Schools · Programs · Policies · Courses · Index · Other Catalogs · AU Home
Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006: Programs

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, thereby encompassing both breadth and depth. The latitude offered in the distribution of the required credit hours will enable the student to place the desired emphasis upon any of the three areas within the major. Students are required to complete 36 credit hours in English coursework.

In literature courses, students will pay special attention to the form and language of literary works in several genres; they will study the relationships among works written during 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.

In writing and language courses, students 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 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 four-credit course from each category.

1. A genre course.

ENG2200 The Novel (2 or 4)
ENG/THE2220 Drama (2 or 4)
ENG2240 Poetry (2 or 4)

2. An American or British literature period course.

ENG3320 American Literature: Puritanism-1865 (4)
ENG3350 American Literature: 1865-Present (4)
ENG3400 British Literature: Anglo-Saxons to The Renaissance (4)
ENG3420 British Literature: Renaissance to the Romantics (4)
ENG3440 British Literature: Romantics to the Present (4)

3. A writing course.

ENG/COM2040 Technical and Professional Writing (4)
ENG2060 Creative Writing (4)
ENG3020 Advanced Academic Writing (4)

4. A language course.

ENG2100 Linguistics (4)
ENG3550 Language, Literacy, and Cognition (4)
ENG3810 Selected Topics in Language (2 or 4)

5. A course in literature from outside the Anglo-American canon.

ENG3200 Comparative Literature (4)
ENG3500 Contemporary World Literature (4)
ENG3520 Racial and Ethnic Themes in Literature (4)

6. A capstone course.

ENG4990 Seminar in English

Selected courses: To complete the 36 semester hours in the major, students will take in addition to the distribution above, 12 hours of coursework from any other English program offerings excluding ENG1000, ENG1010, ENG1020, and ENG/EDU2180.

Certification for teaching English at the secondary level requires completion of the English major, the prescribed professional education sequence offered by the College of Education (see p. xxx), and the appropriate range of general education coursework (see p. xxx). Students seeking teacher certification in English/Secondary Education must complete the following courses (all of which will count toward the 36 semester hours required for the major):

ENG1060 Introduction to Literary Study (4)
ENG2100 Linguistics (4)
ENG3200 Advanced Academic Writing (4)
ENG3550 Language, Literacy, and Cognition (4)
EDU3820 Methods for Teaching Secondary English (4)
At least one course in both English and American literature.

Posted 31 December 2003
Schools · Programs · Policies · Courses · Index · Other Catalogs · AU Home