English Major

The English major encompasses and offers students training in creativity, interpretation, and analysis across three main areas of study. You can complete the major 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 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.

    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.