Teaching Composition Graduate Certificate

The Certificate in Teaching Composition provides graduate students with significant scholarly engagement, practical experience, and professional development in rhetoric and composition beyond their primary areas of literary specialization. Through a combination of course work, teaching experience, participation in mentoring and training programs, and preparation of a teaching portfolio, students will be prepared to become teachers of composition on a variety of levels. This program is a supplemental degree that is available to students pursuing the MA or PhD in English.

Requirements:

• ENG 770    Teaching Writing and Literature (4 credits)
• ENG 771    Practicum in Teaching Writing and Literature (4 credits)
• Complete one of the following courses (4 credits each)
  ENG 521    History and Theory of Composition    
  ENG 522    History and Theory of Rhetoric    
  ENG 621    Current Trends in Rhetorical Theory and Research    
  ENG 685    Special Topics (when the topic is related to rhetoric and composition)
  Additional rhetoric and composition course offerings may also satisfy this requirement
  at the discretion of the English graduate director.
• Teach at least two semesters of ENG 110 or UNI 110
• While teaching ENG 110 or UNI 110, participate in the WCI (Writing and Critical Inquiry Program https://www.albany.edu/wci/ ) professional development opportunities, including any instructor orientation and staff meetings.
• While teaching ENG 110 or UNI 110, have one's teaching effectiveness be documented through student evaluations and through observation (and subsequent mentoring) by the WCI program director or designated English faculty liaison between English and the WCI program.
• Work at least one semester as a tutor in the Writing Center and participate in all Writing Center professionalization activities and staff meetings during that semester.
• Prior to graduation submit a teaching portfolio to the WCI director or designated English faculty liaison between English and the WCI program.

Please Note: This program is not eligible for federal financial aid.