Hayley Kay Bowen graduated from Black Hills State University in 2019 with a B.S. in English and minors in Creative Writing and Professional Writing. After graduating BHSU, she attended Syracuse University and received her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Poetry in 2023. Her poetry has been published in Kissing Dynamite, Rust & Moth, Alien Magazine, Poetry Online, and elsewhere. Hayley’s first chapbook, Dearly Departed, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2022. Hayley is the 2022 recipient of the Joyce Carol Oates poetry prize, and the 2024 Laura S. Dabundo Graduate Award for Excellence. She has presented critical work at the Northeast Modern Language Association and will present at the North American Society for Studies in Romanticism in August 2024. Hayley is currently a PhD student at Temple University in Philadelphia studying 19th Century polar exploration and British Literature.

“When I transferred to BHSU from Denver halfway through my sophomore year, I immediately fell in love with the beauty of the Black Hills and the strong sense of community that resonates so powerfully in Spearfish. The small class sizes offered the opportunity to form more meaningful relationships with my professors as well as my peers, and the lifelong friendships I found through my experiences in the BH English department have changed me for the better. If it were not for my time at BHSU, I may have never changed my major to English (having entered college as a biology major), discovered my passion for poetry, or had the courage to pursue both poetry and literary studies at the graduate level. I look back on my years as an undergraduate with so much love and appreciation for what a truly special place BHSU is and will forever be grateful to the incomparable English faculty for shaping me into the writer and scholar I am today.”

Clara MacIlravie Canas graduated from Black Hills State University in 2019 with a Bachelor's in English. She also earned minors in Professional Writing and Journalism, showcasing her diverse talents. Clara has a natural talent for technical and creative writing, with her poetry published in Pasque Petals, The Santa Clara Review, Sylvia Magazine, and other places. Clara pursued her love for learning and passion for words at the University of South Dakota, where she earned her Master's in English Literature in 2022. Currently, Clara works as a Grant Writer at Avera Health, where she applies the skills and knowledge she has earned from BHSU. In her role, she takes on the challenge of researching, writing, and editing proposals to federal, state, and local organizations, securing millions in funding for rural communities in the Upper Midwest. Clara collaborates with other departments to ensure all necessary information and materials are gathered and organized for submission, and her attention to detail is a valuable asset in this process.

"I've always considered myself a writer with a strong passion for storytelling. During my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents on their ranch in the Black Hills of Wyoming. This experience led me to apply to Black Hills State University after high school as I found myself drawn to the scenery and close-knit community in which I was raised. Initially, I wanted to become a high school English teacher, so I opted for an education degree. However, after meeting with several English professors and students in the program, I changed my mind and decided to pursue a degree in English instead. My connections with the English department led to my job as a Writing Consultant at the Writing Assistance Center and later to my Masters's degree at the University of South Dakota. BHSU helped me discover my love for poetry and literary analysis, introduced me to lifelong friends, and gave me the confidence to declare myself a writer. Today, I owe who I am to my educational background at BHSU, and I cannot speak more highly of the faculty and student culture."

English Education

Required Core - 42 semester hours

• 3 ENGL 221 British Literature I
• 3 ENGL 222 British Literature II
• 3 ENGL 241 American Lit I
• 3 ENGL 242 American Lit II
• 3 ENGL 304 Fundamentals of English Grammar
• 3 ENGL 406 Adolescent Literature
• 3 ENGL 412 Composition for the English Teacher
• 3 ENGL 284 Introduction to Criticism
• 3 ENGL 200/300/400 Elective (except 201, 210)(1 course)
• 3 SEED 424 7-12 Language Arts Methods
• 6 ENGL 490/492 Electives (2 courses)

Choose 1:

• 3 ENGL 211 World Lit I (gen ed)
• 3 ENGL 212 World Lit II (gen ed)

Choose 1:

• 3 ENGL 431 Shakespeare I
• 3 ENGL 432 Shakespeare II

Pre-Professional Teaching Core - 18 semester hours

• 2 EDFN 338 Foundations of American Education
• 1 EDFN 295 Practicum: Pre-Admission Teaching
• 3 EPSY 302 Educational Psychology
• 3 EPSY 428 Child & Adolescent Development
• 3 INED 411 South Dakota Indian Studies
• 3 PSYC 101 General Psychology (gen ed)
• 3 SPED 100 Intro to Persons with Exceptionalities

Professional Secondary Ed Teaching Core - 26 semester hours

• 3 EDFN 365 Computer Based Technology & Learning
• 1 EDFN 375 Methods of Technology Integration
• 1 EDFN 440 Classroom Management
• 2 MLED 480 Middle Level Methods
• 3 SEED 408 Planning, Managing, & Assessing the 7-12 Diverse Classroom
• 3 SEED 450 7-12 Reading & Content Literacy
• 1 to 16 SEED 488 7-12 Student Teaching
• 1 SEED 495 Practicum
• 3 EDFN 475 Human Relations

Gen Ed Requirements - 30 semester hours

• ENGL 101
• ENGL 201
• SPCM - Gen Ed - Speech (1 class) - 3 semester hours
• MATH - Gen Ed - Mathematics (1 class) - 3 semester hours
• Gen Ed - Social Science (2 classes from different subjects) - 6 semester hours
• Gen Ed - Arts & Humanities (2 classes from different subjects or a foreign language sequence) - 6 semester hours
• Gen Ed - Natural Sciences & Lab (2 classes/corresponding labs) - 6-8 semester hours

Electives

Minor in Creative Writing—18 semester hours

• 3 ENGL 283 Introduction to Creative Writing
• 3 ENGL 482 Creative Writing II
• 3 ENGL 483 Advanced Creative Writing

Take two of the following:

• 3 ENGL 475 Creative Writing: Non-Fiction
• 3 ENGL 476 Creative Writing: Fiction
• 3 ENGL 478 Creative Writing: Poetry

Take one of the following:

• 3 ENGL 115 American Indian Oral Literature
• 3 ENGL 210 Introduction to Literature
• 3 ENGL 211 World Lit I
• 3 ENGL 212 World Lit II
• 3 ENGL 214 Intro to American Indian Literature
• 3 ENGL 221 British Literature I
• 3 ENGL 222 British Literature II
• 3 ENGL 241 American Lit I
• 3 ENGL 242 American Lit II
• 3 ENGL 248 Women in Literature
• 3 ENGL 256 Literature of the American West
• 3 ENGL 320 The Non-Western Novel
• 3 ENGL 406 Adolescent Literature
• 3 ENGL 411 Bible as Literature
• 3 ENGL 431 Shakespeare I
• 3 ENGL 432 Shakespeare II
• 3 ENGL 468 Contemporary Fiction
• 1 to 4 ENGL 490 Seminar
• 1 to 5 ENGL 492 Topics

Minor in Professional Writing - 18 semester hours

• 3 ENGL 283 Intro to Creative Writing
• 3 ENGL 304 Fundamentals of English Grammar
• 3 ENGL 379 Technical Communication
• 3 ENGL 401 Advanced Writing
• 3 CMST 455 Visual Culture

• 3 BADM 344 Managerial Communications
• 3 ENGL 426 History/Structures of English
• 3 ENGL 475 Creative Writing: Non-Fiction
• 3 ENGL 476 Creative Writing: Fiction
• 3 ENGL 478 Creative Writing: Poetry
• 3 ENGL 482 Creative Writing II
• 3 ENGL 483 Advanced Creative Writing
• 1 to 5 ENGL 491 Independent Study
• 3 LING 403 Introduction to Linguistics
• 3 MCOM 210 Basic Media Writing
• 3 MCOM 330 Writing for Digital Media
• 1 to 12 WRTG 494 Internship

2023-2024 Minor in English - 18 hours

Note: One Survey must be of I designation

Core Curriculum:

• 3 ENGL 211 World Lit I OR ENGL 212 World Lit II

• 3 ENGL 221 British Literature I OR ENGL 222 British Literature II

• 3 ENGL 241 American Lit I OR ENGL 242 American Lit II

• 3 ENGL 283 Introduction Creative Writing OR ENGL 401 Advanced Writing

• 3 ENGL 426 History & Structure of English

Take one of the following  courses (may not duplicate from above):

• 3 ENGL 211 World Lit I

• 3 ENGL 212 World Lit II

• 3 ENGL 214 Introduction to American Indian Literature

• 3 ENGL 221 British Literature I

• 3 ENGL 222 British Literature II

• 3 ENGL 241 American Lit I

• 3 ENGL 242 American Lit II

• 3 ENGL 244 American Indians in Film and Social Media

• 3 ENGL 248 Women in Literature 

• 3 ENGL 256 Literature of American West

• 3 ENGL 320 The Non-Western Novel

• 3 ENGL 406 Adolescent Literature

• 3 ENGL 411 Bible as Literature

• 3 ENGL 431 Shakespeare I

• 3 ENGL 432 Shakespear II

• 3 ENGL 468 Contemporary Fiction

• 1 to 4 ENGL 490 Seminar

• 1 to 5 ENGL 492 Topics

2023-2024 Minor in English - Teaching - 21 semester hours

Note: One Survey must be of I designation

• 3 ENGL 211 World Literature I OR ENGL 212 World Literature II
• 3 ENGL 221 British Literature I OR ENGL 222 British Literature II
• 3 ENGL 241 American Literature I OR ENGL 242 American Literature II
• 3 ENGL 304 Fundamentals of English Grammar
• 3 ENGL 412 Composition for the English Teacher
• 3 ENGL 426 History/Structures of English
• 3 SEED 424 7-12 Language Arts Methods

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - 19 semester hours

• 3 ENGL 304 - Fundamentals of English Grammar

• 3 ENGL 409 - Teaching English as a Second Language

• 3 ENGL 426 - History/Structures of English

• 3 LING 403 - Introduction to Linguistics

• 3 MFL 420 - K-12 Foreign Language Methods

Electives (choose one):

• 4 GER 101—Introductory German I

• 4 GER 102—Introductory German II

• 4 FREN 101—Introductory French I

• 4 FREN 102—Introductory French II

• 4 LAKL 101—Introductory Lakota I

• 4 LAKL 102—Introductory Lakota II

• 4 RUSS 101—Introductory Russian I

• 4 RUSS 101—Introductory Russian II

• 4SPAN 101—Introductory Spanish I

• 4 SPAN 102—Introductory Spanish II