The English Education program at Western Carolina University includes a focus on literature from various traditions as well as courses in teaching English as a second language. Students gain hands-on experience through internships, culminating in a semester-long student teaching placement. Recent graduates from the highly-regarded program are teaching across North Carolina. The English department faculty are accomplished authors and teachers who mentor students. Students also benefit from collaboration with their peers, including those in the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program.

1. Western Carolina University
ENGLISH
EDUCATION
Eng lish.WCU.edu
Your Classes
Standards for Educators:
Program includes literature courses that focus on
Fairy Tale, Post-Colonial, African-American, and
Appalachian studies. English Education students
also take courses in
TESOL, Teaching
English to Speakers of Study Literature:
Other Languages. • Milton
Career
• Chaucer
• Shakespeare
Your Colleagues
Preparation: First-Rate Faculty:
Students gain a variety of field experiences The English Department consists of accomplished teachers who will
throughout the four-year program. give you the best educational experience possible. Your teachers
• Methods in Teaching English have published award-winning books and journal essays and have
• Methods in Teaching Writing written content for television and film. They bring their own real-life
• Intern I experiences to class and
• Intern II (You are the teacher for 12 weeks!) use these to help you grow English students
in your student teaching, • Compete in poetry slams
Your Careers ultimately preparing you for • Design and edit web sites
a successful career. • Write and edit for public and
Sought-After Graduates: private organizations
Dynamic Peers: • Volunteer in public schools
Program conveniently places students in and • Hold exciting student internships
Peer support is one of your
beyond the region. Recent graduates are greatest resources as a
currently teaching at Smoky Mountain, South student majoring in an English program. Many of these hardworking
Iredell, Cherokee, Lake Norman and Pisgah high students are North Carolina Teaching Fellows who present their
schools. essays at regional and national conferences and actively participate
in community service projects.
Other Choices:
Spring Literary Festival:
Teachers wanting to teach in higher education may
choose to go on to graduate work for their Masters Our annual Spring Literary Festival had been bringing local and
of Arts in Education or for a Doctorate in Education. national writers to the campus since 2003. Distinguished authors,
such as Jim Harrison, Leslie Silko, Mazine Kumin, Sherman Alexie,
Advanced Opportunities: Silas House, Elizabeth Kostova, Brett Lott, and Kathryn Stripling
• Administration at local or state level Byer have all been featured artists at the Spring Literary Festival.
• Private Schools Members of the English faculty, such as Catherine Carter, Ron
• Testing and Assesments for the state Rash, Deidre Elliott, Pamela Duncan, and Mary Adams, have also
performed in past festival events.
English Deparment * 305 Coulter Building * Cullowhee, NC 28723 * 828.227.7264