English 5-12, Initial, Post-baccalaureate Licensure

Post-baccalaureate Program Leading to an Initial Teaching License

Westfield State University has a history and abiding commitment of preparing educators who serve the educational needs of prekindergarten through secondary school students in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The shared vision of Westfield’s education programs is articulated as “Educators as Leaders Building Learning Communities.” Themes that support this vision are community building, reflective practice, diversity, and social justice.

Westfield State University teacher education programs are approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Westfield is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Westfield State is working toward accreditation of its educator preparation programs under AAQEP standards with an anticipated Quality Assurance Review in 2020.

Post-baccalaureate programs leading to teaching licensure are offered through the Department of Graduate and Continuing Education, and are designed for individuals holding a baccalaureate degree who wish to obtain an initial teaching license, without obtaining an additional degree. Post-baccalaureate initial licensure programs are offered in

*Programs marked with an asterisk are not accepting new candidates as of spring 2016.

Applicants may be required to take additional courses and/or document professional experiences in the cognate area of the license, in addition to the pedagogical and professional courses required for licensure. See Programs of Study for individual programs.

Students who satisfactorily complete program requirements leading to a teaching license are recommended for licensure to the Massachusetts Department of Education. Program requirements include completion of all coursework, passage of Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTELs) and completion of a practicum experience.

Program Description

The post-baccalaureate English Education program leads to initial licensure to teach either middle school (grades 5-8) or high school (grades 8-12) English, but does not confer a degree. Applicants to this program must have:

a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college of university with a GPA of 2.6 or greater;
passed the MTEL Communications and Literacy test; and
a 2.7 GPA in undergraduate English courses, including English Composition I & 2 or equivalent.

Program of Study

A. Prerequisite coursework or experience

Content knowledge in the following areas must be documented in the student’s undergraduate academic record. Any gaps in coverage must be fulfilled as determined by the student’s advisor. Courses referenced below are from the Westfield undergraduate program, but equivalent coursework from another institution will be accepted.

Coursework meeting subject matter outcomes:

ENGL 0206 Principles and Applications of Grammar
ENGL 0210 British Literature to 1603
ENGL 0211 British Literature, 1603-1780 OR
ENGL 0212 British Literature from 1780 to Present
ENGL 0216 American Literature to 1865
ENGL 0217 American Literature since1865
ENGL 0221 World Literature
ENGL 0295 Gateway to Advanced Literary Study
ENGL 0300 Development of the Novel
ENGL 0317 Shakespeare: Trag. & Histories OR
ENGL 0318 Shakespeare: Comedies & Romance
ENGL 0338 Young Adult Literature in the ELA Classroom
ENGL 0348 History of the English Language
ENGL 0383 Teaching Writing: Issues in Rhetoric and Composition
One (3 credit) 200 or 300-level writing course
One (3 credit) course in diverse literary traditions
One additional (3 credit) course in advanced coursework

B. Required Courses for Licensure

EDUC 0220 Schools in American Culture OR
EDUC 0633 Social Cultural Theories
EDUC 0221/0540 Introduction to Students with Exceptional Learning Needs
EDUC 0321 Middle School & Its Students (required for 5-8 licensure candidates only)
EDUC 0380/0580 Critical Multicultural Education
EDUC 0354/0554 Educational Planning & Evaluation
EDUC 0363/0631 Sheltered English Immersion
PSYC 0203 Adolescent Development
PSYC 0101 Introduction to Psychology (Required as prerequisite to PSYC 0203)
ENGL 0350/0550 Methods of Teaching English
EDUC 0569 Practicum: Secondary*

*Seminar hours will be required during practicum.

Additional Requirements

A 30-hour diversity experience is required before or during practicum.

Students must pass the required MTEL subject matter test tests (English) and have a GPA of 2.8 for admission to practicum.

Practicum placements are generally within a 30-mile radius of the university unless otherwise specified and approved.