At a glance: Language arts education (LAE)

Did you know? Students take field trips to literary and cultural events, such as the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, Ontario, and participation at undergraduate conferences.

Language arts education, one of the five majors offered in the Department of English, is part of the Center for Teacher Education in the College of Arts and Sciences. The teacher-education program is certified by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), a national accrediting body for schools, colleges and departments of education. In addition to their English studies, students in language arts education complete an approved program of coursework, field experiences, and other requirements leading to the application for an initial Provisional Ohio Teaching License for grades 7-12. Other coursework includes general education classes as well as professional education instruction in culture and schooling, adolescent development, exceptional learners, technology, curriculum, classroom strategies, methods of teaching, and more. Candidates also spend time throughout the program in local classrooms, completing professional-experience requirements. Visit the English Department web site.

Distinctive features

Seminars with intensive faculty mentoring
Opportunity for creating an extended individual research capstone project in Senior Seminar
Diverse and professionally-active faculty
Individual guidance with professional, and graduate-school applications
Technologically-enhanced classroom facilities
Exposure to current cultural developments through enrichment program
A chapter of the Secondary Education Society, recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Regular attendance at the National NCTE or College English Association of Ohio (CEAO) conference
Membership in Sigma Tau Delta, an award-winning national English honor society
Career speakers, some of whom offer mentoring and internship opportunities
Opportunities for hands-on experience, working on five department publications

Facilities

English department classes and faculty offices are in Dukes Memorial, one of the historic front-campus buildings. The department has a variety of instructional rooms, including two state-of-the-art computer classrooms, four rooms equipped with SMART Boards, a mobile laptop lab, two seminar rooms with a departmental reading area and a reference library.

Student organizations

Sigma Tau Delta
One of the nation’s top chapters, this active group organizes local philanthropy projects related to literacy (such as tutoring in local schools), creates a spirit of collegiality in the department through faculty-student activities, and annually sends students to the national conference, where many students have had their creative works or academic projects selected for presentation.

Secondary Education Society
A new chapter recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), this group was formed by dedicated LAE majors to focus on issues in the profession that have bearing on their future careers as teachers. They regularly attend the national NCTE or College English Association of Ohio conferences.

Professional placement

Graduates find jobs as teachers, reporters, freelance writers, ad managers and writers for public relations firms, lobbyists, editors, librarians, sports reporters and sports public relations personnel, wedding and special event planners and insurance underwriters.

Graduate schools

ONU English majors are accepted to graduate programs across the country in journalism, professional writing, literature, library science, creative writing and law. These graduate schools include: Florida Gulf Coast University, Kent State University, The Ohio State University, University of Dayton, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee, University of Virginia and West Virginia University.

Career opportunities

English majors are generally desired by employers because they are articulate, write well, are perceptive readers, can research effectively and work well with others to collaborate on publications and projects.