English : English Education

The English degree offers unique opportunities for undergraduate students to study the history, language, and current disciplinary discourses of English studies. While undergraduate students can choose from tracks in Creative Writing, Professional Writing, and Literary & Cultural Studies, students in the English Education track will focus on coursework that will prepare them to teach Language Arts in middle and high school settings. The English Department also offers certificates in Creative Writing, Professional Writing, and Copyediting & Publishing, and English courses play a role in the curriculum requirements of several interdisciplinary certificates, including Literary Journalism, Medical Humanities, Digital Engagement, and Film & Media Studies.

Students who declare the major to prepare for entry into a Master's plus Licensure program in Education (or who pursue a second major in English Education) should desire to build on their strengths in writing, reading, and critical thinking, while learning valuable techniques for teaching Language Arts. 

If you want to join a profession in which jobs are plentiful and you can make a real difference in young people’s lives, by cultivating a love of reading and helping to develop their skills as critical thinkers and writers, this track is for you!

English majors enjoy satisfying careers and admission to graduate programs due to their ability to read closely, write clearly, research thoroughly, and think critically. From first-year composition through senior capstone courses, English students engage a wide range of historical and contemporary texts and subject matter, including global, ethnic, minority, and popular literatures; film and visual media; and scientific and professional writing. Our majors are known and respected for their ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and find success in such diverse fields as law, business, media, education, publishing, and science. A major in English Education will complement your major in Secondary Education, taking you more deeply into English Studies and making you more appealing to potential employers.

Minoring in English

A minor in English complements any major, and offers students from other disciplines the opportunity to develop the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that employers seek in college graduates. Students choose courses from Creative Writing, Literary & Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric & Professional Writing, and may focus on one particular area of study or take courses from two or all three tracks in order to explore different areas of English. 

Certificates in English

The department of English offers three certificate programs: Professional Writing, Creative Writing (Poetry, Fiction, and Literary Nonfiction), and Copyediting & Publishing; we also offer a certificate in Literary Journalism jointly with the Department of Journalism and English courses play a pivotal role in the certificate in Medical Humanities. Certificate programs provide more focus and less time commitment than a minor, and provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to more fully develop skills in reading, writing, and analysis in their chosen area of interest.

Students will complete the requirements for the major in English Education as they complete the degree in Secondary Education with a concentration on Language Arts. Consult the advisors in Secondary Education to ensure that you take the correct courses at the appropriate point in your academic career. 

Students in UC's College of Arts and Sciences enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tristate location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

University of Cincinnati 3 + 3 Law School Admissions

This major welcomes eligible students who would like to earn a bachelor’s degree and a UC law degree in just six years, saving a year of tuition and time over the traditional path to becoming a lawyer. Students will receive careful advising to complete their major and A&S core degree requirements in 3 years. More information is available here.

Publications and Organizations

English is home to an undergraduate journal, Short Vine, and the nationally prominent literary journal The Cincinnati Review. English majors in the experiential course Creative Writing & Literary Publishing edit and publish Short Vine. English majors also have opportunities to join the Undergraduate English Society (UES); events include roundtable discussions on graduate school, job fairs, film screenings, and outings to plays and readings. 

Events

English majors enjoy opportunities to hear a number of distinguished authors read their work through our Visiting Writers Series. Likewise, the biennial Emerging Fiction Writers Festival brings four writers to campus for two days of readings and panels. Past visiting writers have included Rita Dove and Colson Whitehead.

Experiential learning

English students can intern with local businesses, nonprofits, university offices, state agencies, media outlets, museums, and more, and earn college credit while developing reading and writing skills. Students can also gain valuable experience by taking research-intensive or service learning courses, by studying abroad, and by entering their work in the department’s writing contest each year.

Renowned faculty

English faculty are active scholars who publish and present in their field. Many teach both undergraduate and graduate courses, and develop strong relationships with their students.

To graduate from the UC College of Arts and Sciences, students must:

• Earn at least 120 credits. This can include transfer credit, AP credit and free electives, but does not include preparatory coursework. Students who have met all other degree requirements must continue earning credit until the total number of their earned hours comes to at least 120.
• Attain a 2.0 grade point average for all courses taken at the University of Cincinnati.
• Be in good academic standing, that is, not on either academic probation or disciplinary probation or suspension.
• Complete the residency requirement by earning at least 30 credits after matriculating into the college.
• Complete all of the requirements of at least one major (see major requirements above).
• Complete the College Core Requirements.
• Submit an application for graduation to the registrar's office by their posted deadline.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have:

• 24 semester (36 quarter) hours earned
• at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 at most recent institution
• successfully completed one semester of English composition or its equivalent
• successfully completed one semester of math with a grade of C- or higher that minimally meets on of the following:
  • Mathematical Literacy (MATH 0029)
  • Intermediate Algebra (MATH 0034)
  • Algebra for College (MATH 0039)
  • Students may also take the UC Math Placement exam, but must score an MPT of 420 or higher

University transfer scholarships are available to those who meet specific requirements and ANY admitted A&S transfer student might qualify for an A&S transfer scholarship. Deadlines and eligibility criteria are online via the previous links.

Admission to A&S is generally available for University of Cincinnati students enrolled in other colleges if they were admissible directly from high school, have a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 in their most recent UC college.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have:

• at least a 2.0 GPA in all college-level courses (both at UC and at other institutions)
• successfully completed one semester of English composition or its equivalent
• successfully completed one semester of math with a grade of C- or higher that minimally meets on of the following:
  • Mathematical Literacy (MATH 0029)
  • Intermediate Algebra (MATH 0034)
  • Algebra for College (MATH 0039)
  • Students may also take the UC Math Placement exam, but must score an MPT of 420 or higher