BSEd in English Education
The B.S.Ed. in English Education initial certification program offers rich coursework and rigorous field experiences which prepare you to teach in middle and high school English/Language Arts classrooms. You will leverage your growing understanding of our content areas (e.g. literature, writing, reading, speaking) to bring them alive alongside students from a variety of contexts and experiences. Coursework will challenge you to consider critical perspectives, multimodal and digital literacy practices, and what it means to teach English in a way that leads to a more equitable society.
Highlights
- Rich integration between field placement experiences and coursework.
- Multiple experiences in a range of teaching contexts and grade levels.
- Emphasis on building instructional skills that intentionally support and engage all learners.
Curriculum
Program coursework intentionally interweaves hands-on experiences in secondary classrooms with an exploration of pedagogies and methods in deliberately sequenced coursework. The cohort model allows students to learn what it means to teach alongside a community of peers working in similar placements and in the same sequence of courses. Further, students work with a dedicated community of experienced mentor teachers who work alongside faculty and university supervisors as teacher educators.
During the course of the program, all candidates will have an opportunity to work with children in each of the grade bands as required by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The grade bands are 6–8 and 9–12.
Courses will include an emphasis on:
- Teaching writing
- Teaching literature (including special attention to young adult literature)
- Teaching reading
- Imaginative and purposeful uses of digital tools and social media
- Assessment on/for/of learning
- The wide range of teaching contexts and communities in which we do this work.
- The diversity of literacies, texts, and learners we both engage and excite.
Additional information and disclosures regarding state licensure for professional practice in this field can be found at the UGA Licensure Disclosure Portal .
Download 2023-2024 Four-Year Plan (PDF) Download 2024-2025 Four-Year Plan
The English Education program has a Double Dawgs pathway that offers students the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years or less to save time and money while positioning themselves for success after graduation.
Admissions
In typical cohort years, this program admits approximately 25 students, and in most years, is highly competitive. Candidates whose grades do not represent their future potential should use the essay portions of the application to make the case for admission.
Prior to application, you should consult with the Office of Undergraduate Advising in 612 Aderhold Hall. They can advise you on how to arrange your program of study prior to application, so you are well-positioned for enrollment if accepted.
Minimum Eligibility Criteria
- Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 (GPA of 3.5 or higher preferred)
- 50 Hours of pre-professional experience with adolescents
- Completion or in-progress to completing General Education Core Areas I-V
- Completion of two ENGL/CMLT 2000-level elective courses
- Completion of EDUC(EPSY) 2130 and EDUC 2110/EDUC 2110H
- No grade lower than C in General Education Area VI
- Grade of B or higher in the exceptional children course requirements for certification
- Completion of (1) Federal and Georgia Constitution and (2) U.S. and Georgia History University requirements by the end of the semester of application (Note: You may only take the exemption exams for these subjects a certain number of times. Please consult with the UGA Testing Center to ensure your timeline works.)
Course Prerequisites
- Two 2000-level ENGL courses
Special Requirements Upon Admission
- Minimum grade of C to meet language study major elective requirement
- Minimum grade of C or higher in all English education program courses
- Overall GPA of 3.0
- Teacher certification candidates must (1) earn a GaPSC Pre-Service Certificate prior to beginning field experience and (2) complete several assessments prior to certification
How to Apply
Part 1: Apply to the University of Georgia
Students must be accepted to UGA before entering into a College of Education program.
Part 2: Apply to the B.S.Ed. in English Education
If you are in the process of completing the required core coursework, you may be provisionally accepted contingent upon satisfactory completion of the required courses while maintaining the required minimum 3.0 GPA for admission.
Spring 2026 Major Admissions Timeline
Applications for the Spring 2026 cohort will open on Friday, August 15, 2025.
- Application Opens – Friday, August 15, 2025
- Application Closes – Friday, September 12, 2025, at 5 p.m.
- Decisions Released – Monday, September 29, 2025
Application Materials
- MFE COE Major Application
The application for the Spring cohort will remain open until the deadline. - Required Application Materials. In the application, you will be required to upload the following items:
- Essay: In the application, you will be asked to upload an essay for each prompt between 500-750 words in length. Please save your response in a single PDF file using the naming format
Last Name, First Name_Essay. - Download Essay Prompts (PDF)
- Essay: In the application, you will be asked to upload an essay for each prompt between 500-750 words in length. Please save your response in a single PDF file using the naming format
Selection Process
Applications are evaluated by a committee of program faculty members. The rubric-based evaluation process holistically examines applicant materials, including consideration of GPA, written application materials, documented experiences working with adolescents, etc. Candidates in the application pool are then ranked in response to rubric scores, which are tabulated by each participating faculty member.
Simply meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee acceptance to the program. Applicants who are not accepted may apply again in the next application cycle.
Admission Decisions
Admission decisions will be made by early October for Spring admission. You will be notified about the admission decision via email by the program coordinator or other program contact.
Admission Contact
Mary Frances Early College of Education 309N Aderhold Hall University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 706-542-4070Additional Resources
Please use our online form if you have any questions for the department. Please be as specific as possible so that we may quickly assist you.
The College’s programs are taught by dedicated faculty who are experts in a range of areas and are passionate about helping students succeed both in their programs and professionally.
All undergraduate students at UGA meet with an academic advisor each semester. This meeting is critical to student success and provides a chance to discuss courses and electives, certification criteria, and general graduation requirements.
Almost all in-state students begin their studies at UGA paying limited tuition or fees. Please note that these amounts are subject to change and are meant to give prospective students an idea of the costs associated with a degree at the University of Georgia College of Education.
Students may qualify for a variety of assistantships, scholarships, and other financial awards to help offset the cost of tuition, housing, and other expenses.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students per year, allowing for extensive personal attention. Following the cohort model, these small groups foster relationships that lead to extended learning opportunities, support, and a professional network as you begin your teaching career.
You may also become a member of the Georgia Council of Teachers of English, the state affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, which offers networking, mentoring and job connections, and an annual convention.
Expand your understanding of literature and literacy issues by attending the annual Spring conference of the Journal of Language and Literacy Education (JoLLE), the graduate student-run scholarly journal of the program’s host department. This event brings together teachers, activists, and professors from across the United States and internationally.
See for yourself how much UGA College of Education has to offer! Schedule a tour of campus to learn more about the UGA student experience.