Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in English Education

This is a post-baccalaureate certificate to prepare graduates of English programs for teacher licensure in English Language Arts at the secondary education level is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences .

The Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in English Education program enables students who have already completed an undergraduate degree in English to pursue a career in teaching at the secondary level. The sequence of course work is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), accredited by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and leads to an initial high school licensure in English Language Arts, pending a passing score on the Illinois state content exam and successful completion of student teaching. An additional endorsement in teaching English in middle school may be obtained by students who successfully complete three additional hours of methods related to middle school and pass the licensure content test. Students should contact their advisor for specific course requirements.  

Teacher Licensure

Approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), this certificate leads to the Initial Secondary Licensure in English Language Arts. For Governors State University to recommend students for this licensure, students must meet the following requirements:

• earn a grade of “B-” or better EDUC 8970 Student Teaching Post-Baccalaureate Capstone;
• show evidence of having passed the ISBE-approved assessments for licensure; and
• meet other requirements for licensure through approved programs listed in the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals section in this catalog.

Students choosing to pursue the middle-school endorsement must additionally take three (3) hours in content area middle grades methods. Students should contact their advisor for specific course numbers.

Admission to English Education Certificate Program

In addition to meeting all University admissions requirements for the certificate, applicants must meet the following requirements to be admitted to the English Education Certificate program:

1. have a bachelor’s or higher-level degree in English from a regionally accredited college or university (Related content areas are subject to transcript review - additional English content courses may be required)
2. complete EDUC - 2310 Foundations of Education (or its equivalent)
3. complete SPED - 2100 or SPED - 6101 Survey of Children with Exceptionalities (or its equivalent)
4. have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all lower division courses applied to the degree program;
5. have cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in English content courses (minimum of 32 credit hours) applied to the degree program, excluding first year general education writing courses
6. submit a word-processed essay (not exceeding 300 words) explaining why the applicant wishes to become a teacher.

All candidates for Illinois teacher licensure at Governors State University are required to submit to a criminal background check prior to their initial field experience in the schools. Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GovState policies and procedures.

Student Progress

The faculty continually monitors and evaluates student progress. The Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals  section in this catalog provides a general description of the standards used to evaluate student progress. A more detailed statement of the standards and processes followed by the secondary education faculty is available in the Secondary Education Student Handbook, including adherence to professional dispositions, ability to design a safe and equitable learning environment, plan accessible and developmentally appropriate instruction, and create research-informed assessments.

Conditional Continuation

The faculty may permit a student to continue conditionally. In such cases, faculty reviews of the student’s records identify evidence that the student will likely be successful in the program. Each term, the faculty reviews the status of all students allowed to continue conditionally and informs the students in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to “good standing” status. When such conditions are met, the student is informed, in writing, of the transfer to “good standing” status. A student may not be admitted to student teaching without being in “good standing” status.

Admission to Student Teaching in English Education

Before enrolling in EDUC 8970 Student Teaching Baccalaureate Capstone, the student must submit an application for admission to student teaching to the director of Field Experiences in the College of Education and Human Development. The student teaching application must be submitted in the fall term at least 9 months prior to a fall student-teaching placement, and in the spring term at least 9 months prior to a spring student-teaching placement.  Students will be notified of due dates at the beginning of the term in which the applications are due. Please check with your advisor to confirm deadlines, which may be subject to change.   (Student teaching is not offered in the summer term.)

This application for student teaching will certify that the applicant has or will have met (by the teaching term) the following requirements:

• completed professional education course requirements, except student teaching, including 100 clock-hours of field experience with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher and with a grade of “B-” or better in each of the following courses:
  • EDUC-6301, EDUC-6302, ENGL-6580, ENGL-6570, ENGL-6575  EDUC-3440, EDCP-6101, BBED-6520, EDUC-6423, EDUC-6424, EDUC-6425
  • completed methods courses no more than three years prior to the commencement of student teaching;
• met all state requirements applicable to areas of student teaching assignments as outlined in the “Illinois Program for Evaluation, Supervision, and Recognition of Schools, Part I, Subject G: Staff Qualifications”;
• must have met the licensure content test benchmark score as indicated in the student teaching policy (see CEHD student portal); and
• received a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student Progress Committee.

Certificate in English Education Requirements

In addition to requirements for admission to student teaching, student must complete the following:

• have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher;
• earn a grade of “B-” or better in EDUC 8970 Student Teaching Post-Baccalaureate Capstone
• complete a minimum of 100 clock-hours of supervised pre-student teaching experiences;

Additionally, students who seek licensure in English Teacher Education must show evidence of having passed the ISBE-approved assessment for licensure.