Certificate in Teaching of Writing

Department of Languages

Dr. Lucas Hardy, Graduate Director
240 DeBartolo Hall
330-941-3420
lhardy01@ysu.edu

Certificate Description

This four-course certificate (12 semester hours) is valuable as an enhancement for employment as a writing instructor and also as a springboard to further graduate work in the field. It is de­signed to meet the needs of K–12 language arts teachers; writing instructors at two-year colleges; and YSU graduate students who would like to enter doctorate programs in rhetoric and composi­tion. Students gain understanding of issues in the field of rhetoric and composition, such as:

  • cur­rent writing pedagogy,
  • assessment of writing,
  • language theory,
  • language varieties,
  • multicultural literacies,
  • electronic literacies, and
  • teaching strategies incorporating electronic media.

Frequency of course offerings allows most students to finish the certificate in two to three semesters.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the graduate certificate in teaching of writing, students need not have an undergraduate degree in English but must have a B.A. or B.S. degree and meet requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies at YSU.

Certificate Requirements

COURSE TITLE S.H.
ENGL 6901Methods of Composition Research3
ENGL 6907Teaching of Writing3
Select one of the following:3
Methods of Literary Research
Teaching of Literature
Public and Professional Writing
TESOL Methods
Studies in English Education 1
Select one of the following:3
Sociolinguistics
English Grammar
Discourse Theory
Total Semester Hours12
1

If topic applied to rhetoric and composition.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1: Teaching of Writing Certificate students will form an understanding of a range of historical and contemporary theories and methods for teaching writing and learn to incorporate those philosophies into the classroom.

Learning Outcome 2: Teaching of Writing Certificate students will learn, analyze, and practice using various research methods for studying academic and nonacademic writing to draw conclusions about research questions.

Learning Outcome 3: Teaching of Writing Certificate students will collect, analyze, synthesize, and present primary and secondary research results and will credit sources according to chosen style guides.

Learning Outcome 4: Teaching of Writing Certificate students will collaborate with peers and instructors to write, revise, and edit written and designed materials thoroughly and effectively.