English Education major

English Education: courses, careers, and where to study

English Education prepares future teachers to teach reading, writing, and literature in K-12 schools, pairing literary and composition study with the pedagogy and licensure to teach it.

English Education, classified federally as English/Language Arts Teacher Education, prepares people to teach reading, writing, literature, and language in schools. Where an English and Literature major centers on the close study and interpretation of texts, this field aims that knowledge at the classroom: teaching students to read critically, write clearly, and discuss literature, and building the literacy skills that underpin every other subject. It is also more subject-focused than a general Secondary Education major, pairing literature and composition coursework with methods courses on teaching English language arts. Candidates study literature, writing, and language closely, then learn how to teach reading and writing to developing learners and how to support multilingual students.

Most English-teaching positions are entered with a bachelor's degree that combines English coursework with an education sequence and a culminating student-teaching placement under a mentor teacher. Graduates teach English and language arts in elementary, middle, and high schools, and some move into reading or literacy specialist roles, curriculum work, or graduate study. Because public-school teaching is regulated, candidates should confirm the certification subjects, grade bands, and exams required where they intend to work before committing to a program.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of secondary school teachers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $64,580 and projects employment to decline about 1.6% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.