Master of Arts in Secondary English Education

Overview

The Master of Arts in Secondary English Education program is designed especially for secondary English Language Arts teachers. During this two-year cohorted program, you will:

• experience and implement innovative English Language Arts teaching practices, especially drawing on reform methodology and curricula
• acquire greater fluency with educational technologies, including internet resources, one-to-one technology implementation, and digital communication
• investigate current research in English Language Arts teaching and learning and how that research translates into practice
• conduct applied classroom-based research
• deepen your knowledge and understanding of broad issues, policies, and controversies that impact schools in general and English Language Arts teaching in particular
• develop as a leader in English education through presentations and participation in professional organizations and support networks

Readings, in-class activities, and assignments aim to help you apply current research and technologies to make your teaching more effective. Most major assignments center on your personal teaching experiences in your current classroom. The culmination of the program is your own research project in which you investigate a English Language Arts teaching or learning question through a systematic classroom-based study. In addition to becoming more effective English Language Arts teachers, graduates of this program will be well prepared for roles as department chairs, literacy coaches, or teacher leaders; for leading conference sessions or workshops; for some community-college positions; and for further study at the doctoral level.

We seek strong teachers who want to broaden their knowledge of literature, reading, composition, language, and technology; expand their range of teaching methods; and research an important area of English education. Our goals are to cultivate excellence in practice, to build professional leadership, and to introduce candidates to National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certificate activities. Participants in the program engage one another in ongoing collegial conversations and increase the effectiveness of the teaching and learning in their classrooms.

The cohort brings together a select group of English Language Arts teachers who will be one of the most powerful sources of your learning in the program. The professional and personal connections you develop with peers will last well beyond graduation and serve as resources for years to come. The next cohort will run from Fall 2024 to Spring 2026.

Course of Study

The program comprises 10 courses (30 units): 8 program courses and 2 electives. Beginning Fall 2024, the program will be offered online. Program classes will meet on Zoom back-to-back on Monday late afternoons/evenings for four semesters. We will have one required in-person meeting in August prior to the start of the first semester (Saturday, August 24th) of the program.

Cohort classes are reserved for the English Education Master’s cohort. The two elective courses, in English, subjects related to English, or education, are normally taken during the two-year program; some students may be able to substitute courses taken prior to this program (e.g., in a recent CSUN teaching-credential program) for these two electives.

Fall of First Year

• S ED 625EN Theory and Research in the Teaching of English
• S ED 610EN Educational Issues and Implications for Multiethnic English and Literacy Classrooms

Spring of First Year

• S ED 600 Research in Secondary Education
• S ED 633 The Program in Reading and Literature Instruction in Multiethnic Secondary Schools

Fall of Second Year

• S ED 690EN The Multiple Roles of the Secondary English Language Arts Educator 
• S ED 653 Issues in the Teaching of Composition and Language

Spring of Second Year

• S ED 617 Educational Technology in Secondary English Language Arts
• S ED 697 Directed Comprehensive Studies: Portfolio Preparation and Presentation

Two Required Elective Courses (6 units)

For program completion, six (6) units of credential program, transfer, or other qualified coursework are needed. If you completed your credential program at CSUN within the past five years, you may be able to apply two of your credential courses to meet this requirement. Graduate courses or post-baccalaureate credential courses from other institutions may also be eligible substitutions for these electives.

Coursework at the time of graduation cannot be more than seven (7) years old. Candidates in the program without these units, in consultation with the program directors, may enroll in an Independent Study, graduate-level English courses, or other appropriate coursework during the summer or regular semesters.

Interested in Induction while working on your English Education M.A.?

Contact the English Education Program Advisor, Dr. Jenn Wolfe, for details.