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English Education Degree

Students seeking teacher certification in English Language Arts and Reading (grades 4-8) or English Language Arts and Reading grades (7-12) will participate in a program which incorporates state and national standards for the field. The degrees in the area focus on critical thinking, writing, and the ability to communicate using the written and spoken word. During the program, students will be introduced to specific writers and styles of written expression. Students will be prepared to recognize, to analyze, and to evaluate the various types of literature, build reading and other language skills, develop independent thinking and research, and develop an understanding of aesthetic and cultural dimensions in the human experience.

Program Contact

Traci Thomson-Department Head of English and Professor of English

Dr. Traci Thompson

Professor of English, Department Head of English

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Majors

English Language Arts and Reading 4-8 (B.B.S.)
English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies 4-8 (B.B.S.)
English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (B.S.H.S.)

Minors

Why study English Education at HSU?

Tutoring Opportunities

Some students in the English Education program get to work at the Writing Center where they tutor and help other students improve their grammatical and writing skills, while they simultaneously get to sharpen their own skills in the language and gain experience in teaching.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Tyehimba Jess-featured speaker at HSU

Learn from Award-Winning Writers

Through the Lawrence Clayton Poets and Writers Speakers Series, the English Department brings to campus each year a nationally recognized, award-winning writer for an afternoon Q&A session and an evening reading. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Tyehimba Jess (pictured), was the 2018 featured speaker.

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Excellent Preparation

According to the 2021-2022 Accountability System for Educator Preparation Accreditation Statuses (ASEP), the Irvin School of Education at HSU, received a commendation in the category Rigorous and Robust Preparation. The Irvin SOE achieved 100% for HSU First Test Pass Rate in teacher shortage areas in English Language Arts & Reading (20 number of passed exams). The state standard for this area of testing is 95%. HSU was one of eight universities to receive this important commendation in the state.

Michele Grace-HSU English Education Program featured Student

Grace Mitchell's Story

Grace Mitchell

English Education Degree

’19

"Not only did God provide me with a university full of affirming believers, but He also provided the finances to get there."

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Program Details

All courses and course descriptions for each degree type can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog:

Candidates for our Teacher Preparation Programs must meet certain requirements outlined in our Admission Requirements document.

Students who complete this degree will be eligible to take the Texas certification tests for one of the following certifications: English 4-8, English 7-12, or English Language Arts Reading Social Studies 4-8. These certifications lead to English teaching positions in 4th Grade thru 12th Grade.

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and Texas Education Agency (TEA) Office of Accountability has awarded Hardin-Simmons University Teacher Education Program a rating of “Accredited” under the Accountability System for Educator Preparation authorized by Texas Education Code 21.045 every year since the rating of teacher preparation entities has been awarded. Educator preparation programs are held accountable for the performance of their graduates on the state credentialing examinations required for certification. Programs must achieve a minimum pass rate on the tests by disaggregated subgroups (All, Male, Female, White, Hispanic, African American, Other) to receive a rating of “Accredited.”

TEA Complaint Process

Title II Data