Program highlights
- Flexible academic pathway. Pursue the certificate as part of BGSU’s M.A. in English or as a separate credential if you already have a graduate degree.
- Designed for English educators. Coursework supports students interested in teaching literature, analyzing literary texts and connecting literary study to classroom practice.
- Study literature in context. Explore how literary texts and scholarship intersect with history, culture, identity and sociopolitical issues.
Public university in Ohio for career prep
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Career opportunities
The literature and English teaching graduate certificate helps educators build the specialized expertise needed to teach literature with greater depth, confidence and impact. Through advanced study of literary texts and teaching practices, you'll strengthen your ability to foster critical thinking, discussion and textual analysis among students.
The credential can prepare you for further graduate student or support career advancement in secondary and postsecondary education, dual-enrollment teaching, curriculum development and academic leadership.
Career paths
- English teacher
- Literature teacher
- College English instructor
- Dual-enrollment English teacher
- Curriculum developer
- English department chair or coordinator
- Graduate student in English or education
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Curriculum
The 12-credit literature and English teaching certificate program focuses on literature, literary criticism and English pedagogy.
Through the curriculum, you’ll study how to:
- Analyze literary texts in relation to history, culture and identity
- Apply methods of literary criticism to literature and scholarship
- Develop research-informed approaches to teaching literature for different student populations
- Connect English studies scholarship to classroom practice
- Produce original literary studies scholarship
Sample courses
- Theory and Methods of Literary Criticism
- Teaching of Literature
- Special Topics in English Studies
Flexible certificate options
The literature and English teaching certificate can be completed as a standalone credential or paired with another BGSU graduate degree.
Students may:
- Complete the certificate on its own
- Apply credits toward an MA in English at BGSU
- Complete the certificate alongside another approved graduate degree at BGSU
With permission from their original graduate degree program, students in programs outside of English may also earn the certificate as a complementary credential.
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The literature and English teaching certificate is a program within the English Department of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: 08/13/2026 01:36PM