Secondary English Education

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The Secondary English Education concentration is for students planning to teach at the junior high or high school levels, and is usually taken in conjunction with English Education courses toward a teaching certificate. Secondary English Education students will complete 39 credits of coursework, including the gateway Introduction to Literary Study and required courses in advanced grammar, Shakespeare, American Literature, Ethnic/Women’s/Minority Literature, and historical surveys in addition to their own selection of English electives.  For English Education courses, student should consult the English Education Program Undergraduate Advisor, Prof. Andrew Ratner, aratner@ccny.cuny.edu.

In addition to satisfying CCNY’s core requirements (checked by the Dean’s Office, NAC 5/225), English majors must complete 3 credits of Gateway (ENGL 25000) and 36 additional credits of Literature courses.  39 credits total are required of the English major.  No more than 12 transfer credits may be used to fulfill major requirements.  

1. All majors must take English 25000 which is a pre-requisite to all 300- and 400-level Literature classes and it must be taken at the beginning of your work for the major.

2. All majors must also take one additional 200-level Literature course (a Genre Survey, a Historical Survey, or a Literatures of Diversity course). This class is a pre-requisite to taking 300- and 400-level Literature classes and must be taken at the beginning of your work for the major. No more than four 200-level Literature classes may be counted towards the English major.

3. All majors must take two 300-level Literature courses. One 300-level Literature class may be taken concurrently with 200- level Literature class, but completing the Gateway class and an additional 200-level Literature course is a pre-requisite for further enrollment in 300- and 400-level Literature classes.

4. All majors must take one 400-level Literature course. Completing two 300-level Literature classes is a pre-requisite for enrollment in 400-level Literature classes.

Please see the next section for specific literature requirements for students with a concentration in Secondary English Education.

Students in the Secondary English Education concentration must complete at least one class in each of the following content areas: American literature; ethnic/minority literature; ethnic/minority or women’s literature; Shakespeare; a survey of a period in literary history; pre-1900 literature other than Shakespeare; and either ENGL 21300 Grammar or a class in sociolinguistics/English language studies. 

Please note that no more than four 200-level Literature classes may be counted towards the English major. A single elective creative writing course may be taken in place of a literature course.

See an advisor for a checklist outlining outlining these course requirements.

Mandatory Gateway course for all English Majors (3 cr.):

Introduction to Literary Study: ENGL 25000 

Additional Literature Courses (36 cr.):
(Please note: at least one of these literature courses must be taken at the 400 level)

American Literature 
Shakespeare
Ethnic/Minority Literature
Ethnic/Minority Literature
Survey Course (e.g., “Representative Writers of…”)
Pre-modern/pre-20th-century Literature (not Shakespeare)
Grammar (21300) or Language/Linguistics
Elective Creative Writing / Literature
Elective Literature (200-level)   
Elective Literature (200-level or above)
Elective Literature (200-level or above)
Elective Literature (300-level or above)

*Students should keep in mind the content area requirements, listed above, as they plan their classes for the major.

Advisor

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Olivia Wood, Lecturer in English
Location: NA 6/219
Phone: 212-650-6360
owood@ccny.cuny.edu

Spring 2026 Advising Hours

Tuesday/Thursday 11:00-12:15 (NAC 6/219 or Zoom)
Wednesdays 9-12 (Zoom only)

To schedule an appointment, click here.