The English Major
The B.A. in English consists of a core set of courses and requirements that students tailor to their professional goals and interests via the selection of an area of concentration. We currently offer three areas of concentration to students:
Every English major must fulfill the core degree requirements. The concentrations allow for purposeful choice and professionalization options that build on the core skills of the major across the rest of the coursework.
The Core English B.A. Requirements
The following credit hour requirements must be met (see Degree Completion Program Policy for additional information).
State minimum core requirements may vary by individual, based on placement and previous course credit earned. Once all core requirements are met, students may substitute with general electives in consultation with their academic adviser. Bolded courses from the course list below may be applied to portions of the State Minimum Core requirements.
-
Core Requirements for the English Major: State minimum core 35 Completion of a World language at the Intermediate II level or higher This is usually accomplished through the completion of 12 credit hours world language courses: 10103, Elementary I, 10203 Elementary II, 20103 Intermediate I, and 20203 Intermediate II. Prerequisite may vary by language and previous student experience. Functionally, for most students this means that you will take a total of 12 hours of foreign language credit to earn your degree, but this chart per university norms only shows 3hrs for the final course you take.
3 ENGL 11103 World Literature: Beginnings to 1650 CE (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2113) 3 ENGL 11203 World Literature: 1650CE to Present (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2123) 3 or any 3000-level or higher literature course taught in the Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures including:Modern Arabic Literature Introduction to Literature Introduction to Literature Greek Lyric Poetry Greek Epic Poetry Herodotus or Thucydides Greek Drama Hellenistic Poetry Ancient Greek Novel Biblical and Patristic Greek Introduction to Literature Italian Fairy Tales in Literature, Visual Arts, and Cinema Dante: A Journey Between Visions and Words Virgil and Ovid Survey of Russian Literature from Its Beginning to the 1917 Revolution Survey of Russian Literature Since the 1917 Revolution Introduction to Literature ENGL 12103 Introduction to Literature 3 Literature Surveys 12 Survey of American Lit from 1700 to 1945 (ACTS Equiv=ENGL 2653) Survey of English-Language Literature from 1945 to the Present (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2663) Survey of British Literature from the Beginnings through the 17th Century (ACTS = ENGL 2673) Survey of British Literature from 1700 to 1945 (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2683) Diversity Requirement — choose one course from the following: 3 Topics in U.S. Latino/Latina Literature and Culture Topics in Native American Literature and Culture Gender & Sexuality in Arab American Literature Special Topics in Diversity Topics in Arab American Literature and Culture Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Literature Topics in African-American Literature and Culture Studies in U.S. Latino/Latina Literature and Culture Studies in Native American Literature and Culture Studies in Arab American Literature and Culture Studies in Gender, Sexuality, and Literature Studies in African American Literature and Culture Pre-1800 Requirement: Take 6 credit hours of English (ENGL) courses covering period of study before the year 1800. Chosen from below: 6 Introduction to Chaucer The Quran as Literature The Bible as Literature Literature of Spain Topics in Medieval Literature and Culture or ENGL 371H3Honors Topics in Medieval Literature and Culture Topics in Renaissance Literature and Culture or ENGL 372H3Honors Topics in Renaissance Literature and Culture Topics in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture Introduction to Shakespeare Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture Studies in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature Post-1800 Requirement: Take 6 credit hours of English (ENGL) courses covering the period of study after the year 1800. Chosen from below: 6 The Latinx Image in Media African Americans in Film Topics in U.S. Latino/Latina Literature and Culture Topics in Native American Literature and Culture Gender & Sexuality in Arab American Literature Topics in Arab American Literature and Culture Topics in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Culture Topics in Modern and Contemporary British Literature and Culture Topics in Modern and Contemporary American Literature and Culture Survey of Russian Literature Since the 1917 Revolution American Film Survey Studies in U.S. Latino/Latina Literature and Culture Studies in Native American Literature and Culture Studies in Major Literary Movements Studies in Arab American Literature and Culture Studies in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and Culture Studies in Modern and Contemporary British Literature and Culture Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature and Culture Concentration hours 21 Any credit hours numbered at the 30000-level or higher, or any 20000-level credit hours that have a course prerequisite (hours vary by concentration choice) 4-10 General Electives 15-21 Total Hours 120 The Concentration in Creative Writing
The creative writing concentration offers students a comprehensive course of study in the theory, craft, and practice of creative writing, with an emphasis on fiction and poetry. The curriculum is comprised of introductory and advanced-level courses in the craft of writing, small workshops in which writers develop their creative and critical skills, and a rigorous study of modern and contemporary literature. -
Requirements for the Concentration in Creative Writing: ENGL 20103 Creative Writing I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2013) 3 ENGL 30103 Creative Writing II 3 ENGL 32003 Poetry 3 ENGL 32103 Fiction 3 ENGL 40103 Undergraduate Poetry Workshop 3 or ENGL 40203 Undergraduate Fiction Workshop ENGL 43003 Introduction to Shakespeare 1 3 Any ENGL course numbered 30000-level or higher. 2 3 Total Hours 21
1This may overlap and count as one of the student’s pre-1800 course requirements in the core.2Students are encouraged to take both Undergraduate Poetry Workshop and Undergraduate Fiction Workshop, or to retake these workshops with a different faculty member, for this requirement.
The Concentration in Literature and Cultural Studies
- The Literature and Cultural Studies concentration provides students with the opportunity to explore a wide variety of literature, from the earliest texts in English to contemporary multimedia forms, and everything in between. In addition to developing their writing, critical thinking skills, and intercultural competencies, students will gain expertise in a variety of analytical approaches to literature, culture, and multimedia works.
Requirements for the Literature and Cultural Studies concentration: ENGL 31003 Approaches to Critical Thinking About Literature and Culture 3 Take 18 credit hours of English (ENGL) courses numbered 30000 level or higher. 18 Additionally, Up to 6 credit hours of courses numbered 30000 level or higher can also be from any combination of the following: Any courses with the following course prefix: ARSC, CLST, COMM, DANC, HIST, HUMN, IDST, PHIL, THTRAny courses from the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (This includes: ARAB, CHIN, CLST, CHRK, FREN, GERM, GREK, ITAL, JAPN, LATN, PORT, RUSS, SPAN, or WLLC)Any courses from the Department of Music (This includes: MUAC, MAUP, MUSY, MUED, MUEN, MUHS, MUIN, MUPD, MUTH, and MUSC)Any courses from the School of Art (This includes: ARED, ARHS, ARTS, and GDES)Any courses chosen from the approved catalog of studies in the African and African-American Studies major, Asian Studies major, Gender Studies minor, Indigenous studies minor, Jewish Studies minor, Latin American and Latino Studies major, Middle East Studies major, Medical Humanities Minor, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Minor, or Southern Studies Minor.Approval of other courses outside these lists requires departmental consentTotal Hours 21 The Concentration in Rhetoric and Writing Studies
The Rhetoric and Writing Studies concentration equips students with an advanced understanding of the ways that writing and rhetoric function in culture and the workplace. Students examine the roles of language, writing, and communication in different social and professional settings. In addition to receiving practical instruction in effective writing, students also develop analytic tools for understanding language as social action.
Select four courses from the list below: 12 Essay Writing Technical and Professional Writing (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2023) Topics in Rhetoric and Composition 1 Style and Grammar for Professional Writers Studies in Rhetoric and Composition 1 9 hours of general electives. Students should consult with a faculty mentor when choosing general electives in order to select courses (or a supplementary minor or degree) that best support their professional goals and concentration focus. 9 Total Hours 21
1May be retaken for up to 9 credit hours total. -