Western Carolina University

Transfer Guide

Western Carolina University
Middle Grades Education, BSED

Transfer Guide for Associate in Arts

2024-2025

Concentration(s): Language Arts
Delivery Method: On-Campus

Program Admission Notes:

Transfer students should apply to Western Carolina University at applynow.wcu.edu. A minimum 2.2 GPA is required for consideration, however, this does not guarantee admission. We recommend that you aim for an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on 12+ hours of college credit for competitiveness with other incoming transfer applicants.

Please note that admission to the institution does not guarantee admission to specific programs, and some programs do require a supplemental application. Check the program website at WCU.edu for supplemental application details and instructions, or reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317.

Contact:

Advising Center
transferadvising@wcu.edu

Revised: May, 2024

College Level Foreign Language Requirements:

No foreign language requirement for this program.

Major-Specific Course Recommendations:

Students are encouraged to build the Community College course recommendations below into the associate degree to best prepare for the intended major.

Recommended CC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
ENG 231: American Literature I
OR
ENG 232: American Literature II 		3 University Equivalencies UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts Required Course, General Education
MAT 141: Mathematical Concepts I 3 MATH 221: Number Sense for Teaching Additional General Education Courses Required Course, General Education
EDU 216: Foundations of Education 3 EDCI 201: Teacher Ldrshp Div Society & ELMG 201: Sem for Teacher Leadershp Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course

Remaining Associate Degree Requirements:

In addition to major-specific course recommendations above, students should work with a community college advisor to select additional community college courses to fulfill the remaining associate degree requirements identified below.

Recommended CC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry 3 ENGL 101: Writing and Rhetoric English Composition General Education
ENG 112: Writing/Research in the Disc 3 ENGL 202: Writing and Critical Inquiry English Composition General Education
COM 231: Public Speaking 3 COMM 201: Foundations of Communication UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 9 University Equivalencies UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Math General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 4 University Equivalencies UGETC Natural Sciences General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 12 University Equivalencies Additional General Education Courses General Education
ACA 122: College Transfer Success 1 ELEC 19A: Lower Level Electives Academic Transition Elective
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 12 University Equivalencies Elective/Pre-Major Courses Elective

Additional Information From Western Carolina University:

**Students should take the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educator Test during their EDU 216 semester to satisfy admission requirements for the Teacher Education Program at WCU.

*** Due to semester‐specific course offerings, WCU recommends a spring start for students transferring into the Middle Grades Language Arts program.

Admission to the Middle Grades Education Program

Students seeking admission to the Middle Grades Education Program must declare their major, declare their academic concentrations and meet the requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Program.  In addition to these requirements, Middle Grades education majors must earn a grade of C or better in all required courses (including Academic Concentration courses). This C or better requirement includes EDCI 201, ENGL 101, ENGL 202, and MATH 221. Students who score below a C twice on any course in the professional education sequence or within the major are withdrawn from teacher education. Students whose overall GPA falls below 2.75 will be removed from the program and must improve their GPA to reapply for admission. Students who receive an F in any course in the professional education sequence or major must retake the course when it is offered and earn a grade of C or better. Students who do not successfully complete internship may be withdrawn from the program and become ineligible for licensure.

Professional Education Sequence in Middle Grades Education

To take courses in the required Professional Education Sequence, students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and are subject to the teacher education requirements. EDCI 201 and SPED 240 are the only courses in the professional education sequence that may be taken before admission to teacher education.

Continuation in the Middle Grades Education Program

To continue in the program, students must meet the continuation requirements of the Teacher Education Program. Any dismissal from a field experience or internship will automatically result in a grade lower than a C and will make the teacher candidate ineligible for licensure.

No course in program requirements or middle-grades area of licensure with a grade lower than C will be accepted for graduation. No course with prefix of: EDMG, ELMG, EDRD, or with a grade lower than a C will be accepted for graduation.

Teacher Education Program Admission Criteria

All requirements for admission to teacher education should be met by the end of the semester if the student completes the “Introduction to Teacher Education” requirement (EDCI 201 or, for BK majors only, either BK 250 or completion of the AAS to BS/Early Childhood Program). To meet the minimum requirements for admission, students should have met all the following criteria:

  • Completed at least 30 hours (which can also include transfer hours)
  • Earned a C (2.00) or higher grade in ENGL 101–NOTE: Earning a C (2.00) or higher grade in ENGL 202 is required before beginning Internship 1
  • Earned a C (2.00) or higher in EDCI 201 or, for BK majors only, BK 250 (Not applicable for BK majors that have completed the AAS to BS/Early Childhood Program)
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75; that minimum GPA must be maintained to remain in the program
  • Achieved the minimum required scores on the SAT, ACT, or Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, Mathematics)
  • Subscribed to Tk20, our electronic portfolio system
  • Completed the Professional Dispositions Contract
  • Completed the background check approved by the WCU Teacher Education program
  • Submitted the application for Admission to Teacher Education on Tk20

Applicants already holding non-teacher education degrees and seeking a teaching license must meet all the above requirements, except they are not required to take the Praxis Core. Applicants with non-teaching degrees from accredited institutions who did not have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 should consult with the Coordinator of Teacher Education Admissions.

Students must have maintained satisfactory conduct and citizenship records in keeping with the ethics of the teaching profession. Applicants with a record of legal offenses may not be eligible for admission to teacher education.

Remaining Bachelor’s Degree Requirements at University:

University Course Credit
Hours		 University Course Notes
Professional Education Sequence 27
  • SPED 240 - The Exceptional Child Credits: 3
  • EDCI 430 - Culturally Relevant Classroom Management Credits: 3
  • EDMG 412 - Internship Seminar for Interdisciplinary Middle Grades Methods Credits: 3
  • ELMG 484 - Supervised Internship I Credits: 3
  • EDMG 421 - Internship Seminar for Responsive Teaching Credits: 3
  • ELMG 485 - Supervised Internship II Credits: 9
  • ELMG 495 - Seminar for Student Teachers Credits: 3

Note: You must be fully admitted into the teacher education program and have a 2.75 cumulative GPA to enroll in all courses in this professional education sequence except for EDCI 201 and SPED 240.
Middle Grades Major Courses 27
  • EDMG 300 - Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Middle Grades Students Credits: 3
  • EDMG 409 - Internship Seminar for Middle School Teaching Credits: 3
  • EDMG 410 - The Middle School Child and Curriculum Credits: 3
  • EDMG 411 - Differentiated Instruction in Middle Grades Education Credits: 3
  • EDMG 418 - Interdisciplinary Methods in Middle Grades Education Credits: 3
  • EDMG 466 - Digital Literacy Methods Grades 6-9 Credits: 3
  • EDRD 335 - Content Reading for Intermediate Grade Learners Credits: 3

Middle Grades Candidates will take 2 methods courses in their area of concentration.

English Language Arts

  • ENGL 414 - Fundamentals of Teaching Composition Credits: 3
  • ENGL 418 - Fundamentals of Teaching Literature Credits: 3
Language Arts Concentration 18

Required Content/Methods Courses (9 Credit Hours)

  • ENGL 312 - Grammar for Teachers Credits: 3
  • ENGL 413 - ESL Methods for Content Teachers Credits: 3

Literature Elective (12 Credit Hours)

Select 1 course among the following:

  • ENGL 353 - Stories Retold Credits: 3
  • ENGL 367 - Appalachian Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 421 - Fairy Tale, Myth, and Legend Credits: 3

Select 3 courses from among the following:

  • ENGL 363 - Globalization and Global Literatures Credits: 3
  • ENGL 404 - African American Literature and History Credits: 3
  • ENGL 444 - Environmental Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 451 - Nineteenth-Century British Writers Credits: 3
  • ENGL 452 - Latinx Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 459 - Southern Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 464 - Native American Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 465 - Topics in African American Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 470 - Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Postcolonial Literature Credits: 3
  • ENGL 475 - Modernism and the Little Magazine Credits: 3
  • ENGL 477 - Literature, Gender, and Culture Credits: 3
General Electives 30

To complete 120 hours, students may need to take additional General Electives (the number depends on how many Liberal Studies courses also count toward the major).

English Education students are encouraged to take ENGL classes as general electives to meet the 120 hour requirement.

Students are encouraged to use ENGL classes as their general electives to meet the 120-hour requirement. If courses taken in the major also are used to meet Liberal Studies requirements, more hours will need to be completed to reach the 120 hours required for the degree.