Bachelor of Arts in English

For Readers and Editors

• Preparation for entry-level careers
• Preparation for MA and PhD graduate study

Your study for the BA in English will be an immersion in reading. You will journey through time in survey classes such as American Literature. In topics courses such as The American Short Story and Romantic and Victorian British Literature you will submerge yourself in the literature, but also the lives of influential writers. You will learn to understand movies as literature in courses such as American Film and Women in Film, and in Literary Criticism you will learn how "good writing" has changed over time. The course Linguistics will delve into the radical changes involved in the evolution of the English language.

In addition to intense attention to literature, you will select a concentration that will enhance your studies, either in additional courses in literature or writing; in related courses, including languages, history, philosophy and cultural studies; or in a minor of your choosing. A minor helps prepare you for work in related fields, such as mass communication, technical studies, art or the sciences.

After You Graduate

You BA in English prepares you for entry-level work that requires critical thinking and the skills of a writer or editor. The US Department of Labor Statistics predicts a ten to twenty percent increase in the opportunities for writers and editors over the next ten years. These positions are traditionally held by graduates with the BA in English. This degree also prepares you for graduate study in literature or writing.

Updated: Effective Fall 2012

BA in English Curriculum

I. Required Courses

ENGL 2350: American Literature, to 1865 (3 credits)
ENGL 2355: American Literature, 1865 to Present (3 credits)
ENGL 2357: British and World Drama (3 credits)
ENGL 2358: British and World Poetry (3 credits)
ENGL 2359: British and World Prose (3 credits)
ENGL 4420: Shakespeare and His Age (3 credits)
ENGL 4455: Seminar in Literary Criticism and Theory (3 credits)

Subtotal: 21 credits

II. Required Courses

Literature/Film Electives
Select 18 credits from the following courses; those courses with "Topics" in the title may be taken multiple times with different topic subtitles.
 

ENGL 3540: Literature for Young Adults (3 credits)
ENGL 3580: The English Language (3 credits)
ENGL 3600: Author Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3606: Culture Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3607: Film Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3608: Genre Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3609: Period Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4429: Shakespeare for Teachers (3 credits)
ENGL 4700: Advanced Author Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4706: Advanced Culture Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4707: Advanced Film Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4708: Advanced Genre Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4709: Advanced Period Topics (3 credits)
PHIL 2240: Aesthetics (3 credits)
PHIL 2310: Philosophy in Literature (3 credits)

Writing Electives

Select 3 credits from the following courses:

ENGL 3115: Writing Fiction I (3 credits)
ENGL 3125: Writing Poetry I (3 credits)
ENGL 3145: Writing Creative Nonfiction I (3 credits)
ENGL 3155: Professional Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 3177: Weblogs and Wikis (3 credits)
ENGL 3179: Elements of Electronic Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 3183: Topics in Writing or Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 4183: Advanced Topics in Writing or Rhetoric (3 credits)

Subtotal: 21 credits
Total Semester Credits Required for Major: 42 credits
A Total of 120 Semester Credits is Required for a Bachelor of Arts Degree