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Bachelors

English, BA

University of Wisconsin
Madison , United States
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Duration
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Details
Program Details
Degree
Bachelors
Timing
Full time
Course Language
English
About Program

Program Overview

English, BA

The English major teaches students to appreciate and use the English language and literature effectively for critical thinking, effective communication, citizenship, and career success. Students in the major build strong writing skills and engage in high-level critical and analytical thinking. They encounter enriching, enduring, experimental, and complex works of literature. And they grapple with perspectives far distant from their own, examining their deepest values. Instructors introduce students to a wide range of genres and cultural perspectives, and pay close attention to all aspects of student thinking and writing, from logic and evidence to originality and style. Fostering communication skills, stimulating creativity, developing cultural sensitivity, and sharpening analytical abilities, the English major prepares students for a broad range of careers.


Teaching Major

Those who wish to prepare for teaching careers at the secondary level should complete the undergraduate English major and then apply for a teaching certificate or graduate education program. For further information, students should consult with the undergraduate advisor in English or the graduate advisor in curriculum and instruction.


Admission Requirements

  • No application required.
  • All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare.
  • Courses required to get in: None
  • GPA requirements to get in: None
  • Credits required to get in: None
  • Other: None

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.


  • BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
  • BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
  • BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
  • Communication Part A & Part B
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.


Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

  • Mathematics: Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework.
  • Language:
    • Complete the fourth unit of a language other than English; OR
    • Complete the third unit of a language and the second unit of an additional language other than English.
  • L&S Breadth:
    • 12 credits of Humanities, which must include 6 credits of literature; and
    • 12 credits of Social Science; and
    • 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include one 3+ credit Biological Science course and one 3+ credit Physical Science course.
  • Liberal Arts and Science Coursework: Complete at least 108 credits.
  • Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work: Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level.
  • Major: Declare and complete at least one major.
  • Total Credits: Complete at least 120 credits.
  • UW-Madison Experience:
    • 30 credits in residence, overall; and
    • 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
  • Quality of Work:
    • 2.000 in all coursework at UWMadison
    • 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UWMadison

Requirements for the Major

30 credits in intermediate- and advanced-level ENGL courses numbered 204 and higher, excluding ENGL 207 and ENGL 236.


English (Literature)

  • Survey of Literature:
    • ENGL 241: Literature and Culture I: to the 18th Century (3 credits)
    • ENGL 242: Literature and Culture II: from the 18th Century to the Present (3 credits)
  • American Literature (1 course): 3 credits
    • ENGL/LITTRANS 223: Vladimir Nabokov: Russian and American Writings
    • ENGL 243: American Literary Cultures
    • ENGL/GEN&WS 248: Women in Ethnic American Literature
    • ENGL/ASIAN AM 270: A Survey of Asian American Literature
    • ENGL 361: Modern and Contemporary American Literature
    • ENGL/CHICLA 368: Chicana/o and Latina/o Literatures
    • ENGL 374: African and African Diaspora Literature and Culture
    • ENGL 455: A Study of an Outstanding Figure or Figures in American Literature
    • ENGL 456: Topic in Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture
    • ENGL 457: Topic in American Literature and Culture since 1900
    • ENGL 458: Major American Writer or Writers
    • ENGL 459: Three American Novelists
    • ENGL 461: Topics in Ethnic and Multicultural Literature
    • ENGL/ASIAN AM/GEN&WS 463: Race and Sexuality in American Literature
    • ENGL/ASIAN AM/GEN&WS 464: Asian American Women Writers
    • ENGL/ASIAN AM 465: Asian American Poetry
    • ENGL 474: Topic in Contemporary Literature
    • ENGL/JEWISH 539: Jewish Literatures in Diaspora
    • ENGL/AFROAMER 672: Selected Topics in Afro-American Literature
  • Pre-1800 course (two courses): 6 credits
    • You may take only one Shakespeare course:
      • ENGL 220: Shakespearean Drama
      • ENGL 431: Early Works of Shakespeare
      • ENGL 432: Later Works of Shakespeare
    • You must take at least one course that is not Shakespeare:
      • ENGL 328: The Sixteenth Century
      • ENGL 334: Eighteenth Century Literature and Culture
      • ENGL 335: Stage and Page in the Long Eighteenth Century
      • ENGL 336: Eighteenth-Century Novel
      • ENGL/HISTORY/RELIG ST 360: Early Medieval England
      • ENGL 422: Outstanding Figure(s) in Literature before 1800
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 423: Topic in Medieval Literature and Culture
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 424: Medieval Drama
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 425: Medieval Romance
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 426: Chaucers Courtly Poetry
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 427: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
      • ENGL 430: Topic in Early Modern Literature and Culture
      • ENGL 433: Spenser
      • ENGL/RELIG ST 434: Milton
      • ENGL 438: Topic in Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 520: Old English
      • ENGL/MEDIEVAL 521: Advanced Old English Literature
      • ENGL 543: Discourses of Disability, Antiquity to 1800
      • ENGL 546: Topic in Travel Writing before 1800
  • Seminar:
    • ENGL 245: Seminar in the Major (3 credits)
  • Language or Composition & Rhetoric (1 course): 3 credits
    • ENGL 204: Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies
    • ENGL 214: The English Language
    • ENGL 304: History and Theory of Rhetoric and Writing Studies
    • ENGL 400: Advanced Composition
    • ENGL/GEN&WS 401: Race, Sex, and Texts (How to do things with writing)
    • ENGL 403: Seminar on Tutoring Writing Across the Curriculum
    • ENGL 505: Topics in Composition and Rhetoric
  • Electives: 9 credits
    • Any ENGL course at the Intermediate or Advanced level, excluding ENGL 207 and ENGL 236

Named Options

Students may complete a named option, instead of the traditional English major. These are formally printed on the transcript.


  • English: Emphasis on Creative Writing
  • English: English Language and Linguistics

Residence and Quality of Work

  • 2.000 GPA in all ENGL courses and all major courses
  • 2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major, taken in residence
  • 15 credits in ENGL, taken on the UWMadison campus

Honors in the Major

Students may declare Honors in the English major with permission of the major advisor. All English majors, including those declared in either named option, are eligible to complete Honors in the major.


Honors in the English Major Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major in English, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major and the following additional requirements:


  • Earn a 3.300 University GPA
  • Earn a 3.500 GPA in all ENGL courses and all major courses
  • Complete 12 credits, taken for Honors, with a grade of B or better to include:
    • ENGL 245 and
    • Either:
      • a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in ENGL 681 and ENGL 682 for a total of 6 credits, or
      • a senior Honors project that includes ENGL 680 and one other 3-credit I/A ENGL course taken for Honors OR
      • ENGL 695 and one other ENGL Creative Writing Workshop taken for Honors

University Degree Requirements

  • Total Degree: To receive a bachelor's degree from UWMadison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
  • Residency: Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UWMadison. "In residence" means on the UWMadison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. In residence credit also includes UWMadison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UWMadison Study Abroad/Study Away programs.
  • Quality of Work: Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation.

Learning Outcomes

  1. (History of literature and language) To demonstrate knowledge of major forms, techniques, social conditions, values, and genres that have shaped the history of English literature and language.
  2. (Critical thinking) To be able to discern and integrate divergent and contradictory perspectives, identify and question assumptions, and assess evidence and methods.
  3. (Creativity) To generate original ideas and texts, experimenting and taking risks, solving problems, and answering questions in a range of genres and media.
  4. (Critical writing) To write original, coherent, and compelling arguments that push beyond summary to analysis and independent and critical thinking in clear prose that meets expectations for grammatical correctness.
  5. (Citizenship) To develop empathy by learning about the experiences of others, and to gain an understanding of how we participate in communities (including the classroom) and the public sphere.

Four-Year Plan

This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.


First Year

  • Fall:
    • Communication A (complete during your first year) (3 credits)
    • Quantitative Reasoning A (complete during your first year) (3 credits)
    • Foreign Language (4 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (4 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • Ethnic Studies (3 credits)
    • Foreign Language (if required) (4 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Physical Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)

Second Year

  • Fall:
    • Quantitative Reasoning B (4 credits)
    • ENGL 201 or 207 (COM-B) (3 credits)
    • ENGL 241 (3 credits)
    • ENGL 245 (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (3-4 credits)
    • INTER-LS 210 (1 credit)
  • Spring:
    • ENGL 242 (3 credits)
    • English Language or Composition/Rhetoric Requirement (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Biological Science Breadth (3 credits)

Third Year

  • Fall:
    • Declare the Major (before 86 credits)
    • Natural Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • American Literature (3 credits)
    • Pre-1800 Literature Requirement (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • Pre-1800 Literature Requirement (3 credits)
    • English I/A Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)

Fourth Year

  • Fall:
    • English I/A Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • English I/A Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (3 credits)

Three-Year Plan

This Sample Three-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools to make their own three-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests.


First Year

  • Fall:
    • Ethnic Studies (3 credits)
    • Literature Breadth (3 credits)
    • Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Foreign Language (if interested in retroactive credit or to reach 4 units) or Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • ENGL 201 or 207 (meets Communication B) (3 credits)
    • ENGL 241 or 242 (3 credits)
    • English Language or Composition & Rhetoric course (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth or Elective (Intermediate or Advanced level) (3 credits)

Second Year

  • Fall:
    • ENGL 241 or 242 (3 credits)
    • ENGL 245 (3 credits)
    • English Language or Composition & Rhetoric course (3 credits)
    • Quantitative Reasoning B (if BA) or Elective (if BS) (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • Pre-1800 Literature course (3 credits)
    • ENGL Elective (3 credits)
    • Social Science Breadth or Elective (Intermediate or Advanced level) (3 credits)
    • Intermediate or Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Elective (Intermediate or Advanced level) (if BA) (3 credits)

Third Year

  • Fall:
    • American Literature course (3 credits)
    • Pre-1800 Literature course (3 credits)
    • Biological Science Breadth (3 credits)
    • Science Breadth or Elective (3 credits)
    • Elective (Intermediate or Advanced level) (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • ENGL Elective (3 credits)
    • ENGL Elective (3 credits)
    • Intermediate or Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Elective (Intermediate or Advanced level) (if BA) (3 credits)
    • Electives (Intermediate or Advanced level) (6 credits)

Advising and Careers

The English Department supports majors and prospective majors by offering a comprehensive advising team based on your personal interests.


Resources and Scholarships

The English Department is proud to offer numerous forms of support for its undergraduate students and to recognize exceptional accomplishments in various forms of academic and creative work. You can find information about scholarships, prizes, and grants specifically designated for declared English majors on our website. Typically, these prizes and scholarships are awarded in the spring semester. Applications need to be submitted online, via the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WISH).


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