This minor may only be completed by students admitted to the Elementary Education or the Elementary Education and Special Education programs. A minor is not required to complete either program.
Minors provide a depth of study in a particular area of interest and also inform classroom instruction. The completion of a minor is required to teach middle school in some states and may benefit students particularly interested in teaching at this level.
Students may wish to consult with an advisor in the School of Education Student Services office, 139 Education Building, to discuss course selection and other issues related to this field of study. Current students can schedule a Student Services appointment online through the Starfish app in MyUW. Appointments can also be made by calling 608-262-1651, or in person.
Upon completion, the subject area of the minor will be posted on the UW–Madison transcript. Students will not receive an additional certification or license in the subject area. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not offer content licenses in association with the Elementary Education or Special Education teaching licenses.
How to Get In
This minor may only be declared by students completing the Elementary Education or the Elementary Education and Special Education programs. To declare the minor, contact your academic advisor in Education Student Services any time after program admission.
Requirements
The English Language Arts minor requires the completion of 18 credits to include the requirements of each group of courses. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required, based on all UW–Madison coursework included in the minor.
The courses listed here will meet the requirements in each category, but additional courses can be considered.
Introductory Literature (3 credits)
Complete one introductory literature course. Courses with a Literature breadth designation from many departments—e.g., African Cultural Studies, Classics, Comparative Literature, English, Folklore, or Theatre—may be selected to meet this requirement.
Intermediate or Advanced Literature (3 credits)
Select one additional literature course at the intermediate or advanced level. Courses with a literature breadth designation from many departments e.g., African Cultural Studies, Classics, Comparative Literature, English, Folklore, or Theatre—may be selected to meet this requirement.
English Composition (3 credits)
Select one course from the following options:
English Composition Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 201 | Intermediate Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 207 | Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 307 | Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 400 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 407 | Creative Writing: Nonfiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 408 | Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 409 | Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 410 | Creative Writing: Playwriting Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 508 | Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction Workshop | 3 |
Electives (9 credits)
Select courses from the following options to reach the minimum of 18 credits:
Literature Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| African Cultural Studies | ||
| AFRICAN/FOLKLORE 210 | The African Storyteller | 3 |
| AFRICAN 300 | African Literature in Translation | 3 |
| AFRICAN 405 | Topics in African Cultural Studies | 3 |
| AFRICAN 412 | Contemporary African Fiction | 3 |
| AFRICAN/AFROAMER 413 | Contemporary African and Caribbean Drama | 3-4 |
| Folklore | ||
| FOLKLORE 100 | Introduction to Folklore | 3 |
| FOLKLORE/AFRICAN 210 | The African Storyteller | 3 |
| FOLKLORE 220 | The Folk Tale | 3 |
| FOLKLORE 317 | The Irish Tradition (was 517 prior to fall, 2023) | 3 |
| FOLKLORE/MEDIEVAL/RELIG ST/SCAND ST 342 | Nordic Mythology | 3 |
| FOLKLORE/LITTRANS/MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 345 | The Nordic Storyteller | 3 |
| FOLKLORE/LITTRANS 347 | In Translation: Kalevala and Finnish Folk-Lore | 3-4 |
| FOLKLORE/GEN&WS 428 | Gender and Expressive Culture | 3 |
| FOLKLORE 460 | Folk Epics | 3 |
| Any Literature in Translation course with the "L" breadth code | ||
| AFROAMER 155 | They: Race in American Literature | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 222 | Introduction to Black Women Writers | 3 |
| AFROAMER 225 | Introduction to African American Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| AFROAMER 227 | Introduction to African American Literature | 3 |
| AFROAMER 265 | African-American Autobiography | 3 |
| AFROAMER/GEN&WS 267 | Artistic/Cultural Images of Black Women | 3 |
| AFROAMER 525 | Major Authors | 3 |
| AMER IND/ENGL 172 | Literatures of Native America | 3 |
| ENGL 173 | Ethnic and Multicultural Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/GEN&WS 248 | Women in Ethnic American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM 270 | A Survey of Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/GEN&WS 401 | Race, Sex, and Texts (How to do things with writing) | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 423 | Topic in Medieval Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 424 | Medieval Drama | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 425 | Medieval Romance | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 426 | Chaucers Courtly Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 427 | Chaucer's Canterbury Tales | 3 |
| ENGL 430 | Topic in Early Modern Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 431 | Early Works of Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENGL 432 | Later Works of Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENGL 433 | Spenser | 3 |
| ENGL/RELIG ST 434 | Milton | 3 |
| ENGL 438 | Topic in Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 443 | Outstanding Figure(s) in Literature since 1800 | 3 |
| ENGL 444 | Topic in Romantic or Victorian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 453 | Topic in British Literature and Culture since 1900 | 3 |
| ENGL 454 | James Joyce | 3 |
| ENGL 455 | A Study of an Outstanding Figure or Figures in American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 456 | Topic in Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 457 | Topic in American Literature and Culture since 1900 | 3 |
| ENGL 458 | Major American Writer or Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 459 | Three American Novelists | 3 |
| ENGL/CHICLA 460 | Black and Latinx in Literature and Visual Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 461 | Topics in Ethnic and Multicultural Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM 462 | Topic in Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM/GEN&WS 463 | Race and Sexuality in American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM/GEN&WS 464 | Asian American Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN AM 465 | Asian American Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 473 | Topic in Postcolonial or World Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 474 | Topic in Contemporary Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 475 | Comedy as Genre | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 477 | Diaspora and Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN 478 | Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 521 | Advanced Old English Literature | 3 |
| ENGL/ENVIR ST 533 | Topic in Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENGL/JEWISH 539 | Jewish Literatures in Diaspora | 3 |
| ENGL 543 | Discourses of Disability, Antiquity to 1800 | 3 |
| ENGL 546 | Topic in Travel Writing before 1800 | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 575 | British Drama, 1914 to Present | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 576 | Survey: Theories of Drama | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 577 | Postcolonial Theatre: Drama, Theory and Performance in the Global South | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 578 | Modern American Drama and Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL 651 | Special Topics in Theatre and Performance Studies Research | 3 |
| ENGL 654 | Dramaturgy in Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ENGL/AFROAMER 672 | Selected Topics in African American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS 105 | Intersectional Approaches to Disability Studies | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 144 | Women's Writing | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 222 | Introduction to Black Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 248 | Women in Ethnic American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 359 | Visionary and Speculative Fiction: Social Justice Approaches | 3 |
Mass Communication Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| African American Studies | ||
| AFROAMER 303 | Blacks, Film, and Society | 3 |
| American Indian Studies | ||
| AMER IND 325 | American Indians in Film | 3 |
| Asian American Studies | ||
| ASIAN AM/JOURN 662 | Mass Media and Minorities | 4 |
| Chicanx/e and Latinx/e Studies | ||
| CHICLA/COM ARTS 419 | Latinx/es and Media | 3 |
| Communication Arts | ||
| COM ARTS 250 | Introduction to Contemporary Media | 3 |
| COM ARTS/GEN&WS 316 | Gender and Communication | 3 |
| COM ARTS 350 | Introduction to Film | 3 |
| COM ARTS 351 | Television Industries | 3 |
| COM ARTS 355 | Introduction to Film and TV Production | 4 |
| History | ||
| HISTORY/JOURN 560 | History of U.S. Media | 4 |
| Journalism | ||
| JOURN 201 | Introduction to Mass Communication | 4 |
| JOURN 561 | Mass Communication and Society | 4 |
| JOURN 565 | Effects of Mass Communication | 4 |
| JOURN/COM ARTS/HDFS 616 | Mass Media and Youth | 3 |
| Life Sciences Communication | ||
| LSC 440 | Digital Media and Science Communication | 3 |
English Composition Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 201 | Intermediate Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 207 | Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 307 | Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 400 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| ENGL/GEN&WS 401 | Race, Sex, and Texts (How to do things with writing) | 3 |
| ENGL 407 | Creative Writing: Nonfiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 408 | Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 409 | Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 410 | Creative Writing: Playwriting Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 508 | Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 509 | Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry Workshop | 3 |
Speech Communication Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Arts | ||
| COM ARTS 260 | Communication and Human Behavior | 3 |
| COM ARTS 262 | Argumentation and Debate | 3 |
| COM ARTS 266 | Theory and Practice of Group Discussion | 3 |
| COM ARTS 272 | Introduction to Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COM ARTS 360 | Introduction to Rhetoric in Politics and Culture | 3 |
| COM ARTS 368 | Persuasion and Social Influence | 3 |
| COM ARTS 371 | Communication and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| Theatre | ||
| THEATRE 150 | Acting I: Introduction to Acting | 3 |
| THEATRE 250 | Fundamentals of Acting | 3 |
Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 314 | Structure of English | 3 |
| ENGL 316 | English Language Variation in the U.S. | 3 |
| ENGL 412 | Bad Grammar and Metalinguistic Awareness | 3 |
| ENGL 413 | English Words: Grammar, Culture, Mind | 3 |
| ENGL 414 | Global Spread of English | 3 |
| ENGL 415 | Introduction to TESOL Methods | 3 |
| ENGL 416 | English in Society | 3 |
| ENGL 417 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| ENGL 514 | English Syntax | 3 |
| ENGL 515 | Techniques and Materials for TESOL | 3 |
| ENGL 516 | English Grammar in Use | 3 |
| ENGL/MEDIEVAL 520 | Old English | 3 |
| ENGL 613 | TESOL: Pedagogical Grammar I | 1 |
| ENGL 614 | TESOL: Pedagogical Grammar II | 1 |
| ENGL 615 | TESOL: Teaching Listening and Speaking | 1 |
| ENGL 616 | TESOL: Teaching of Reading | 1 |
| ENGL 617 | TESOL: Teaching of Writing | 1 |
| ENGL 618 | TESOL: Teaching Pronunciation | 1 |
| ENGL 651 | Special Topics in Theatre and Performance Studies Research | 3 |
| ENGL 654 | Dramaturgy in Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ENGL/AFROAMER 672 | Selected Topics in African American Literature | 3 |
| FOLKLORE/ANTHRO/INTL ST/LINGUIS 211 | Global Language Issues | 3 |
| GEN&WS/CLASSICS 351 | Women and Gender in the Classical World | 3-4 |
| LINGUIS 101 | Human Language | 3 |
| LINGUIS 303 | Historical Linguistics | 3 |
| LINGUIS/ANTHRO 430 | Language and Culture | 3-4 |