Bachelor of Science in Education in English

Your high school English teacher, Mr. Stevens, had even taught your parents. He was well liked, respected, even feared a little. Maybe he was overly fond of the word "magnanimous" and always wore the same tie on Thursdays. But in class that afternoon, when explaining why spelling in the English language is so difficult, he recited the old rhyme: "I before E except after C or when sounding like A, as in neighbor and weigh." Before you could stop yourself, you called out, "Weird!" Mr. Stevens lit up, delighted at your little joke, and laughed aloud, the sound filling the chalk-dusty classroom and spilling into the empty hallway.

The other students stared at him like he'd lost his mind, but some turned to look at you. They knew you'd made some sort of joke, but hadn't figured it out yet. And then you realized you didn't mind being different. As Mr. Stevens began to explain the spelling exception, writing the word on the board, you felt really proud. Not just because you had made your teacher proud, but that he had known immediately that you were teasing him—he was laughing with you.

You've always loved words—their power, versatility, and origins. You love how, when combined they carry the most powerful ideas and passions humankind has ever known. But most of all, you loved that today's connection had happened through just one of those words.

And that's precisely why you're going to be a teacher as legendary as Mr. Stevens.

Possible Job Titles:

  • Literature
  • Communication
  • Composition

Job Outlook:


What are the benefits of a DSU Degree?

  • Class size/personal attention (Faculty-Student ratio):
    • Majors-only classes are small and the English faculty get to know all of the English students really well. Although each student has only one official advisor, any of the English faculty can be counted on to guide our students during their career at DSU.
  • Cool facts or interesting things about this major:
    • We've had 100% success in placing our students. Most have multiple job offers. Only DSU English Ed majors graduate with a technology endorsement.
  • Faculty's unique experiences or certifications in this major:
    • Several of the English faculty at DSU have been high school English teachers and, thus, have personal experience in the career that our education majors are pursuing.
  • Integrated Technology:
    • The required courses in the DSU English education major allow students to explore other options after graduation should they, at some point, decide that they prefer to try another career. The technology and publishing options provide many possibilities.
    • Another major consideration these days is the fact that many high schools are providing a tablet/laptop for each high school student. Our students have lots of experience in using tablets/laptops in the class room and are prepared to teach with the technology—they can "hit the ground running", so to speak. They don't have to spend time trying to figure out how to use the tablet/laptop or how to incorporate the technology into assignments.
  • Special Facilities:
    • Our special facilities are those provided to all students: tablets and wireless projection, along with specialized computer labs for specific publishing/graphics software.
  • What type of special opportunities can students take part in? (i.e. scholarships, grants, research opportunities, internships, clubs, organizations, etc.)
    • Students are encouraged to attend conferences (such as SDCTE and TIE), to join Sigma Tau Delta, and to take advantage of other opportunities, such at the poster session held annually in Pierre.

Read more about the course requirements for English, B.S.E. at DSU.

Last Updated: 9/19/12