English Major

The English Major

The English major offers training in creativity, critical thinking, communication, and analysis. It is a flexible course of study designed to allow students to pursue their own areas of interest while preparing them for successful employment or for various graduate programs. The English major easily can be combined with other majors; you can complete it on campus or entirely online.

Literature, Culture, and Media

Literature, Culture, and Media studies the range of literature in English from its medieval origins to its global present while also training students in critical interpretation of texts, objects, film, and digital media. Students can focus in areas such as the African Diaspora, gender and sexuality, composition and studies in writing, postcolonial and global literatures, and critical theory.

Creative Writing

Creative Writing offers students the opportunity to practice a literary art form (fiction, poetry, and/or creative nonfiction) with the guidance of published writers. Students work to develop technical skills specific to each genre and enter into aesthetic conversations with the literary community. 

Language and Linguistics

Language and Linguistics provides a new perspective on something we normally take for granted: language. Courses in this area investigate the English language by considering its contemporary structure and historical development as well as the broader principles that shape English and all languages.

English Major Requirements 

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Major Requirements (Fall 2024 - present)

Requirements: 

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours in English, a maximum of 54 hours counted towards graduation
  • At least 15 hours in the major must be 3000+, of which at least 6 hours must be at the 4000+ level (honors take an additional 3 hours to complete thesis, ENGLSH 4996)
  • At least one concentration

Note: ENGLSH 1000 and 1010W do not count towards the major.

Please consult with your academic advisor when completing your graduation plan.

Outline of major:

I. Core requirements (15 or 18 credits)                    

  1. Writing about Literature (1 three-credit course)        
    1. English 2100               
  2. Historical distribution (4 three-credit courses at 3000+ level; one can be fulfilled by a regular capstone-eligible course)
    1. Pre-1700 literature                                         
      1.  e.g., 3200 and 4000 levels ending in -6 or -7 
    2. Pre-1900 literature                                          
      1. e.g., pre-1700 courses plus 3210, 3300, 3400, 4000 levels ending in -8
    3. Pre-1900 literature                                          
      1. same as previous
    4. 1900 to the present                                        
      1. e.g., 3310, 3410, 4140, 4000 level ending in -9

  1. Diversity Intensive (1 three-credit course)                 
    1. Any English course marked DI; this requirement can be combined/fulfilled with a course that counts towards the historical distribution

II. Concentration (9 total credits)

The concentration consists of any 3 three-credit courses in one area of English studies, at least one of which must be 4000+ level. Students may earn multiple concentrations or take remaining credits as electives. The concentration may be fulfilled with courses from the historical distribution. See the more detailed descriptions in the attached document.

  1. Literature
  2. Creative Writing
  3. Rhetoric, Writing, and Media
  4. Language and Linguistics
  5. Design your own (e.g., Gender and Sexuality, the English Novel, Renaissance literature, Social Justice, etc. Requires approval of Academic Advisor or Director of Undergraduate Studies.)

III. Capstone (3 credits)

All majors must complete the capstone either by taking a 4000-level course designated as “Capstone-eligible” and successfully completing the accompanying zero-credit 4970W capstone project or by qualifying for and taking the Honors Seminar (ENGLSH 4995W). 

Note: The regular 4000-level Capstone-eligible course can also be used to fulfill the historical distribution requirement.

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Major Requirements (Prior to Fall 2024)
  • English majors must take at least 30 credit hours in English, satisfying requirements listed on the graduation plan. At least 24 hours must be at the 3000-level or above. At least 9 hours must be at the 4000-level.
  • No more than 54 hours of English courses may be counted toward graduation. The required hours of English composition (ENGL 1000) are excluded from this maximum. We recommend taking these hours before enrolling in any literature courses numbered 2000 or above.
  • A single course may count for 1, 2, or 3 of the three categories of Breadth of Study, Depth of Study, and Historical Coverage. A single course may not count more than once in a single category.
  • English majors take 3 courses in a chosen Depth of Study. See Depth of Study Areas to explore the options.
  • Consult the catalog for more information.

Capstone  

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Capstone Requirements

As of Spring 2024, the Capstone is not an independent course. It is a project called “The Story of My Major” undertaken within a designated 4000-level English course (these are marked “Capstone-Eligible”) of the student’s choosing that earns Writing Intensive (WI) credit. 

See the “Courses” page the find “Capstone-Eligible” 4000-level courses for a given semester. You must meet with the English Dept. Academic Advisor, Mary Moore, for a permission number to enroll in the capstone component of a course.

Your final project must be 12-15 pg. double spaced (3000-3750 words) and will undergo three formal revisions (submitted for peer review in Weeks 4, 7, and 11).

See the attached documents, The Story of My Major Capstone Guidelines and Peer Review Guidelines, for more details.

Schedule Outline for the Semester:

  • Week 1: Inform your instructor you are a capstone student, agree upon a final due date
  • Week 3: Submit Draft One (5 pg., double spaced) to your capstone peers
  • Week 4: Peer Review Session #1 (copy of peer reviews, 350-500 words each, to peers and instructor)
  • Week 5: meet with course instructor to discuss topic, approach, and possible organization 
  • Week 6: Submit Draft Two (8-10 pg., double spaced) to your capstone peers
  • Week 7: Peer Review Session #2 (copy of peer reviews, 350-500 words each, to peers and instructor)
  • Week 8: meet with course instructor to discuss organization and structure
  • Week 10: submit Draft Three (12-15 pg., double spaced) to your capstone peers
  • Week 11: Peer Review Session #3 (copy of peer reviews, 350-500 words each, to peers and instructor)
  • Week 12: submit revised draft (12-15 pg., double spaced) to course instructor
  • Week 13: meet with course instructor to discuss and finalize project

Submit your final project (12-15 pg., double spaced) to your instructor on the agreed-upon date.

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Honors Thesis

To earn departmental honors, you must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better.

You also need to complete a two-course sequence: 1) English 4996W: “Honors Seminar in English” and 2) English 4995: “Senior Honors Thesis.” 4996W always runs in the Fall. A seminar-style course, it provides you with the skills you’ll need to complete your honors thesis successfully while also engaging you in a sustained reflection on the value of being an English major. This course is WI (Writing Intensive) and fulfills the Capstone requirement for graduation.  4995 is the course number for the honors thesis (students take 4995 the following spring, though exceptions are occasionally made to this rule). For 4995, you will work closely with a faculty advisor to produce a thesis of roughly 25-40 pages. 4996W and 4995 may not be taken simultaneously or in reverse order (despite the numbers being out of sequence). Only students who complete 4996W and 4995 are eligible to graduate with departmental honors.

Honors Theses may be creative or critical (or both) in category. If you wish to pursue a creative thesis, you should have completed the three-course sequence in your chosen genre (fiction, non-fiction, or poetry) prior to taking 4996W (note: exceptions are made to this rule on a case-by-case basis). The creative thesis has two parts: 1) a substantive body of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction and 2) a critical essay that reflects on your creative work’s themes, ambitions, contexts, and influences. 

Learn more about the honors thesis here.