This concentration prepares students to teach English in grades 7-12. While the concentration in Adolescence Education meets certification requirements for New York State and New York City public schools, it also moves beyond those requirements to offer students a rich experience in the study of literature, language, and critical thinking.

Requirements for Majors Concentrating in Adolescence Education
1. Foundation Courses
2. Core Requirements

Download the checklist for this concentration to help you plan your course of study.

Foundation Courses - 6 Credits 

These courses must be taken once the student declares the major in this concentration and may be taken during the same semester:

• ENGL 303 Western Literary Backgrounds to British and American Literature
• ENGL 338 Survey of British Literature I: Anglo-Saxon Literature to Romanticism

Core Requirements - 24 credits 

After fulfilling the foundation requirements, students must fulfill the following core requirements. These core requirements may be changed to conform to new national standards. Please consult with a department advisor for information about new requirements.

• ENGL 301: Theory and Practice of Exposition (3 credits)
• Either ENGL 331: Structure of Modern English or one 300-level course in the study of language, sociolinguistics, or history of the English language, chosen in consultation with an advisor (3 credits). Note: ENGL 332, History of the English Language may be used. Sociolinguistics is offered by the Anthropology Department, which offers language courses, as does the Education Department.
• One course in spoken language (group discussion, argument and persuasion, creative dramatics, acting, etc.) such as Media 240: Effective Speechmaking or Theater 160: Workshop in Acting, chosen with the approval of an advisor (3 credits)
• ENGL 352, 353 or 354: Shakespeare (3 credits)
• One other British literature course of any period (3 credits)
• One American literature course of any period (3 credits)
• One course in African American, Asian American, Latino American, Native American, Caribbean, Transnational or Post-Colonial literature (3 credits)
• ENGL 306: Literary Theory (3 credits)

NOTE: Students may not use any one course to fulfill more than one Core Requirement.