Graduate Certificate in English
To teach college-level dual credit classes in the State of Texas, high school teachers must hold a graduate degree (Master's or PhD) and have eighteen graduate hours (six courses) in the teaching field.
The Department of English at Sam Houston State University offers online classes to teachers of high school English who have graduate degrees in other fields and would like to be qualified to teach dual credit English as well; the program will also certify instructors to teach English in two-year institutions in the State of Texas.
For official information about requirements for dual credit qualification, see the Texas Education Agency's Dual Credit Frequently Asked Questions.
Benefits of Our Program:
Through our dual credit qualification classes, teachers can:
- work with graduate specialists in literature, rhetoric, and technical and professional writing;
- earn the required eighteen hours of graduate English credit in six semesters;
- complete their coursework completely online, from the convenience of their homes or offices; and
- attend classes on campus, if preferred, and appropriate classes are offered.
Required Courses:
| ENGL 5335 Workshop in the Teaching of Writing | 3 hours | |
| ENGL 5384 Rhetoric and Composition Theory | 3 hours | |
| ENGL 5313 Technical and Professional Writing | 3 hours | |
| Total | 9 hours | |
| Choose one of these courses | ||
| ENGL 5309 British Literature: Pre-Industrial | ||
| ENGL 5310 British Literature: Post-Industrial | ||
| ENGL 5311 Anglophone Literature | Total | 3 hours |
| Choose two courses | ||
| ENGL 5301 Graduate Research: Methods and Theories | ||
| ENGL 5302 Literary Criticism and Theory | ||
| ENGL 5306 American Literature: Pre-Civil War | ||
| ENGL 5307 American Literature: Post-Civil War | ||
| ENGL 5308 US Ethnic Literatures | ||
| ENGL 5374 Women's Literature | ||
| ENGL 5309 British Literature: Pre-Industrial (if not fulfilling above requirement) | ||
| ENGL 5310 British Literature: Post-Industrial (if not fulfilling above requirement) | ||
| ENGL 5311 Anglophone Literature (if not fulfilling above requirement) | ||
| ENGL 6330 Special Topics (if appropriate topic) | Total | 6 hours |
| Total | 18 hours |
Application Process:
Students applying to take dual credit qualification courses in English at Sam Houston State University submit the following materials:
- "Apply Texas" Common Application
- The graduate application fee of $50.00 for domestic, $90 for international and non-refundable
- Transcripts which show conferral of an undergraduate degree, and which show conferral of graduate degree (Master's or PhD) from an accredited institution. Students preferred graduate GPA of 3.4
- A brief letter of purpose addressed to the English Graduate Admissions Committee, stating the professional intentions for applying to the certificate program. This letter is attached to your "Apply Texas" Application
Application Deadlines:
The program has the following deadlines:
- August 1 for fall admission
- December 1 for spring admission
- May 1 for summer admission
For Further Information:
Contact Dr. Diane Dowdey, Director, English Graduate Certificate
E-mail address: dowdey@shsu.edu
Office phone:936-294-4217
Community College Affiliates: Partnership with Lonestar College
Application for MA or MFA Degree Program:
Students who are accepted into English dual credit qualification courses and later wish to apply to the MA or MFA program in English in regular admission status must submit application materials required of all MA or MFA students, including a new graduate application, three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample. Because the student has already earned a graduate degree, she or he need not submit GRE scores.
For more information about applying to the English MA or MFA program at SHSU, see "Admission," on our graduate web site.
Students may apply up to nine hours of graduate English credit earned in their dual credit coursework to the MA or MFA program, so if you plan to pursue an English graduate degree at Sam Houston State University, be sure to apply by the end of your third graduate English course.
Please keep in mind also that while the dual credit classes will be offered online, most classes in our regular degree programs are offered face-to-face, either on the Huntsville campus or at The Woodlands Center.
The Department of English requires that a student complete a graduate degree within six years of the term of matriculation. If you do decide to apply for the MA or MFA program in full standing, you will have six years to complete the degree from your first term of enrollment in dual credit certificate program.