Five Reasons to Study English Education at SUU
Posted: December 03, 2020 | Author: Savannah Byers | Read Time: 4 minutes
Here’s five reasons why English education majors should choose to study at SUU:
Licensure with a Degree
All state licensing requirements for teachers are built into SUU’s program. This means that all the requirements needed to become a teacher will be completed when you graduate. Some other programs only include everything needed for a degree in “English education” but not a teaching license. This can force students to pay graduate tuition for a course, or courses, they needed as an undergraduate which can postpone beginning their profession. At SUU, there are no surprise courses or costs after graduation, students are ready to become teachers.
Praxis Test Scores
The Praxis test in content knowledge was previously one of the requirements in Utah to earn a teaching license. For future English teachers in Utah, the pass rate for first-time Praxis test takers is approximately 80%. At SUU, that number has been 100% for the past 9 years.
Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, the Praxis content knowledge requirement will be replaced with a performance-based assessment for everyone seeking a teaching license in the state of Utah. At SUU, this requirement will be met within the Block and Student Teaching semesters through the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT). Having these state requirements included within the teaching program is just one of many ways SUU ensures that graduates will be prepared to begin a teaching career upon graduation.
Phi Delta
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is the international honor society in education. For over 100 years, KDP has been an excellent professional and community resource for both education students and for in-service teachers. SUU is currently the only university in Utah with a chapter - Phi Delta.
Phi Delta is open to all education students, not just English education students. Membership benefits as an undergraduate include access to exclusive scholarships, access to a library of classroom resources and lesson plans, discounted registration for professional development conferences, honor cords at graduation, and many other perks.
Concentrations, Endorsements, & Bridge Program
English education students can personalize their degree by choosing a concentration in rhetoric and writing, creative writing, technical writing, film and screen studies, or literature. Education students, in any content area, can add teaching endorsements to their degree. These concentrations and endorsements are built into the degree programs and do not greatly disrupt or prolong students’ graduation timelines.
SUU is also home to a graduate bridge program in which undergraduate students can earn graduate credit that contributes to both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Learn more about bridge programs for education students.
Job Placement
Several schools and districts in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Arizona prefer English teachers from SUU and work to recruit students while they're still completing their degree program or completing student teaching. Job placement for English education students is 96% for the previous 9 years. The remaining 4% of graduates reflects those who chose to enter graduate school immediately, and all of them were accepted into master’s programs.
“The English education program at Southern Utah University is dedicated to preparing students for the realities of the 21-Century classroom,” said Dr. Lisa Arter, associate professor of English and coordinator for SUU’s English education program, and associate director of Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning. “SUU is the designated teaching university in Utah and we take this honor seriously by ensuring that our programs meet all licensure requirements and that our graduates are ready to serve K-12 students as effective career educators and leaders in the profession. Our quality program is reflected in our perfect records of content knowledge exams, job placement, and graduate school acceptance. Talk with any of our graduates, and you’ll hear stories of course enjoyment, career preparation, and pride in being an SUU alum.”
“Our newest transformation is the development of 5 concentration areas which allow students to personalize their program by studying deeply in the areas which most interest them, without increasing their time-to-graduation. This balance of breadth of knowledge (liberal education foundation) with depth of knowledge (content area concentration), best prepares our students to be educators who can reach and teach future generations.”
Learn more about the English and Education programs at SUU. If you are interested in studying English Education at SUU or would like to learn more, email Dr. Arter at lisaarter@suu.edu.
Tags: College of Humanities and Social Sciences Education College of Education and Human Development English
