One Thousand Days Transformed - The Campaign for Cedarville
Join Our $175M Campaign »
myCU Portal Campus Email Canvas Office 365 Academic Calendar Library
All offices and departments Contact Cedarville

About the BA in Adolescent and Young Adult Language Arts Education Degree

Why Study Language Arts Education at Cedarville?

Is it your dream to be an English/Language Arts teacher? Cedarville’s Adolescent and Young Adult Language Arts (AYALA) education major will train you to teach language arts effectively in grades 7–12 in either private or public schools. Through challenging, practical coursework grounded in a truly biblical worldview, you'll be prepared to think critically and communicate effectively, so you can teach the next generation to do the same.

You'll take courses such as English Grammar, Practicum in Writing Instruction, Teaching Diverse Learners, and Faith and Learning Alignment. When you graduate, you'll be prepared as an excellent teacher, setting a Christlike example for your students and impacting their lives through a love for language arts.

Request Info Visit

What Sets Cedarville Apart?

Program Overview

Language Arts Education Program Highlights

Biblical — Professors who have vast amounts of teaching experiences will teach you through both your Bible minor and education coursework how to incorporate biblical principles in your classroom.

Broad Curriculum — You will take a full English curriculum as well as a complete block of education courses.

Community — You will experience a tight-knit community among fellow students and your professors, who care about building meaningful relationships.

Real-World Exposure — You will have various classroom experiences, starting as early as sophomore year.

Student Teaching Options — You can choose to complete your student teaching experience locally in Christian or public schools or in a foreign country approved by the School of Education.

Diverse — You will take part in innovative field experiences or clinical practice for both conventional and distance learning programs that provide experiences with grade K-12 students from various socioeconomic groups and ethnic/racial groups. You will have opportunities to work with English language learners and students with mild/moderate disabilities. You can choose to complete your student teaching experience locally in Christian or public schools or in a foreign country approved by the School of Education.

Changing Lives — A degree in education is an opportunity to change lives for the Kingdom of God. At Cedarville, you will find many ways to pursue your passion and hone your teaching skills: tutoring local students, serving students with disabilities, teaching in area ministries, and educating diverse communities. You will see your work with students as a mission field.

What Can I Do With a Degree in Language Arts Education?

  • Teach wherever God calls you! Our teacher candidates are known for their quality of education, commitment to the field of education, and their diversified experiences to prepare them for teaching in the classroom. Cedarville Education graduates are teaching all around the world in public, private, Christian, urban, and mission schools!
  • Go to graduate school! Our robust curriculum prepares you to pursue a master's program – either in English or in education.
  • Testing Success! Every teacher candidate is required to complete licensure exams in order to be a licensed teacher in the state of Ohio. Teacher candidates at Cedarville University are well prepared for these exams, as evidenced by these exam pass rates.
  • As a graduate of the Teacher Education Program at Cedarville University, you are eligible to pursue two teaching certifications. Our program enables you to apply for a state of Ohio teaching license in your field of study that may be transferred to any state within the United States, providing all requirements are met for that state. You are also eligible to apply for an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) certificate, which is nationally recognized among Christian schools and does not require state-to-state transfer.

Graduate and professional programs and employers welcome Cedarville University graduates each year. It is important to note that some professional career fields you may pursue require additional education, experience, and/or licensure beyond the completion of your Cedarville University undergraduate degree.

Placement Success

We’re proud of our successful graduates! 100% of recent education graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Check out Cedarville’s other placement rates.

Cedarville's Placement Rates

Opportunities to Learn Outside the Classroom

Your coursework will be complemented by the following opportunities as you complete your early childhood education degree.

Field Experiences Eearly and Often! — The School of Education believes that our teacher candidates should have many hands-on experiences in schools. That is why you will engage in local school settings during your first year as a teacher candidate at Cedarville University and will continue to experience teaching within a school setting each year of your teacher training at Cedarville. By the time you graduate, you will have completed more than 600 hours in classroom experiences!

Student Education Association (SEA) — Cedarville's education student organization is a Christ- centered community built on equipping teachers to serve each other and those around them. Throughout the year, you will participate in professional growth events, ministry opportunities, and fun activities. You will also have ministry opportunities through the adopt-a-senior program, the birthday ministry, breakfast for teachers, and other ministries. Any education major is welcome!

Cross-Cultural Experiences/Classes in Ireland — The School of Education routinely explores new cross-cultural experiences for teacher candidates to diversify their field experiences. Periodically, faculty lead a group of teacher candidates to Ireland to complete core teaching courses in another culture. As part of this three-week adventure, you will earn credit for your courses, observe classrooms and the education system in another country, and have one-on-one opportunities to minister to the people of Ireland.

Partnership Programs – These programs allow you to be part of field experience and classroom learning within one of the schools in nearby participating school districts. You will learn teaching strategies and practices from Cedarville University professors while engaging those practices and theories in real classrooms with real students and teachers.

Overseas Student Teaching Program — You may choose to complete your student-teaching experience overseas. This experience occurs as the final semester of your study as a teacher candidate at Cedarville University. You will spend approximately 14–16 weeks overseas in an English- speaking school. The School of Education of Cedarville University works with STAGE/CCTECC to coordinate an overseas experience for teacher candidates who wish to complete their student teaching internship abroad. You may choose to go to almost any country in the world and will receive specialized training for this experience.

Recent teacher candidates have completed their Overseas Student Teaching Program in the following locations:

  • Australia
  • China
  • Columbia
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Kenya
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Nepal
  • New Zealand
  • Niger
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • South Africa

Program Curriculum

Building on your general education liberal arts and Bible minor courses, you will take education foundations and methods courses, as well as a full curriculum of English courses.

Sample courses:

  • Contemporary Young Adult Literature
  • eLearning
  • Intro to Creative Writing Literary Analysis
  • Methods of Teaching Integrated Language Arts
  • Philosophy of Education

Start Your Degree in High School!

Save time and money in college by taking dual enrollment courses now. Discover how you can complete your education degree one semester early with the Dual Enrollment Pathway to Education.

Explore the Dual Enrollment Pathway

Program Format and Related Programs

Cedarville offers both graduate and undergraduate programs, with flexible completion options. You may also want to consider these related programs as you consider the degree or program that is a best fit for you.

Program Level and Format

  • Undergraduate
  • Residential
  • 4-Year
Promo Image 718x718

From Our Students:

  • The ELML department has been a major force in forming my critical thinking skills. Professors in this department encourage students to reach beyond their current worldview, resulting in better understanding of current events in light of timeless literature. This department thoroughly prepared me for success during my internship in Washington, D.C., where companies sought after high-level readers and critical thinkers to improve their overall quality and professionalism.
    Julia Schultz ’21, Department of English, Literature, and Modern Languages
    Julia Schultz
Job and Grad School Placement

Program Faculty

Photo of Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones, EdD

Dean, Assistant Professor of Education

Contact

Photo of Lori Ferguson

Lori Ferguson, EdD

Assistant Dean, Assistant Professor of Education

Contact

Photo of Cyndi Messer

Cyndi Messer, MA

Professor of English

Contact

Department of English, Literature, and Modern Languages
School of Arts and Humanities

Program News