Program Overview
English: Literature
The concentration in English Literature is the traditional English major concentration and is recommended for English majors seeking to explore and experience as much variety of literature as is possible. Students following this path devote a portion of their studies (12 credits) to experiencing literature ranging from the epics of Ancient Greece and Rome up to poetry and story of today, and including everything in between.
English Literature Overview
The English major concentration in literature attunes students to the power and mystery of the written word; develops students' skills of critical thinking, interpretation, and self-expression; and teaches students to communicate effectively, responsibly, and creatively in a multicultural and multimodal world. This preparation has the potential to translate to success in a wide variety of careers, and to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
Career Opportunities
Representative career opportunities include:
- Law
- Medicine
- Arts and entertainment
- Public relations
- Public information
- Writing
- Editing
- Publishing
- Sales
- Marketing
- Advertising
- Management and personnel relations
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- TV
- Radio
- Federal, state, or local government
- Teaching
- Administration
Program Details and Curriculum
Curriculum Overview
- General Liberal Arts and Sciences: 60 credits
- Major Concentration—English: 36 credits
- Open Electives: 24 credits Total: 120 credits
Requirements
Students of English of any concentration must complete:
- ENGL 195 - Intro to English Studies
- ENGL 400 - Seminar in Literary Research & Writing
Concentration Requirements
Students who choose the major concentration in English Literature must complete:
- Two core courses (6 credits):
- ENGL 195 - Intro to English Studies
- ENGL 400 - Seminar in Literary Research
- One course (3 credits) from the category: Building Foundations: Literary Surveys
- ENGL 205 - Survey English Lit I
- ENGL 206 - Survey English Lit II
- ENGL 207 - American Lit Survey I
- ENGL 208 - Amer Lit Sur II 1865-Present
- Four courses (12 credits) to meet the concentration requirement, with at least two from the group: Expanding Foundations: Literary Histories
- ENGL 225 - Classical Literature
- ENGL 275 - Modern American Fiction
- ENGL 276 - Contemporary American Lit
- ENGL 300 - Medieval Literature
- ENGL 305 - Chaucer
- ENGL 310 - Renaissance Poetry & Prose
- ENGL 315 - Shakespeare
- ENGL 316 - Shakespeare's Tragedies
- ENGL 318 - Explorers and Exiles in Paris
- ENGL 325 - The 17th Century: Poetry/Prose
- ENGL 330 - The Eighteenth Century
- ENGL 335 - The Major English Romantics
- ENGL 340 - The Major Victorians
- ENGL 353 - African-American Literature
- ENGL 365 - American Romanticism
- ENGL 370 - American Realism
- ENGL 385 - Masterpieces of European Lit
- One course (3 credits) from the group: Gaining Perspective: Culture, Identity, & Difference
- ENGL 214 - Cyberpunk/Technoculture
- ENGL 224 - LGTBQ+ Experiences & Lit
- ENGL 234 - Literature by Women
- ENGL 236 - Hip Hop Literature & Culture
- ENGL 239 - American Studies I
- ENGL 257 - Latin American Literature
- ENGL 267 - Caribbean Literature
- ENGL 268 - Harlem Renaissance
- ENGL 269 - Hispanic Latino Lit
- One course (3 credits) from the group: Developing Your Voice: Writing, Rhetoric, & Style
- ENGL 209 - Writing for the Professions
- ENGL 210 - Cultural Rhetorics
- ENGL 217 - Creative Writing : Fiction
- ENGL 218 - Creative Writing: Poetry
- ENGL 219 - Creative Writing: Nonfiction
- ENGL 265 - Introduction to Playwriting
- ENGL 304 - Mod Engl Writing with Style
- ENGL 306 - Secret Life Words & Sentences
- ENGL 319 - Advanced Creative Writing
Foreign Language Requirement
English majors must complete 6 credits of a foreign language. The 6 credits do not have to be in the same language, but it is recommended that they be. 3 of these credits will come from the student's Gen Ed Language & Cultural Perspectives disciplinary group requirement; the other 3 will be drawn from either the student's Gen Ed Liberal Arts Electives or from Open Electives.
Notes
- ENGL 195 should be taken as soon as possible, preferably in the semester immediately following completion of ENGL 112 or ENGL/HONR 192. Transfer students should ideally take ENGL 195 in the first semester upon transferring in.
- ENGL 400 is the capstone course, meaning the final course in the English major. It should be taken in the final semester of the program, or at least in the penultimate semester if a student foresees scheduling conflicts for the final semester.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Produce writing in a variety of rhetorical modes using appropriate grammatical and stylistic conventions
- Read literary texts closely and analytically
- Employ logic, creativity, originality, and interpretive skills in oral, written, and/or online discussions
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of English literary genres and traditions as well as the devices, concepts, and contexts associated with them
- Conduct academic research by evaluating sources and utilizing correct citation methods
Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
- Sean R Dugan, Professor, English
- Miriam Gogol, Professor, English
- Isabel M Grayson, Assistant Professor, English
- Kristen Keckler, Associate Professor, English, Chair, Literature and Language
- David L Kilpatrick, Professor, English
- Christopher P Loots, Associate Professor, Program Director, English
- Laura Proszak, Assistant Professor, English
- Allyson Richmond, Assistant Professor, English
- Rachel Roy, Assistant Professor, English
Part-Time Faculty
- Anne Gilligan, Associate Vice President, Admissions | Senior Instructor, English
- Katherine Arnoldi, Senior Lecturer, English
- Andrew Baker, Director, Academic Partnerships, Office of the Provost | Instructor, English
- Kristy Renee Barraza, Instructor, English
Faculty Emeritae/i
- Frances M Biscoglio, Professor Emerita, English
- Miriam Dick, Assistant Professor Emerita, English
- Joel Feimer, Professor Emeritus, English
- Betty Krasne, Professor Emerita, English