Department of English — Requirements
Prerequisites
For all English courses above the 100 level, completion of the University freshman writing requirement is prerequisite. This requirement is normally met through two semesters of freshman English (ENGL 101-102), to be taken before a student accumulates 30 credits. Information is available from the Department regarding those circumstances under which students may be exempted from taking ENGL 101-102. Prerequisites for English majors are listed below. For non-majors, ENGL 200, 201, or 206 is prerequisite for all 300- and 400-level English courses. The student who is strongly motivated to take a course for which he or she has not satisfied the prerequisites should contact the instructor for advice and permission.
The Major
I. At the sophomore level, all English majors must take the following three courses as prerequisites to advanced study:
• ENGL 200 (Literary Studies I)
• ENGL 201 (Five British Writers)
• ENGL 206 (Six American Authors)
Majors must complete at least one of these three required sophomore-level courses before beginning advanced-level work.
II. Students majoring in English must complete with a grade of “C-” or better a minimum of ten courses (30 credits) above the 100 level. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis cannot be counted among the ten courses required for the major. At least six of the ten must be advanced (300- and 400-level) courses, and must be distributed according to the following guidelines:
• Majors must take at least one advanced course in which a large proportion of the literature studied is from before 1850.
• Majors must take one course in distribution category “C” (below), and one in “D.”
III. Students entering the university in Fall 2002 and after are required to include among their English major credits for graduation a capstone course or experience. Ordinarily the capstone is undertaken after a student has completed at least 90 credits towards graduation. The capstone allows a student to demonstrate the ability to use the knowledge, concepts, and methods acquired in the major in a substantial project that may involve research in literature or language, a portfolio of creative or scholarly work, or application in an apprentice role outside the University.
The capstone requirement may be met through any of the English courses listed in the 460-499 series. The senior honors options in this series are by invitation only, but all other capstone courses are open to all English majors.
Capstones cross-listed between English and other departments or programs may also be used by English majors to meet the capstone requirement.
English majors in the Teacher Education Program may count their practicum semester as a capstone experience. Students completing the creative writing concentration in English may use their required writing portfolio, certified by the creative writing faculty, as the capstone experience. English majors who have an internship approved by the English Department’s internship supervisor may count their semester as an intern as a capstone experience if they enroll in either ENGL 475 or 476.
Distribution Categories
A. Writing
B. Language and Critical Theory
C. Literary Genres, Forms, and Modes
D. Literature, History, and Society
E. Authors
The distribution category for each advanced course is indicated by letter code after the course title. In addition, an asterisk follows the code to indicate courses that meet the pre-1850 requirement.
Courses in Other Disciplines
English majors interested in other disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, history, or the foreign languages will be assigned advisors with similar interests to help them plan a coherent, individualized program of study.
Courses Which Count Toward the Major
• Humanities, American studies, Africana studies, women’s studies, and linguistics courses, if taught by English faculty.
• THRART 250, 251, 351.
• One semester of independent study, which must be approved by the chair of the department.
Courses Which Do Not Count Toward the Major
• Literature in translation courses offered by foreign language departments.
• Courses taken pass/fail.
• Courses in which the student receives a grade below C-.
• Courses below the 200 level.
The Minor
All minors are required to take ENGL 200, 201, or 206.
In addition, students must take five other English courses, at least four of which must be at the 300 or 400 level. Students must complete all courses for the minor with a grade of at least C-. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the minor.