4 answers
Hannah
Student
Ohio, Ohio
1
Question
Updated
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What should I major in as an aspiring English Professor?
As someone who would like to be a high school english teacher or college english professor, I am interested in the science of learning. Would it be helpful to double major in psychology and secondary english education? I want to learn more about the workings of the mind and how people learn things, but am not sure if psychology is the right path to achieving this.
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4 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1403
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Hannah,
You’re asking a really thoughtful question, and it shows you’re not just thinking about what you want to teach but how people actually learn. That’s a powerful combination, especially for someone considering a future in education.
Let’s start with the career paths you mentioned, because they shape your decision more than anything else. If your goal is to become a high school English teacher, the most direct and efficient pathway is typically a degree in English education (or secondary education with an English focus), since that aligns with certification requirements and classroom readiness. If you’re aiming for a college English professor role, the path shifts; you would usually major in English (or a closely related field) and then go on to graduate school (Master’s and likely a PhD) in English or a specialized area like literature, rhetoric, or composition.
Now, where does psychology fit into all of this?
Your interest in how people learn is absolutely valid, and psychology, especially areas like cognitive psychology or educational psychology, can give you insight into memory, motivation, and learning processes. That knowledge can make you a more effective educator. However, a full double major in psychology and English education isn’t always the most strategic move unless you’re deeply interested in both fields and confident you can manage the workload without stretching yourself too thin.
In many cases, you can get what you’re looking for in a more efficient way. Taking a few well-chosen psychology or education-focused courses (like learning theory, cognitive psychology, or instructional design) can give you that “science of learning” foundation without requiring a second major. Some universities even offer minors or certificates in educational psychology or learning sciences, which might be a strong middle ground.
It’s also worth noting that the “science of learning” shows up in multiple places beyond a psychology major. Education programs themselves often cover teaching methods, learning theories, and classroom psychology. You may find that you’re already getting exposure to these ideas within an education-focused degree, especially if you choose electives intentionally.
So the strategic question becomes: what gives you the strongest alignment with your primary goal while still allowing you to explore your interests?
If your priority is teaching, anchor your major in English or English education. Then layer in psychology through electives, a minor, or targeted coursework. That way, you build depth in your subject area while still gaining insight into how students think and learn. If, over time, you find yourself becoming more interested in research about learning itself, rather than teaching English specifically, you could then pivot more intentionally toward psychology, educational psychology, or learning sciences at the graduate level. You don’t have to lock that in right now.
The key is to stay focused on your core direction while being intentional about how you add supporting knowledge around it. You’re not choosing between passion and practicality here; you can design a path that includes both.
Best wishes!
You’re asking a really thoughtful question, and it shows you’re not just thinking about what you want to teach but how people actually learn. That’s a powerful combination, especially for someone considering a future in education.
Let’s start with the career paths you mentioned, because they shape your decision more than anything else. If your goal is to become a high school English teacher, the most direct and efficient pathway is typically a degree in English education (or secondary education with an English focus), since that aligns with certification requirements and classroom readiness. If you’re aiming for a college English professor role, the path shifts; you would usually major in English (or a closely related field) and then go on to graduate school (Master’s and likely a PhD) in English or a specialized area like literature, rhetoric, or composition.
Now, where does psychology fit into all of this?
Your interest in how people learn is absolutely valid, and psychology, especially areas like cognitive psychology or educational psychology, can give you insight into memory, motivation, and learning processes. That knowledge can make you a more effective educator. However, a full double major in psychology and English education isn’t always the most strategic move unless you’re deeply interested in both fields and confident you can manage the workload without stretching yourself too thin.
In many cases, you can get what you’re looking for in a more efficient way. Taking a few well-chosen psychology or education-focused courses (like learning theory, cognitive psychology, or instructional design) can give you that “science of learning” foundation without requiring a second major. Some universities even offer minors or certificates in educational psychology or learning sciences, which might be a strong middle ground.
It’s also worth noting that the “science of learning” shows up in multiple places beyond a psychology major. Education programs themselves often cover teaching methods, learning theories, and classroom psychology. You may find that you’re already getting exposure to these ideas within an education-focused degree, especially if you choose electives intentionally.
So the strategic question becomes: what gives you the strongest alignment with your primary goal while still allowing you to explore your interests?
If your priority is teaching, anchor your major in English or English education. Then layer in psychology through electives, a minor, or targeted coursework. That way, you build depth in your subject area while still gaining insight into how students think and learn. If, over time, you find yourself becoming more interested in research about learning itself, rather than teaching English specifically, you could then pivot more intentionally toward psychology, educational psychology, or learning sciences at the graduate level. You don’t have to lock that in right now.
The key is to stay focused on your core direction while being intentional about how you add supporting knowledge around it. You’re not choosing between passion and practicality here; you can design a path that includes both.
Best wishes!
Wow, thank you so much for this thorough and thoughtful answer. This definitely provides a lot of clarity as to what I will major in, and I will probably start out as an education major with an english focus. However, I've always been interested in graduate level research on learning science, so that's something I'll begin to think about and look into throughout my early college years. Its great to hear that I won't necessarily need to double major to learn about educational psychology, but as I've been thinking about going into an education degree I'm not sure that the coursework will be as rigorous as I want. I want to make the best of my college years and learn as much as I possibly can in this time. Thanks again for helping me think through some of my next steps!
Hannah
So glad it helped, Hannah. Your plan sounds strong and very intentional. You can absolutely create the rigor you’re looking for through smart electives and research opportunities alongside your education major.
Chinyere Okafor
Jin Yue
Supplychain
22
Answers
Dalian, Liaoning, China
Updated
Jin’s Answer
Undergraduate Major
English (Literature / English Literature)
This is the standard foundation. Focus on coursework in:
Literary theory & criticism
British/American/World literature
Creative writing (optional but helpful)
Linguistics (optional)
You can also pair it with a minor like:
History/ Philosophy/Comparative Literature/Foreign language (strengthens your scholarly range)
English (Literature / English Literature)
This is the standard foundation. Focus on coursework in:
Literary theory & criticism
British/American/World literature
Creative writing (optional but helpful)
Linguistics (optional)
You can also pair it with a minor like:
History/ Philosophy/Comparative Literature/Foreign language (strengthens your scholarly range)
MaryAnn Ivan
Musical Director/Composer
23
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
MaryAnn’s Answer
HI Hannah
I think the top 3 people you have to read up on is Freud, Carl Jung, and Erik Erickson. They are the "founding Fathers" of the psych world. Of course, everything has branched off of the three men's observations and writings. That's the foundation.
I hope that helps if at all with the psychology part of your question.
Have fun !
Mary Ann
I think the top 3 people you have to read up on is Freud, Carl Jung, and Erik Erickson. They are the "founding Fathers" of the psych world. Of course, everything has branched off of the three men's observations and writings. That's the foundation.
I hope that helps if at all with the psychology part of your question.
Have fun !
Mary Ann
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Hannah
Montse Chicon
Insights - marketing & market research
7
Answers
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Updated
Montse’s Answer
Hi Hanna, I think it is a great match. To be a good teacher or professor you will need not only to strength your hard skills and English knowledge, but your soft skills like active listening, empathy, motivation, group leadership, etc.
Learning psychology will help you to understand better how human beings think, feel and behave, and I believe it would be useful for the teaching role.
Learning psychology will help you to understand better how human beings think, feel and behave, and I believe it would be useful for the teaching role.
Thank you so much, Montse!
Hannah