English Department: Undergraduates

Undergraduate Program

English Language and Literature Major

This program is designed to give you broad experience in American, British, and World literatures. It will help you develop a variety of reading strategies, including historical, biographical, and cultural approaches, and it will give you practical grounding in writing, analytical, and research skills that can be adapted to many careers. In your courses, you will hone your critical thinking abilities by pursuing problems of interpretation and the analysis of the interplay between history, culture, and text. Small class sizes allow you to participate fully and receive thorough feedback on your written work. The study of literature not only trains you in reading and communication, it also introduces you to new pleasures of reading and appreciation for the rich possibilities of the written word. Program  requirements.

English Major: Writing Specialization

The specialization combines a liberal arts background in literature with specialized writing courses in creative writing (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting), business writing, professional writing, scientific and technical writing, editing, and publishing. Students in this major are expected to complete ENG 301 and ENG 303 prior to enrolling in upper-division major requirements. Program requirements.

English/Language Arts/Teaching Major

This major satisfies the endorsement for English/Language Arts. Students in this program must complete the Professional Education Program requirements for secondary certification available through the Department of Education. Program requirements.

Minors in English Literature, English Teaching, and Creative Writing

In addition to the major programs, the English Department offers three minor programs. The English Language and Literature Minor is the smaller cousin to the English Language and Literature Major, being similar in breadth and flexibility. Offering focused experience in writing and interpreting, this minor is a good complement to any other which requires language awareness. The English/Language Arts Teaching Minor combines course work in literature and language with a course in methods of teaching. Note: The teaching minor does not lead to a full teaching endorsement but to a pre-endorsement. See the English Education Coordinator for further information. The Creative Writing Minor is designed for students who wish to improve their writing skills in fiction, poetry, or non-fiction. It is also intended to help teachers who will have creative writing responsibilities in their class assignments.

Departmental Honors

The honors program in English recognizes the superior scholarship of qualified majors. To qualify for the program, you must have completed 25 credits in your major program, have a minimum GPA of 3.4 overall and 3.7 in English, and be recommended by three faculty members, including two from the English Department. In addition to their regular course of study, qualified students complete an Individual Study course culminating in an honors paper. A student whose honors paper is accepted will graduate with departmental honors in English.

The chair of the department, as director of the program, will appoint an honors advisor and two readers to approve and direct your studies. Under the direction of your advisor, you will enroll for ENG 496: Independent Study, in which you will design and complete an independent project in addition to completing your other major requirements. Prior to your last quarter in residence you will complete a study culminating in the writing of an honors paper, an essay treating a subject appropriate for undergraduate English study and reflecting an awareness of the humanistic emphasis of the discipline. When your committee and program director accept the honors paper, you will graduate with departmental honors in English.