ENGLISH MINORS AND CONCENTRATIONS
The Department of English grants an eleven-course Major in English and a six-course Minor in English. In addition, it offers three specialized Minors in the fields of Creative Writing, Professional Writing, and Irish Studies. Students who major in English can complete Concentrations in these same areas by fulfilling the same requirements as the Minor. The Minor allows non-majors to engage in a focused study of English; a Concentration allows students to add coherence and depth to their programs of study as English Majors. Successful completion of a Minor or Concentration is recorded on the student’s official university transcript.
I. MINOR IN ENGLISH
The Minor in English is designed for students majoring in a field other than English who would like to engage in a focused study of literature. Requiring a total of six courses, it consists of one required foundation course (200, 201, or 202), four courses at the 300 or 400 level, and one additional course at the 200, 300 or 400 level. Successful completion of the Minor is recorded on the student’s official university transcript.
Requirements for a Minor in English:
1. One 200-level foundational English course from the following list:
ENGL 200: Understanding Literature
ENGL 201: Five British Authors
ENGL 202: Six American Authors
2. At least four English courses at the ENGL 300 or ENGL 400 level.
3. One additional English course at the ENGL 200, ENGL 300, or ENGL 400 level.
Note: Courses graded D or P do not count towards the Minor.
II. MINOR/CONCENTRATION IN CREATIVE WRITING
The Minor in Creative Writing is designed for students majoring in a field other than English. The Concentration in Creative Writing requires the same set of courses and is awarded to students who are majoring in English. All English courses in the Concentration may also count toward the English Major. Successful completion of the Minor or Concentration is recorded on the student’s official University transcript. Non-matriculated students who complete the course sequence will be awarded a Certificate of Completion, issued by the Department of English.
The Minor/Concentration in Creative Writing is designed for students with special interest in writing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama. Requiring a total of seven courses, it consists of a minimum of four courses in creative writing and three upper-level courses in literature.
Requirements for a Minor/Concentration in Creative Writing:
1. At least four courses in creative writing, only one of which may be at the 200 level, and at least two of which must be advanced workshops, from the following list:
200 level courses.
ENGL 210: Intro to Creative Writing
ENGL 211: Creative Writing: Poetry
ENGL 212: Creative Writing: Fiction
ThrArt 250: Intro to Playwriting
ThrArt 275: Intro to Screen and TV Writing
300 and 400 level courses. (Other writing-intensive courses at the 300 or 400 level may qualify as electives, at the discretion of the Director of Creative Writing.)
ENGL 301: Advanced Poetry Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit)
ENGL 302: Advanced Fiction Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit)
ENGL 306: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
ENGL 496: Creative Writing Honors I (open only to seniors admitted to Honors
in Creative Writing; counts as advanced workshop)
ENGL 497: Creative Writing Honors II (open only to students who have completed 496)
ThrArt 251: Playwriting I (counts as 300 level course)
Students may take E455/456 (Independent Study) for credit towards this requirement, only with permission from the Director of Creative Writing.
2. Three ENGL 300 or ENGL 400 level courses in English, American or Transnational Literature.
3. A portfolio of work reviewed and approved by the Director of Creative Writing in consultation with the creative writing faculty.
4. Students must plan their course of study and portfolio submission in consultation with the Director of Creative Writing. Students who are pursuing a Minor in Creative Writing, and are therefore not English Majors, will need assistance with negotiating English course prerequisites and planning an appropriate sequence of upper-level English courses.
III. MINOR/CONCENTRATION IN PROFESSIONAL WRITING
The Minor in Professional Writing is designed for students majoring in a field other than English. The Concentration in Professional Writing requires the same set of courses and is awarded to students who are majoring in English. All English courses in the Concentration may also count toward the English Major. Successful completion of the Minor or Concentration is recorded on the student’s official university transcript. Non-matriculated students who complete the course sequence will be awarded a Certificate of Completion, issued by the Department of English.
The Minor/Concentration in Professional Writing provides a bridge between liberal arts training and the writing many graduates will do in the workplace. The Minor/Concentration prepares students for the range of written communications they will undertake as part of their job upon graduation. The coursework requires a sequence of six courses, culminating in an intensive one- or two-semester internship in a job requiring extensive writing. Internships include work in journalism, television and radio broadcasting, public relations, advertising, and communication.
The Minor/Concentration is selective. Admission is by permission of the Director of Professional Writing. Application prerequisites include submission of two writing samples (examples: college papers or printed articles) and successful work in freshman and sophomore level writing courses.
Requirements for a Minor/Concentration in Professional Writing:
1. Three professional writing courses.
ENGL 306: Advanced Nonfiction Writing (may be taken two times, each time
with a different instructor)
ENGL 307: Writing for the Print Media
ENGL 308: Professional Editing
2. Two writing electives from the 300 or 400 level. Other writing-intensive courses at the 300 or 400 level may qualify as electives, at the discretion of the program director.
ENGL 301: Advanced Poetry Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit)
ENGL 302: Advanced Fiction Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit)
ENGL 306: Advanced Nonfiction Writing (taken a second time).
ENGL 440: History of the English Language
ENGL 443: Language and Literature
ENGL 496: Creative Writing Honors I (open only to seniors admitted to Honors
in Creative Writing; counts as an advanced workshop)
ENGL 497: Creative Writing Honors II (open only to students who have
completed E496)
COMSTU 480: Communication Seminar
COMSTU 365: News Media and Political Power
3. One Professional Writing internship and accompanying seminar.
ENGL 475: English Internship (3 or 6 credit internships available)
4. Students must plan their course of study and internship in consultation with the Director of Professional Writing. Students who are pursuing a Minor in Professional Writing, and therefore are not English Majors, will need assistance with negotiating English course prerequisites and planning an appropriate sequence of upper-level English courses.
IV. MINOR/CONCENTRATION IN IRISH STUDIES
The Minor in Irish Studies is designed for students majoring in a field other than English. The Concentration in Irish Studies requires the same set of courses and is awarded to students who are majoring in English. All English courses in the Concentration may also count toward the English Major. Successful completion of the Minor or Concentration is recorded on the student’s official university transcript. Non-matriculated students who complete the course sequence will be awarded a Certificate of Completion, issued by the Department of English.
The Minor/Concentration in Irish Studies is designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in the interdisciplinary study of Irish and Irish-American culture, primarily through literature and history. Six courses are required for completion of the Minor/Concentration in Irish Studies. Course offerings cover major aspects of Irish culture from ancient times to the present.
Requirements for a Minor/Concentration in Irish Studies:
1. Six courses may be chosen from the following list:
AMST 405: The Immigrant Experience: Aliens and Anglo-Saxons in American
Society, 1830-1930*
ENGL 377L/AMST 377L: Irish-American Literature and Culture
ENGL 391: James Joyce
ENGL 392: William Butler Yeats
ENGL 415: Irish Literature
ENGL 419: Recent Irish Literature
ENGL 425: Irish Short Story
ENGL 427: Modern Irish Novel
ENGL 462: Advanced Studies in Poetry*
ENGL 466: Advanced Studies in Special Topics*
ENGL 478, 479: Independent Study I and II*
HIST C230: Nationalism in the Modern World*
HIST 339: Irish History, 1688 to Present
HIST 395: History of Boston*
* These courses may count towards the Minor/Concentration when approved by
the Director of Irish Studies. A substantial portion of the student’s work in the
course must be on an Irish topic.
2. Students must plan their course of study in consultation with the Director of Irish Studies to ensure a broad exposure to the field of Irish Studies. Students pursuing a Minor in Irish Studies, and therefore are not English Majors, will need assistance with negotiating English course prerequisites and planning an appropriate sequence of upper-level English courses.
IV. PROGRAM IN TECHNICAL WRITING
The Program in Technical Writing (Computer Software) is an inter-collegiate program offered in collaboration with the Computer Science Department, College of Science and Mathematics, and therefore is not included in the current reformulation. It requires a minimum of three Computer Science courses.