English Licensure

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English BA with Licensure

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English with licensure prepares students with both the critical tools of an English degree and a theoretical frame and practice for teaching. Students completing the program gain invaluable experience in area schools with practicing teachers while being mentored by department faculty. At the conclusion of the program, students are eligible to apply for a Mississippi license to teach middle and high school English.

The English BA with licensure combines a focus on pedagogy with the development of reading, writing, and thinking skills through the study of literature, writing, and language. Students follow a degree plan that begins with an introduction to critical approaches to literary studies, surveys in British and American literature, and racially and ethnically diverse writers. Coursework then proceeds to more specialized classes of a student’s choosing on topics such as adolescent literature, Shakespeare, history of the English language, and creative writing. At the same time, students will take a sequence of courses in methods of teaching, where they gain experience in area schools, culminating in the immersive apprenticeship of student teaching.

Faculty teaching in the program are active in the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Writing Project, and local school districts.

English Licensure Placement

The English with Licensure Program boasts a superlative placement rate for its graduates: for those seeking immediate employment, our placement rate for the past eight semesters is at 100%. Our students complete the traditional English major and receive secondary teaching certificates, which prepares them for successful careers at both middle schools and high schools. Recent graduates have secured teaching positions at Biloxi High School, Ocean Springs High School, West Harrison High School, Hancock High School, Hattiesburg High School, N.R. Burger Middle School, Petal High School, Perry Central High School, Oak Grove High School, Oak Grove Middle School, Forrest County Agricultural High School, Purvis High School, West Lauderdale High School, Brookhaven High School, and Jefferson Middle School; others have become 7-12 teachers in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. Some English with Licensure majors prefer to enter graduate programs after completing the B.A., which include master’s programs in English, library science, and education.

English Licensure Program

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

GEC and Teacher Education Program Preparation

English Content Coursework and Methods with a C or above in all courses

Fieldwork and Testing

44-hour GEC with a 2.75 average
ACT 21 or above or Praxis Core
Background Check
TK20 subscription*

_{*See Teacher Education Preparation Requirements for more information.}

36 hours of English BA Coursework
Take prerequisites CIS 313 and SPE 400 soon after being admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
English methods courses (ENG 401, 402, and 403)
are taught in alternating semesters. Plan accordingly.

Take and pass the Praxis 2 English Language Arts: Content Knowledge Test (code 5038) with a score of 167 and the Principles of Learning and Teaching Test, grades 7-12, (code 5624) with a score of 157 in order to earn a valid teaching certificate in the state of Mississippi
Enroll in ENG 494 and 495 for your final semester of the student teaching internship

Teacher Education Program Requirements (link)

Praxis 2 ETS (link)

Mississippi Department of Education

Professional Licensure Disclosure

Programs at the University of Southern Mississippi that prepare students for licensure in English are designed to meet the licensure standards set by the Mississippi Department of Education. The University of Southern Mississippi is unable to determine whether a particular licensure program meets requirements for licensure outside of the State of Mississippi. Students seeking licensure in another state are advised to contact the appropriate licensing board in that state to determine specific requirements of guidelines for reciprocity.

QUESTIONS?

Please contact the School of Humanities main office at 601.266.4320 or by email at usmhumanitiesFREEMississippi and we will direct you to a Licensure advisor.