Are you interested in becoming not just a teacher, but an English teacher? Are you interested in revolutionizing what it means to be a teacher?
Ball State’s major in teaching English language arts will prepare you for a career in secondary school teaching. As a student, you will take content courses both in English and communications as well as courses focusing on the methods and strategies for the classroom, all under the guidance of our dedicated, experienced faculty who have extensive backgrounds as public school and education scholars.
Students who successfully complete the program, which includes a semester of student teaching, are licensed to teach secondary English/Language Arts and Communications in Indiana schools.
What’s It Like to Major in Teaching English Language Arts
You’ll take classes that are specific for learning to teach English.
Our program delivers its curriculum two-fold:
- general education courses from our nationally ranked Teachers College
- content and content-specific education courses from the Department of English
See "Major Requirements" below to learn more about the courses we offer.
The extracurricular English Education Club offers both:
- professional activities—mock interviews, reading clubs, and tutoring
- social activities—bowling, barbecues, book exchanges
Club members also can travel to the annual conference for the National Council for Teachers of English. In past years, students have visited Boston, Washington DC, San Antonio, and Atlanta to attend the conference.
Find more details about the club.
Our department offers many amazing experiences to all English majors, and you’ll have all those same opportunities in this program.
Students regularly:
- attend professional readings from visiting writers
- participate in writing communities and immersive learning projects
- attend career-focused events such as the Stars-to-Steer by series
Explore all of our activities and opportunities.
You’ll dive into this major from the very beginning through field experiences built into the first-year curriculum. You’ll spend time in middle and high schools, making lasting connections with students and teachers while learning what it feels like to have an impact on schools and the community.
See "Major Requirements" below to learn more about the courses we offer.
You’ll enjoy close interaction and mentorship directly from our faculty, who teach all the major’s methods, reading, and young adult literature courses.
Also, as a student in the program, you’ll have the privilege of working with English/Language arts faculty who supervise their own students during the student-teaching experience.
Read profiles of our faculty:
Promoting Change
English faculty and students are express their dedication to social and educational justice in many different ways—and you can help. You can work on a young-adult literature magazine that addresses diversity—or the lack thereof. You can learn to teach English to speakers of other languages. You can mentor young writers.
Creative Writing in the Community
Through this immersive learning course, English 409 students serve their community by teaching creative writing techniques and to write a text collaboratively.
English Language Learning
Dr. Lynne Stallings brings her students into the Muncie community and the Muncie school system to teach English Language Learners.
Indiana Writers Center
English students have the opportunity for a paid internship every summer in downtown Indianapolis with the Indiana Writers Center (IWC) to educate and inspire youth ages 6-16.
Rethinking Children's and YA Lit
In this free, digital, interactive literary magazine, teacher education, English, and journalism students invite readers to engage with children’s and young adult literature as a way to raise social consciousness and awareness.
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Major Requirements
The Teaching English Language Arts major is designed to prepare you for teaching effectively in middle and high schools.
The program includes completing:
- core courses in English and communication studies to meet performance standards for licensure
- elective options designed to provide greater depth of content knowledge in the student’s area of teaching interest
- content methods courses that provide pedagogical knowledge and fulfill other professional requirements of the teacher education program
Your progress through the program will be monitored, and you must meet prescribed levels of performance at various checkpoints as listed in the Unit Assessment System (UAS) in order to continue enrollment in teacher education.
Total Credits
120
Classes
Five of our hallmark courses include:
- ENG 150 Introduction to Secondary English Education
- ENG 350 Teaching Writing in Secondary Schools
- ENG 395 Teaching Literature and Language in Secondary Schools
- ENG 412 Reading in the Secondary English Classroom
- ENG 414 Young Adult Literature
A current list of course offerings and descriptions can be found on our blog.
Course topics may vary per semester.
For a complete list of all the courses you will take and their descriptions, consult our Course Catalog.
View Catalog
As the culmination of the program, you will have the opportunity to complete your required student teaching experience in a variety of diverse settings. These include teaching in schools around the states of Indiana, and Texas, as well as in Germany or on a Native American reservation. Learn more.
As a student in our secondary education program, you’ll benefit from experiences and expertise of your home department, taking courses in content and content pedagogy—the methods and practices for teaching specific content—and learning from experts in the field of your chosen teaching major. In Teachers College, you’ll explore other important aspects of teaching and interact with teaching majors in other disciplines. Learn more about the Teachers College.
Paying for Your Education
Application Process and Requirements
Are you interested in pursuing this major? The first step is to review Ball State’s admissions criteria and apply as an undergraduate student.
Want to Learn More?
One of the best ways to understand why Ball State stands out is to come see it for yourself. You can schedule a visit through our Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Make sure to tell them you’re interested in our program. Or if you’d like to speak with someone in our department directly by phone or email, please contact us.