B.A. in English

Description

Literature and literary studies are at the core of the humanities and at the center of debates concerning culture, politics, education, and language. The program of study in English not only enriches students' appreciation of literature and engages them in cultural debate but helps develop crucial skills in analytical thinking and clear, persuasive expression both in speech and in writing. An English degree is an ideal gateway for careers that emphasize communication and critical thinking including law, business, journalism, public service, and education.

Minimum Total Credit Hours: 124

General Education Requirements

See the 'General Education/Core Curriculum' for the School of Liberal Arts.

Course Requirements

A major in English for the B.A. degree consists of 30 hours beyond the 200-level literature courses (Engl 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226) required by the College of Liberal Arts. English majors must take Engl 299 (Literary Interpretation) as well as 27 upper-division hours, including at least 12 hours at the 300 level and at least 12 hours at the 400 or 500 level. Students must take one course in each of four historical periods as listed below. One of the 400-level courses must be a capstone seminar. See the department website's course descriptions to determine which 400-level courses satisfy the capstone requirement.

The following categories must be satisfied:

  Sem Hours          Category                        Courses

3        Literary Interpretation                Engl 299

3        Literature of the Medieval Period      Engl 354, 375, 405, 406,
                                                427, 431, 503, 504, 505

3        Literature of the Early Modern Period  Engl 340, 341, 376, 385,
                                                408, 414, 431, 439, 480,
                                                481, 482, 483, 505

3        Literature of the 18th and
         19th Centuries                         Engl 322, 362, 378, 380,
                                                435, 436, 440, 452, 454,
                                                455, 456, 457, 458, 463

3        Literature of the 20th and
         21st Centuries                         Engl 323, 324, 325, 351,
                                                352, 353, 361, 362, 368,
                                                371, 374, 408, 412, 420,
                                                425, 426, 437, 442, 450,
                                                451, 460, 461, 466, 467,
                                                468

15        English Electives                     300, 400 and 500-level
                                                Engl courses

No more than 12 hours of English department writing courses (Engl 302,
311, 312, 317, 320, 418, 419, 423, 424) will count toward the major. In
lieu of one or two courses during the senior year, a student may take
Engl 499 (Senior Thesis) for 3 or 6 credits with approval of the
director of undergraduate studies. Students may satisfy the capstone
seminar requirement by writing a senior thesis.

English majors may choose a creative writing emphasis by taking 12 hours
of creative writing classes. The creative writing emphasis consists of
Engl 302 (Introduction to Creative Writing) and three of the following
courses: Engl 311, 312, 317, 418, 419, 423, or 424.

Other Academic Requirements

The 6 hours of composition required by the College of Liberal Arts are prerequisites for all 200-level English courses. One 200-level English course is the prerequisite for English courses at the 300 level and above. Some creative writing courses have additional prerequisites.