English

Teacher Certification

The B.A. in English with Teacher Certification emphasis meets the requirements mandated for public school teachers by the State of South Carolina and will also satisfy certification requirements in most other states.

In addition to prescribed courses in the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, students in this track take literature courses and courses in grammar, the development of Modern English, advanced composition, and adolescent literature, as well as an English Methods course and a required Field Experience in teaching English.

This certification is for students who want to teach grades 9-12; if you are interested in teaching grades 7-8, you should seek Middle School Certification. Winthrop also offers a Fifth-Year Master's Degree in Teaching for students with B.A.'s in English (Language/Literature and Writing Tracks); students in these tracks should consult with their advisors to make sure they take the necessary undergraduate courses to qualify for this program.

Students desiring certification as teachers of English should consult with the department's teacher certification coordinator, Dr. Allan Nail, and Student Academic Services in the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences for specific requirements for admission to the Teacher Certification Program. The program of study for this track is laid out in the Winthrop University Undergraduate Catalog. Since state and national certification requirements change frequently, students in this track are expected to pay particular attention to such changes. Please note that students in this track must maintain a 2.75 or better cumulative average in the major prior to the internship. This refers to ENGL 203, 208, 211, 300, 530, 305, 507; ENGE 391, 392, 519; and WRIT 350. Students must have a 2.75 average in all courses completed to apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program. 

For entry into the Professional Stage, candidates must meet the following requirements before being allowed to enroll in EDUC 400 / 401.

  1. Submission of an Internship I application to the Office of Field and Clinical Experiences.
  2. Minimum GPA of 2.75 for coursework completed at Winthrop.
  3. A grade of "C" or better in course designated by the candidate's program area.
  4. Completion of all required pre-requisite courses designated by the candidate's program area.
  5. Completed disclosure statement requiring criminal or unethical support.
  6. Competency Review indicating satisfactory completion of
    1. EDCO 201 and 202 or equivalent courses,
    2. satisfactory performance in the junior field experience including passing scores on the Junior Field Experience Final Evaluation, and
    3. evidence of satisfactory professional dispositions.
  7. Receive a favorable review from:
    • A Competency Review Committee comprised of the program coordinator and two additional faculty;
    • The Department Chair in the candidate's major; and
    • The Director of the Office of Field and Clinical Experiences.

A student must attain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.75 or better in courses taken at Winthrop and included in the 37 semester hours of the required program. The student must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of ENGL courses in residence at Winthrop University. Within the 124 semester hours required for the B.A. degree, the student must include a minimum of 40 hours in courses numbered above 299 and complete the Constitution requirement as described in the catalog.

Students completing the required program for the B.A. degree in English must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at or above the third semester college level. This requirement may be met by a satisfactory score on a recognized proficiency examination or by passing any foreign language course numbered 102 or any course with 102 as a prerequisite. A maximum of 3 semester hours of foreign language courses may be applied to Area I and a maximum of 3 semester hours may be applied to Area V of the Winthrop University General Education Distribution requirements listed above.