Bachelor of Applied Arts - Teaching Communication Arts & Literature

University of Minnesota Duluth's (UMD) Bachelor of Applied Arts (B.A.A.) in Teaching Communication Arts and Literature is offered by the Department of Education in conjunction with the Departments of English, Communication, Linguistics, and Writing Studies.

This major gives students the valuable experience of playing both student and teacher roles at once. Students try out various forms of writing while learning to teach writing, read engaging texts across many genres while learning to teach reading and literature, and learn from their own experiences as students while taking on more and more responsibility as teachers in real classrooms. Students develop skills and best practices to be innovative leaders and educators who are ready for current and future school settings.

• Program meets MN teacher licensure requirements for Teaching Communication Arts and Literature grades 5-12
• Focused course work on teaching about and with Indigenous Peoples, as well as the role of diversity in American education; students develop an understanding of working with all learners
• Known for preparing teachers who are technologically adept and skillful
• Program is relevant and current; faculty engage in best practices, professional collaborations, and research in education
• Teaching methods integrated into several courses
• Field-based program with many weeks of opportunities to be immersed in grade 5-12 classrooms.
• High job placement after graduation

Acquired Skills

• Extensive knowledge of literature across time periods and genres
• The ability to write across a range of genres
• Explicit knowledge of English language, grammar, and rhetoric
• Strategies for improving students' reading, writing, and communication
• Curriculum and lesson plan development

Career Possibilities

Entry Level:

• Middle and High School English Teacher
• Editor
• Journalism
• Literary Critic
• Public Relations

Advanced Degree:

• Dean of Students
• Principal
• School Counselor
• Superintendent
• Community College Instructor