Bachelor of Arts in English: Concentration in English Education
General Information
The English Department at SF State provides opportunities for students to study in a variety of subfields that make up the English major. Join us and become part of a racially, linguistically, and culturally diverse community of learners engaging in dialog between our histories and experiences, and new ideas and literacies.
English Education is a concentration within the English BA. It allows students to develop the subject-matter knowledge (known as “subject-matter competency”) required to enter credential programs to become English Language Arts teachers at the secondary level, in a middle or high school. For this reason, the program includes a wide range of courses: in literature; in the theory and practice of literacy teaching and learning; and in linguistics, composition, and communication. Students also complete 45 hours of service learning in local public schools. In addition to the 45-unit program, students choose one area of extended study (an “emphasis area”) from the following choices: Literature, Linguistics, Creative Writing, or Theater Arts. Candidates pursuing an emphasis in the latter will earn a minor in Theater Arts as well as the English Education B.A. The program culminates with students creating a digital portfolio to reflect on, synthesize, and showcase their learning.
To gain a waiver from the state exam, the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET), students need to maintain a B level grade or above in all major courses. Individuals who want to become teachers who do not fulfill the English Education concentration can establish English subject-matter competency by passing the CSET.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to differentiate how language use varies across the contexts and genres of professional writing and rhetoric, literature, and linguistics. (Disciplinary Knowledge)
- Students will be able to formulate and pursue methodologically sound lines of inquiry, effectively placing their ideas side by side the ideas of others, drawing persuasively on credible primary and secondary sources. (Research)
- Students will be able to produce rhetorically effective texts across a range of digital, print, and multimedia formats. (Written Communication/Digital Literacy)
- Students will be able to carefully read and critically examine the ways in which culture and global context affect language, literature, and writing. (Global Perspectives)
- Students will be able to analyze language and texts in relation to the historical and social contexts in which they are situated. (Historical Thinking)
- Students will be able to apply critical thinking, close reading, and rhetorical persuasion to engage productively and ethically in scholarly, civic, and professional communities. (Application & Engagement)
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Students in the English Education concentration will achieve proficiency across English/Language Arts domains (Reading; Communications; Composition and Rhetoric; Language, Linguistics, and Literacy) as required for subject matter competency in English Education.
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Students in the English Education concentration will demonstrate the pedagogical content-knowledge and dispositions appropriate for pre-service teachers.
English (B.A.): Concentration in English Education - 45-46 units
Note: In addition to the 45-unit English Education concentration, students who wish to pursue a California Single Subject Teaching Credential must complete one of four emphasis areas in Extended Study (see below) as required to meet subject matter competency for admission into a California Single Subject Credential program.1-6
Core Requirements (24 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Division (6 units) | ||
| ENG 218 | Literature Is Not A Luxury: Writing For Self and Community | 3 |
| ENG 250 | Topics in Literature and Culture | 3 |
| Upper-Division (18 units) | ||
| ENG 402 | Introduction to Professional Writing and Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENG 420 | Introduction to the Study of Language | 3 |
| ENG 461 | Literature in English Since 1800 | 3 |
| ENG 480GW | Writing in English: GWAR Seminar | 3 |
| ENG 583 | Shakespeare: Representative Plays | 3 |
| ENG 640 | Global Texts and Practices | 3 |
Concentration Requirements (21-22 units)
Applied Linguistics (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one or see an advisor: | ||
| ENG 423 | Language Analysis for Language Teachers | 3 |
| ENG 425 | Language in Context | 3 |
| ENG 426 | Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
Literature: Adolescent (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 655 | Literature and the Adolescent Reader | 3 |
Literacy (3 units)
Includes 25 hours of community service learning.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 417 | Academic Literacy and the Urban Adolescent | 3 |
Advanced Composition (3 units)
Includes 20 hours of community service learning.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 419 | Advanced Composition for Teachers | 3 |
Mythology and Oral Traditions (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one: | ||
| AIS 162 | American Indian Oral Literature | 3 |
| CLAS 230 | Ancient Epic Tales | 3 |
| CWL 250 | Fables and Tales | 3 |
| CWL 260 | Myths of the World | 3 |
| CWL 421 | Celtic Literature | 3 |
| ENG 636 | Myth, Literature, and Adaptation | 3 |
| LTNS 435 | Oral History, Community Memory, and Collective Stories | 3 |
Speech Performance (3-4 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one: | ||
| COMM 220 | Introduction to the Performance of Literature | 3 |
| COMM 553 | Performance and Identity | 4 |
Capstone Experience (3 units)
This course must be completed during the final semester and will include an English Education e-portfolio.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 688 | Assessment in English Language Arts | 3 |
Complementary Studies Requirement for English Majors
Twelve units of complementary studies are required of all candidates in any of the four concentrations (Literature, Linguistics, English Education and Professional Writing and Rhetoric) in the Bachelor of Arts degree in English. These units must come from courses bearing a prefix other than ENG, and must not be cross-listed with ENG. English majors will be offered four pathways for satisfying this requirement; each pathway is designed to facilitate graduation in a timely manner.
- Foreign Language: 12 units in a single foreign language;
- 2nd Major, Minor, or Certificate: 12 units of course work taken as part of a second major, a minor or a certificate;
- Study Abroad: 12 units of course work taken in an approved study abroad program (such as CSU Study Abroad);
- Related Subjects: 12 units of course work in related disciplines with the approval of an English Department advisor.
Related subjects typically include (but are not limited to) Comparative and World Literature, Classics, Creative Writing, Ethnic Studies, Foreign Languages, History, Journalism, and Women and Gender Studies, Communication Studies, Instructional Technology, or Marketing. For these related subjects, six units must be from classes in a non-literary related field.
Depending on the concentration within the major, Complementary Studies pathway, and approval of a departmental advisor, up to 12 units from courses with non-ENG prefixes that count towards the Complementary Studies requirement may also count as English electives in fulfillment of degree requirements.
Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.
Electronic Portfolio
Candidates in English Education must register for ENG 688 during their final semester, when they will compile an electronic portfolio to demonstrate that they have met all of the core outcomes of the Single Subject Program. They should include artifacts—examples of their work, and faculty and peer comments on their work—and reflections that explicitly tie elements of the artifacts to the outcome statements.
Extended Study (12-15 units) Required for Admission into a California Single Subject Credential Program1-6
Emphasis: Literature (12 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 460 | Literature in English to 1800 | 3 |
| ENG 690 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Select one course in theory or criticism chosen with approval of advisor. | 3 | |
| Select one additional upper-division elective chosen with approval of advisor. | 3 | |
Emphasis: Linguistics (12-15 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 421 | Syntax | 3 |
| ENG 422 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| ENG 424 | Phonology and Morphology | 3 |
| ENG 425 | Language in Context (if not used to satisfy Applied Linguistics above) | 3 |
| Select an additional linguistics elective chosen with approval of advisor. | 3 | |
Emphasis: Creative Writing (15 units)5
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| C W 301 | Fundamentals of Creative Writing | 3 |
| C W 302 | Fundamentals of Creative Reading | 3 |
| Craft of Writing | ||
| Select one: | 3 | |
| Craft of Poetry - GWAR | ||
| Craft of Fiction - GWAR | ||
| Craft of Playwriting - GWAR | ||
| Upper-Division Creative Writing Electives | ||
| Select two upper-division Creative Writing electives (workshop or creative process classes in Creative Writing), selected with approval of advisor | 6 | |
Emphasis: Theater Arts (19-22 units)6
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-Divison Acting | ||
| TH A 130 | Acting Workshop I | 3 |
| TH A 230 | Acting Workshop II | 3 |
| Stage Production, General, and Technical Theatre | ||
| TH A 205 | 2 | |
| Select one: | 2 | |
| Theatre Backgrounds | ||
TH A 210 | ||
TH A 212 | ||
TH A 213 | ||
| Select one: | 3 | |
| Global Theatre History I | ||
| Global Theatre History II | ||
| Musical Theatre History and Literature | ||
| Acting and Directing | ||
| Upper-division courses - one may be used for Speech Performance above, which would reduce the English Education requirements by 1 unit. | 6-9 | |
Important Notes
- Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in the major, and no grade in the major lower than a C- (except for ENG 480GW, which requires a grade of C or higher).
- Only courses in which students earn a B– or better will count towards subject matter competency for admission into a California credential program. Students who earn lower grades in any of the courses required for their major will need to take the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) to establish subject matter competency.
Courses for subject matter competency may not be taken CR/NC. - Admission to the credential program at SF State requires a GPA of 2.75 (B-) or better.
- Check with an English Education advisor for specific courses that meet the requirements in the English Education concentration and with an advisor in your emphasis area to ensure that your electives are approved.
- Candidates pursuing an emphasis in Creative Writing should see a minor advisor in CW to learn how to supplement the English Education major with a minor and/or Complementary Studies.
- Candidates pursuing an emphasis in Drama should see a minor advisor in Theatre Arts to learn how to supplement the English Education major with a minor and/or Complementary Studies. The drama emphasis allows substitutions in the English Education Concentration. See an advisor if you are considering this area.
Candidates with a particular interest in communication studies or comparative and world literature can pursue special strands within those majors for subject matter competency in English.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication | LD | 3 | A2 |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | A3 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | B1 |
| Life Science | LD | 3 | B2 |
| Lab Science | LD | 1 | B3 |
| Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | B4 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | C1 |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | C2 |
| Arts or Humanities | LD | 3 | C1 or C2 |
| Social Sciences | LD | 3 | D1 |
| Social Sciences: US History | LD | 3 | D2 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| Ethnic Studies | LD | 3 | F |
| Physical and/or Life Science | UD | 3 | UD-B |
| Arts and/or Humanities | UD | 3 | UD-C |
| Social Sciences | UD | 3 | UD-D |
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability | LD or UD | 3 | ES |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
SF State Scholars Roadmap
The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.
Transfer Student Roadmap (2 Year)
For students with one of the pathways below:
General ADT Roadmap
- AA-T Child & Adolescent Development
- AS-T Early Childhood Education
- AA-T Elementary Teacher Education
- AA-T English
- AA-T Global Studies
- AA-T Social Justice Studies
- AA-T Theater Arts
- AA-T Spanish
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.