Graduate Certificate in English Literature

Students who hold an M.A. degree can earn the 18 credit hours required by SACSCOC to teach dual enrollment and baccalaureate courses in English Literature.

The target audience for this certificate is high school teachers in Virginia with a Master of Education or Master of Teaching degree but who lack the 18 credit hours of graduate instruction in English required to be the teacher of record for dual enrollment and college English courses. The second target audience is current M.Ed/M.T. students in Virginia who want to pursue teaching dual enrollment and/or college English courses.

Students will learn:

• The historical and cultural significance of literature written primarily in English
• The different methods and theories literary scholars have developed to analyze literary texts
• Key topics of focus in English literary studies such as race and ethnicity, the environment, literary genres, and literary movements and periods
• How to develop advanced analyses of literary works in relation to genre and historical and cultural contexts

Students will be prepared to:

• Analyze literature at an advanced level
• Use their advanced knowledge and skills in analyzing literature to teach students how to analyze literature
• Write with clarity about literature and narratives
• Critically analyze language and narratives across a variety of media and genres, from journalism and advertising to corporate mission statements

Graduates of the certificate program will have the necessary skills, knowledge and accreditation to teach dual enrollment and baccalaureate courses in English Literature.

Admission requirements, degree requirements, recommended course sequences and more information about the program can be found at VCU Bulletin.