Undergraduate Program
Majors: Concentration Requirements
English majors are expected to work with
their advisers to design a coherent but
wide-ranging course of study. We encourage
all students majoring in English to explore
the full historical range of offerings; to
investigate the spectrum of textual
differences to be found in the study of
Anglophone literatures, film, and oral
traditions; and to include exposure to
recent approaches in English studies, such
as women's studies, literary theory,
historical materialism, and cultural
studies. With the help of their advisers,
English majors should seek to create
programs of study that expand their
knowledge and challenge their
preconceptions.
English majors work out a sequence of
courses in consultation with their advisers.
Students should take survey courses early in
their academic career in order to establish
the necessary foundation for more advanced classes.
Students must take at least ten courses (above English 1, 2, 3,
and 4) listed or cross-listed in the department as follows:
- One survey course
- Two non-survey courses in American, British, or other Anglophone
literature written before 1860, including at least one course in
British literature. No more than one course used to fulfill this part
of the requirement may be on Shakespeare.
- Two non-survey courses in American, British, or Anglophone
literature written after 1860.
- Five remaining courses of the student's choice from the
department's listings. One semester of a Senior Honors Thesis
may count as one of these courses, with the other semester
counting as an eleventh course for the major.
Please note the following guidelines when
applying creative writing courses towards
the major:
- English majors may count up to five creative writing courses
towards the major's required ten courses.
- Creative Writing courses are defined as courses numbered
English 0005-0016. Fulfillment of the College Writing
Requirement is a prerequisite for ENG 0005-0016.
- A maximum of two Creative Writing courses at the
introductory level in each of the areas offered (fiction,
poetry, and journalism) may be applied towards the English
major.
- "Writing Fiction: Intermediate" may be applied a maximum of
two times.
- "Nonfiction Writing," "Intermediate Journalism," and "New
Forms of Screen Narrative" may each count only once.
- "Writing Fiction: Advanced" may be applied a maximum of
three times.
- There is no limit on the number of times "Forms of Poetry"
may be applied.
- Any creative writing course (except for "Nonfiction
Writing," "Intermediate Journalism," and "New Forms of Screen
Narrative") may be repeated for credit and applied towards the
major within the above parameters
The following parameters also apply to the major in English:
- Students must receive a grade of C- or higher in any course that they wish
to count towards the fulfillment of English major requirements
- Only courses offered by the English Department or cross-listed with an
English Department registration number can count for the English major.
ExCollege courses may not be counted towards the major
- No more than four transfer courses may be applied towards the major.
These must be taken in an English department.
- The English Major
Concentration Check Sheet must be submitted with the degree sheet.
|