Major in English

Bachelor of Arts
The English program offers courses in the study of literature, in the production of various kinds of writing, and in the analysis of language. Students who choose to major in English will take courses in all three areas, but they will also choose a concentration in either literature or in writing and language. In this way, the major will encompass both breadth and depth.

Students who elect the literature concentration will pay special attention to the form and language of literary works in several genres; they will study the relationships among works written during several of the major periods of English and American literature; and they will explore the ways in which works of literature are related to other cultural products with which they share these periods.

Students who elect the writing and language concentration will study the structure, history, and functions of the English language. Depending upon their needs and interests, they also will learn about, and gain proficiency in, several of the major forms of writing practiced both in and outside of the university curriculum.

Successful completion of the English major, whichever concentration is elected, will require large quantities of reading and writing; both of these activities will in turn require close, critical thinking and reasoned assessment. The knowledge acquired and the skills developed through these activities will equip students for a variety of career paths: teaching, law, journalism, technical writing - indeed, any profession whose pursuit involves written communication and the careful reading of what others have written. More important, this knowledge and these skills will provide resources for a lifetime of reflection and productive participation in a diverse, dynamic, continually evolving culture.

Required Courses: Choose one from each category.
1. A genre course:
ENG220 The Novel
ENG222 Drama
ENG224 Poetry

2. An American or British literature period course:
ENG230 American Literature: The Twentieth Century
ENG332 American Literature: The Nineteenth Century
ENG340 British Literature: Beowulf to Spenser
ENG342 British Literature: Spenser to Milton
ENG344 British Literature: Milton to Wordsworth
ENG346 British Literature: Wordsworth to Yeats

3. A writing course:
ENG/COM114 Journalism
ENG/COM204 Technical and Professional Writing
ENG206 Creative Writing
ENG302 Advanced Academic Writing

4. A language course:
ENG210 Linguistics
ENG312 Semantics
ENG314 Theories of Grammar
ENG416 History of the English Language

5. A capstone course:
ENG499 Seminar in English

LITERATURE EMPHASIS:
2 additional period courses
ENG350 Shakespeare
ENG420 Comparative Literature

WRITING AND LANGUAGE EMPHASIS:
2 additional writing courses
2 additional language courses

Selected Courses: Choose 9 semester hours from any other English Program offerings excluding ENG101, ENG102, ENG218.

NOTE: Certification for teaching English at the secondary level requires completion of major, EDU382, and the prescribed professional education courses offered by the School of Education. Students seeking certification, regardless of concentration, must complete the following:

ENG210 Linguistics
ENG302 Advanced Academic Writing
ENG314 Theories of Grammar
EDU382 Methods for Teaching Secondary English
At least one period course in both English and American literature.