, and a senior capstone experience. The foreign language proficiency ensures majors have an enriched understanding of the diversity of languages, literacies, and cultures. The English Core is designed to promote a common body of knowledge needed for proficiency across a wide range of educational institutions and settings, and private and public sectors organizations. The service learning requirement gives majors a real-world understanding of how their learning and work in English can impact communities and organizations. Concentration courses and the senior capstone experience allow students to delve further into their areas of specialization. General electives give students an opportunity to explore topics of interest at an advanced level.

Bachelor of Arts - English

Concentration: Teacher Certification

Students in the English Major (Teacher Certification Track) will be able to:

1. Analyze texts, culture and language from various critical, rhetorical, aesthetics and theoretical perspectives
2. Produce effective creative, professional or scholarly written, oral or visual texts that are appropriate for audience, genre, and purpose.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in research methods and in the use of information for original work.
4. Evaluate texts and other media as sites of cultural production and intercultural exchange.
5. Satisfy the12 Candidate Outcomes identified for the Teacher Education Unit.

Educator Preparation Outcomes

The School of Education is committed to preparing teachers who ensure that students reach high levels of achievement. GGC graduates are caring, competent, analytical, collaborative, and adaptive. Research supports the central role of each of these domains in fostering student achievement. Each of these domains is operationally defined by a set of specific learning outcomes which are expected of candidates in all programs.

Domain 1: Interpersonal Expertise

1.1 Candidates foster environments that reflect ethical behavior, respect, kindness, safety, and care.
1.2 Candidates create culturally inclusive learning environments that capitalize on the developmental characteristics and life experiences of learners.

Domain 2: Content and Pedagogical Expertise

2.1 Candidates know the content they are expected to teach and engage in ongoing learning opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and learning experiences based on local and state standards.
2.2 Candidates utilize a variety of content appropriate instructional strategies which include communicating effective and descriptive feedback to maximize learning for all students.
2.3 Candidates seamlessly integrate technology into the design, delivery, and assessments of learning environments and experiences.
2.4 Candidates manage learning environments and collaborate with learners to make appropriate adjustments and to set goals for their own learning.

Domain 3: Assessment and Analytical Expertise

3.1 Candidates assess student learning using appropriate assessment tools.
3.2 Candidates organize, analyze, and interpret assessment data from multiple sources, which guiding learners in examining their own thinking and learning as well as the performance of others.
3.3 Candidates’ instructional decisions are data-driven.

Domain 4: Leadership Expertise

4.1 Candidates assume leadership roles in classrooms and other school/community environments.
4.2 Candidates collaborate effectively with peers, school personnel, families, and community members.

Domain 5: Adaptive Expertise

5.1 Candidates exhibit routine and adaptive expertise for teaching.

Admission to the Educator Preparation Programs

Admission to the Educator Preparation is required for admission to junior- and senior-level courses in the majors. The following requirements must be met for admission into the Early Childhood Education and Special Education majors, as well as the Teacher Certification Tracks of the biology, English, history, mathematics, and political science majors.

1. The applicant must be a student in good standing at Georgia Gwinnett College. This means that the applicant should not be on academic warning or academic probation.
2. The applicant must have completed 45 semester hours of college level credit by the end of the semester of application with an overall GPA of 2.5 or better.
3. The applicant must have earned a grade of C or better in EDUC 2110, EDUC 2120, and EDUC 2130 (or have approved course substitutions) by the end of the semester of application.
4. The applicant must pass or exempt the GACE Basic Skills Assessment by the end of the semester of application.
5. The applicant must receive satisfactory ratings on the Pre-Professional Practices and Behavior in EDUC 2110, EDUC 2120, and EDUC 2130 OR submit a recommendation form from a professor at the non-GGC institution where the candidate took the EDUC courses.
6. The applicant must have a satisfactory performance on an oral presentation in EDUC 2110, EDUC 2120, or EDUC 2130 OR an oral interview with a faculty mentor at GGC.
7. The applicant must submit evidence of liability insurance. Liability insurance may be obtained through membership in a professional educators’ organization.
8. The applicant must submit an Application for Admission to Educator Preparation which includes all of the required documentation.

Prospective applicants to the Educator Preparation Programs may obtain application information from their mentors or from the School of Education.

* All students must complete at least on World Literature Survey either in Area C or Area F

** Students who took at 2000 level ENGL literature survey to satisfy Area C are required to select only two 2000 level ENGL courses in Area F

All English majors must demonstrate 2000 level proficiency in Foreign Language

• Choices for Life (1) Credit Hours
• Additional Physical Education (2) Credit Hours

(Formal Admission to Educator Preparation Required)

*required prior to Admission to Teacher Education