The University of Central Arkansas offers its undergraduates, through the English department, licensure to teach secondary education. At the graduate level, the English department offers a Diverse Literatures Certificate for teachers through a 15-hour program, with classes offered in the summer and at night. Although the University of Central Arkansas does not offer licensing for primary school or university teachers, the English department prepares students for these teaching careers with coursework in vital communication skills and critical thinking.
In order to get an English degree that transfers directly to a teaching career from the University of Central Arkansas, several courses must be taken. These courses include three levels of English literature, two levels of American literature and a Research Methods Workshop. Six upper-division courses must also be taken in several categories, including author, genre, language, period and two electives. Including the senior seminar that is also required, students pursuing a major in English at UCA must take 37-credit hours in order to complete the degree.
Students pursuing a minor in English also have the opportunity for their degree to transfer directly to a teaching career. In order to get a minor in English, UCA students must take three levels of English literature, two levels of American literature and the Research Methods Workshop. In order to complete the minor, students must take three upper-division elective courses as well. The total credit hours needed to achieve a minor in English at the University of Central Arkansas are 25.
English students at the University of Central Arkansas have three different career areas that stem directly from their English degrees. These career areas are writing, editing and teaching. Students can get a job as a librarian as well as in training and development in a business setting based on the English degree program at UCA. An example of a teaching career in training and development would be teaching business executives writing techniques.