About the Program
Bring stories and prose to life, instilling a love of language, reading and writing in young learners. In the English Education program, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to become an effective middle or high school English teacher. With abundant learn-by-doing opportunities, this program prepares you for a single-subject teaching credential through a mix of theory and practical classroom experiences – helping you develop the teaching skills necessary to inspire future generations of students.
The Polytechnic Approach
Understand methods of language acquisition and the nuances of student literacy. Gain practical experience in lesson planning and student engagement as well as the knowledge of writing, grammar and literature you’ll need to become a successful educator. Through this program option, you will graduate ready to enter a credential program with confidence, creativity and the knowledge to make an impact in the classroom.
Career Outcomes
Courses
The English Education option prepares you to become an effective teacher in junior high and high school English/Language Arts classrooms and manage the demands of the Common Core State Standards. Through a series of courses in literature, rhetoric, and linguistics, you will gain competence and confidence in the subject area content knowledge. In addition, you will acquire an understanding of pedagogical theory and methodology in preparation to enter a teaching credential program. Upon completion of the English Education program with a 2.75 GPA in subject-matter coursework, students may be admitted to a single-subject credential program in English with the subject-matter content requirement satisfied.
Teaching Credentials and Master's Degrees
What’s the difference?
The credential is a one-year postgraduate program that certifies you to teach in middle school and high school in public schools in California. You will take courses on literacy, pedagogy, assessment, classroom management and subject-specific teaching methods. If you want to teach in high school, you need this credential. There are two master's degrees you might be considering. A master's degree in English qualifies you to do many things, one of which is teach freshman and sophomore-level courses in English. These could include composition, rhetoric, literature, TESOL or creative writing, depending on your program and interests. You could work at a community college, four-year university or at a high school doing dual enrollment courses (you would likely also need a credential). A master's degree in Education prepares you for educational leadership and administration positions. This degree is different from subject-matter master's degrees that would qualify you to teach English at a collegiate level. CPP has a program that allows you to get your credential and master's in Education at the same time.
