About the Program
The English secondary education postbaccalaureate certification-only program prepares students to create productive learning environments, plan and execute effective instructional activities in the English language arts, monitor and assess student learning, address the special developmental needs of students at the middle-school level and in high school, and work effectively with learners having diverse backgrounds or special needs. It takes approximately three to four semesters to complete certification requirements at Buffalo State. Students in this program take both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses and will be billed appropriately for each type. Graduate credits can be applied to a master’s degree at Buffalo State. For financial aid purposes, students will be considered fifth-year undergraduates eligible for undergraduate loans. To apply for the program, students should request an application from the Graduate Studies and Research Office, Cleveland Hall 204.
Admissions Requirements
(1) Bachelor’s degree in English with courses in Shakespeare, ethnic American literature, young adult literature, and world literature, or completion of an undergraduate degree in a related discipline with 36 credit hours of coursework in English, including courses in Shakespeare, ethnic American literature, young adult literature, and world literature. Applicants who do not meet these admission requirements can take courses at Buffalo State to become eligible to apply. (2) The study of a language other than English. Applicants must have completed two years of high school study in one foreign language or two semesters in college. Students not meeting these requirements must complete two semesters of a language other than English at Buffalo State. (Students must provide the department with copies of their high school transcripts to demonstrate the high school foreign-language requirement.) (3) Coursework in exceptional education and education technology (3 credits each) or demonstrated expertise in these areas. Students not meeting these requirements can take undergraduate or graduate courses at Buffalo State. (4) Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in baccalaureate studies, as well as 2.75 GPA in the English major or English coursework.
Additional Requirements: To receive provisional teaching certification, students must pass the first two tests of the New York State Teacher Certification Exams, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test, and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written. Registration bulletins for the exams can be obtained from the Teacher Certification Office, Caudell Hall 101. Students can obtain certifications in identifying child abuse by attending one of several workshops offered at Buffalo State.
Career Information
Depending on their program and course concentrations, English majors are prepared for positions as teachers or in business or public-sector positions requiring skills in writing, analysis, and problem solving. Students who pursue advanced degrees in law, business, and medical schools find themselves at a distinct advantage because of their well-honed communication skills. Students also may pursue advanced degrees in literature and become college professors.
Graduates have been hired as proofreaders, assistant managers, Web designers, booksellers, and teachers. Typical hiring firms include publishers, retail businesses, and school districts.
Recent graduates have been hired by many school districts and by companies such as Avalon Books, Barnes & Noble, White Directory Publishers, and Xcel Communications.
Program Requirements
Total Required Credit Hours in English and Professional Education 24 cr
A. Undergraduate-level Coursework (15 cr)
EDF 403 Historical and Philosophical Forces Influencing Secondary Education
EDU 416 Teaching Literacy in Middle and Secondary Schools
ENG 311 Teaching Language
ENG 463 Methods, Materials, and Professional Development for Teachers of English (6)
B. Graduate-level Coursework (9 cr)
EDF 500 Multicultural Education
EDF 503 Educational Psychology
OR
EDF 529 Adolescent Psychology
EDF 692 The Teaching of Writing
Total Required Credit Hours in Student Teaching* 12 cr
ENG 464/ENG 465 Supervised Student Teaching
*Students certified in another secondary area are exempt from this requirement.
Total Required Credit Hours 36 cr