Before you can apply for graduation, you must meet with the appropriate advisor to complete a major evaluation:

• Literature Emphasis - Linda Flanagan
• Literature Emphasis with Secondary Education Interest - Bruce Goebel
• Creative Writing Emphasis - Kelly Magee or Linda Flanagan
• English Elementary Education - Pam Hardman

If you are an English education major, you will also need to complete a Major Endorsement Evaluation with your advisor at Woodring. If you have a minor, contact your minor department for a minor evaluation. If you are unsure whether or not you have completed all your GUR's, you can make an appointment with an advisor in the Academic Advising Office in OM 380 or print a Degree Evaluation from Web4U.

Download the Degree Application Form from the Registrar's web site, fill it out online (3 pages), print, attach evaluations, and submit to the Registrar's Office in Old Main 230.

You should apply for graduation two quarters prior to the quarter in which you wish to graduate. There is a $25 late fee charged by the Registrar's Office for those who do not apply at this time. Application deadlines are listed below: There is also a degree application fee of $40 (per degree) billed to your WWU account.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Your completed Degree Application Packet must be received in the Registrar's Office by 5:00 p.m. on the following dates to avoid paying the $25 late fee.

• Graduation Fall Quarter 2011: PAST DUE (see FINAL DATES below)
• Graduation Winter Quarter 2012: August 19, 2011*
  * Be sure to apply in June if you plan to leave campus for the summer.
• Graduation Spring Quarter 2012: December 2, 2011
• Graduation Summer Quarter 2012: March 9, 2012
• Graduation Fall Quarter 2012: June 1, 2012

FINAL DATES THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE WILL ACCEPT DEGREE APPLICATIONS:

• Fall 2011: November 4, 2011
• Winter 2012: February 10, 2012
• Spring 2012: May 4, 2012
• Summer 2012: July 13, 2012
• Fall 2012: November 9, 2012

You need to bring a copy of your transcript and a completed exit interview form. The transcript doesn’t have to be official; a computer print-out would do. You can download the exit interview form here.

First, pick which area of concentration you would like to major in. We have four different areas of concentration in English:

• English-Literature Emphasis
• English-Literature Emphasis with Secondary Education Interest
• English-Creative Writing Emphasis
• English-Elementary Education

You can browse around the website to find out more or read the online University catalog. However, it is a good idea to talk with the advisors for each different area. They are:

• Kristin Mahoney for English-Literature Emphasis
• Bruce Goebel for English-Literature Emphasis with Secondary Education Interest
• Oliver de la Paz for English-Creative Writing Emphasis
• Pam Hardman for English Elementary Education

You must have completed 75 credits and English 202 or 203 first.

You will need to meet with the English Department's undergraduate program coordinator to fill out a new Declaration of Major card, explaining what your “previous major” is in the appropriate space. If you haven’t taken English 202 or 203 yet, you need to take English 202 (203 is no longer offered) before you sign up because they are prerequisites for English majors.

To declare a minor in the English department - go see the undergraduate program coordinator during her office hours. She will fill out a declaration of minor card for you to take to the Registrar's Office in OM 230. The requirements for our minors can be found on our Minors page.

No. According to the Registrar’s Office, the general University policy is that students cannot double major in closely related areas of the same field, nor can they have a minor in such closely connected areas.

Yes. You may use up to 10 credits at the 200 level for the English minor.

A week before registration begins, we post descriptions of our course offerings written by the individual instructors.

Visit the English 101: Writing and Critical Inquiry web site for information about English 101.

Yes, you can register for 335, 336, and 338 which are GUR courses that will also count toward your upper division literature requirement for the creative writing major. If you are a literature major, you may take one of these classes to count toward your elective credits.

All WWU students must complete a minimum of three writing proficiency (WP) points in approved writing proficiency courses at WWU with a minimum grade of C-. Approved courses are indicated in the Timetable, Classfinder and Course Catalog by an attritute of WP1, WP2, or WP3. They are designed so that students will development writing skills through preparing multiple drafts of assigned papers in order to learn the writing style and conventions of their disciplines.

The class may be full or the required prerequisites (usually ENG 202 or 203) have not been met. If you are a transfer student, check your Transfer Equivalency Report to see if any of the courses you took at your other college transferred as equivalent to Western's ENG 202 or 203. Also, because the English department sponsors four different types of majors, some courses required in a major that are elective classes for other majors are reserved during Phase I for majors only. If space is still available at the beginning of Phase II, other majors can register at that time.

Western has a policy stating that "any student who fails to attend the first meeting of a course may be required to drop it if another student, previously unable to register for the course due to enrollment limitations, seeks admission." There may also be a waiting list to get into the class so it is recommended to contact the professor early in the registration process. Classfinder also lists courses and the space available during registration.

No, if you have not met the prerequisite for an upper-level course, you will be unable to register. However, some instructors may allow students to bypass prerequisites with permission.

Take writing classes, first English 101, and then 202. If your college has a different numerical system for their courses, check Western's Transfer Course Equivalency Guide to see how the courses transfer to Western.

If you are unsure whether your community college class satisfies the ENG 202 or ENG 203 requirement, check your Transfer Equivalency Report or visit the Transfer section. Questions about GUR courses, transferring non-English credits from other institutions may be answered by checking with Western's Admissions Office for classes that will transfer.

That’ll depend on what courses you have taken back at the community college. Please bring in your transcript and transfer equivalency report so that the degree coordinator can decide whether there is any course that is the equivalent of our English 202 or 203.

Of course. You need to e-mail the undergraduate program coordinator advisor requesting a major evaluation. Be sure to include your Western student number. After that, you need to work with the Registrar’s Office for your graduation evaluation.

For the exchange part, you need to consult the International Programs & Exchange office. But before you finalize your decision with the host university, you want to visit your English major advisor and be advised about what courses they offer can be accepted. Bring their course descriptions and other detailed information about the courses you want to take there. Your major advisor will need those to decide which and how many credits to accept.

To teach English Language Arts in public schools you need three things:

• A bachelor's degree
• An endorsement in English
• A teaching certificate

The vast majority of students earn a teaching certificate after graduation. While it is possible to petition to complete the certification as an undergraduate, it does not take much less time, and earning your teaching certificate after you graduate moves you further up the pay scale as a teacher. Teachers with a MA or who complete their certification as post-bacs, for example, typically make $5,000.00 more a year than teachers who earned their certtification with their BA.

Complete the courses listed on the Curriculum Worksheet: BA English Literature Emphasis with Secondary Education Interest.

You meet with the English Education advisor, declare yourself an English major, and begin the course of study described in the Curriculum Worksheet: BA English Literature Emphasis with Secondary Education Interest. Complete this course of study, and you will have met all requirements for an English major and an endorsement in English (but not certification). The office of Secondary Education provides the application materials for the Masters in Teaching (MIT) and post-bac program. Meet with an advisor in Secondary Education to discuss the application process a full year before applying. We suggest applying to both the MIT program and the post-back program because admission to the MIT program is very selective.

The MIT program is the most selective and the most respected. Students in the MIT program earn a master’s degree and take classes with a strong peer group. However, graduate credits are more expensive, enrollment in the program is limited, and students sometimes have to wait a quarter to begin. In contrast, students may begin the undergraduate and post-bac program at any time. Financial aid is often only available for the undergraduate program (See the financial aid office for details).

Both MIT and post-bac are comparable in length. Typically, students complete the teacher certification program in two years, spending 3-4 quarters completing course work and two quarters student teaching.

Please see the Woodring College of Education webpage.

Additionally, English students seeking a teacher’s certificate must have good grades, experience with teenagers, and strong writing and communication skills. Entrance requirements for English teachers are often higher than those in other areas because English typically receives more applicants than do other areas.

Speak with your advisor for more information on volunteering with area schools or contact the Secondary Education Department, Miller Hall 306. Phone: (360) 650-3327.

A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required for the post-bac program while the MIT program requires at least a 3.0 overall. However, English students generally cannot enter the teacher ed program at Western with less than a 3.2 average in their English classes.

Western has a very high placement rate for those who graduate from its Teacher Certification and English programs. However, there is now a surplus of English language arts teachers in many areas of the state. Consequently, we strongly recommend experience coaching and/or a supplemental endorsement. The absolute best combination is an English endorsement with a supplemental endorsement in math; anyone capable of earning a supplemental endorsement in math should do so. Supplemental endorsements in a foreign language or a science are also advantageous, as is an endorsement in special education. Supplemental endorsements in ESL and drama are helpful, as are minors in speech and journalism. In some cases it is easier to find a job as a middle school teacher than as a high school teacher. Endorsement requirements can be found here.

The English secondary endorsement, together with your teaching certificate, permits you to teach all grades 5-12. However, in the state of Washington, middle school English teachers must also have a social studies or middle level of humanities endorsement (see the Woodring web site endorsement page). In addition, we recommend that middle school teachers complete the additional middle school endorsement classes offered through Secondary Education and student teach in a middle school. Please see the English Education advisor for more information on this topic.

Explore the Advising page; you may quickly find just what you're looking for. If you have questions or need more information, contact the department advisors.