Major Requirements

English

Requirements for the concentration in literature

  • Read a literary work closely and critically. Required course for all majors: ENGL 260. Introduction to Literary Studies. The department strongly recommends that students take ENGL 260 before enrolling in any upper-level English course. The Writing Intensive Requirement Part II is fulfilled by ENGL 260.
  • Recognize the importance of the cultural contexts in which each work locates itself. The department requires two courses in "cultural context." One of the courses must be one of the following surveys: ENGL 204, 205, 210, 211, 213, or 217. A more advanced cultural context course may be substituted for a survey upon petition. Alternately, < span class="TCEB_Bold">GDST 252 and GDST 253 shall count as filling the requirement of a survey course.
  • Become knowledgeable about the broad traditions of American and British literature. The department requires three 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written before 1800; two 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written after 1800; and two courses as electives (at least one elective English course must be at the 300/400 level).
  • Develop and refine the interpretive theories and formal patterns students use to understand works of literature. The department requires one course in literary theory.
  • Bring to bear on each work your experience as readers and critics. The department requires a senior English major project, which may be a senior thesis or a senior seminar. You should undertake your project in your senior year.

The selection of courses must also take into account the following distribution requirements:

  • One advanced course (excluding ENGL 260) must emphasize poetry.
  • One advanced course must emphasize British literature.
  • One advanced course must emphasize American literature.

Requirements for the concentration in creative writing

  • Read a literary work closely and critically. Required course for all majors: ENGL 260. Introduction to Literary Studies. The department strongly recommends that students take ENGL 260 before enrolling in any upper-level English course. The Writing Intensive Requirement Part II is fulfilled by ENGL 260.
  • Recognize the importance of the cultural contexts in which each work locates itself. The department requires two courses in "cultural context." One of the courses must be one of the following surveys: ENGL 204, 205, 210, 211, 213, or 217. A more advanced cultural context course may be substituted for a survey upon petition. Alternately, GDST 252 and GDST 253 shall count as filling the requirement of a survey course.
  • Become knowledgeable about the broad traditions of American and British literature. The department requires three 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written before 1800; and two 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written after 1800.
  • Cultivate your talents for imaginative writing. The department requires all those concentrating in creative writing to take ENGL 270. Introduction to Creative Writing. Some upper-level creative writing courses may require ENGL 270 as a prerequisite.
  • Take at least one advanced creative writing workshop (ENGL 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, or FILM 337. Writing for Film, or THDN 293. Playwrights' Workshop I, or THDN 345. Writing for Stage and Screen). Each of these workshops has a literature pre- or co-requisite---see your adviser.
  • Take a senior workshop (ENGL 492 or ENGL 494).
  • Write a thesis (restricted to students with an A- average in the English major, or to students who have submitted a successful petition to the director of creative writing), or take a second advanced creative writing workshop (ENGL 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, or FILM 337. Writing for Film, or THDN 293. Playwrights' Workshop I, or THDN 345. Writing for Stage and Screen) in a different genre from the course taken to fulfill the advanced creative writing workshop. Each workshop has a literature pre- or co-requisite---see your adviser.

The selection of courses must also take into account the following distribution requirements:

  • One advanced course (excluding ENGL 260) must emphasize poetry.
  • One advanced course must emphasize British literature.
  • One advanced course must emphasize American literature.

Requirements for the concentration in literature and film

  • Read a literary work closely and critically. Required course for all majors: ENGL 260. Introduction to Literary Studies. The department strongly recommends that students take ENGL 260 before enrolling in any upper-level English course. The Writing Intensive Requirement Part II is fulfilled by ENGL 260.
  • Cultivate an understanding of the essential problems and techniques of film interpretation. The department requires that all those concentrating in literature and film take ENGL 265. Introduction to Film Studies. Some upper-level film courses may require ENGL 265 as a pre-requisite.
  • Recognize the importance of the cultural contexts in which each work locates itself. The department requires students concentrating in literature and film to take one further course besides 265 in "cultural context." The course must be one of the following surveys ENGL 204, 205, 210, 213, or 217, preferably in the student's first or second year. A more advanced cultural context course may be substituted for a survey upon petition. Alternately, GDST 252 and 253 shall count as filling this requirement.
  • Develop and refine the interpretive theories and formal patterns students use to understand works of literature and film. The department requires that concentrators in literature and film take one of the following theory courses: ENGL 470. Film Theory: An Introduction, ENGL 401. Theories and Methods of Literary Studies, or ENGL 301. Literature and Meaning: from Aristotle to Queer Theory.
  • Become knowledgeable about the broad traditions of American and British literature. The department requires two 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written before 1800; and two 300/400-level courses emphasizing literature written after 1800.
  • Become knowledgeable about the history of cinema. The department requires three advanced courses, at least two at the 300/400 level, in film studies. Of these courses, one must be specifically on literature and film (so designated in the course catalogue). Up to one of these courses may be taken in a co-ordinate department.
  • Bring to bear on each work your experience as readers, viewers, and critics. The department requires a senior English major project, which may be a senior thesis or a senior seminar. You should undertake your project in your senior year.

The selection of courses must also take into account the following distribution requirements:

  • One advanced course (excluding ENGL 260) must emphasize poetry.
  • One advanced course must emphasize British literature.
  • One advanced course must emphasize American literature.

The English minor---The student electing a minor in English will choose a concentration in either literature or creative writing. In order to declare a minor in English, the student must meet with the department chair. Only courses in which the student has received a grade of at least C- can count toward the minor in English.

Literature concentration

Six courses in literature:

  • ENGL 260. Introduction to Literary Studies
  • One cultural context (introductory or advanced level) or one survey ( ENGL 204, 205, 210, 211, 213, or 217, or GDST 252 or 253) (A more advanced cultural context course may be substituted for a survey upon petition.)
  • One 300/400-level pre-1800 course
  • One 300/400-level post-1800 course
  • Two electives, at least one of which must be at the 300/400-level

The selection of courses must also take into account the following distribution requirements:

  • One advanced course (excluding ENGL 260) must emphasize poetry.
  • One advanced course must emphasize British literature.
  • One advanced course must emphasize American literature.

Creative writing concentration

Six courses---three in literature and three in creative writing:

  • ENGL 260. Introduction to Literary Studies
  • Two literature courses---one must be pre-1800; one must be upper-level
  • ENGL 270. Introduction to Creative Writing
  • One advanced creative writing workshop (ENGL 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, FILM 337, THDN 293, or THDN 345)
  • Senior workshop in fiction or poetry (ENGL 492 or 494)

Honors---In order to earn honors in the major, all students must attain a minimum of an A- GPA in all English courses counting toward major requirements. In addition, all students must successfully complete an honors senior project, of which both semester credits will count toward the major GPA. The honors senior project consists of either:

  • A two-semester senior thesis.
  • A senior seminar plus a one-semester senior thesis. The student may do the thesis and the seminar in either term.
  • For students concentrating in creative writing, a fall-term senior workshop plus a spring-term creative thesis if the student has earned a minimum GPA of A- in the major by the end of junior year.

Students who plan to continue the study of English in graduate school should see Professor David Rosen about special preparation, preferably in their sophomore year or early in their junior year.

Study away---The English Department encourages its students to take the opportunity to study abroad, both in countries in which English is the primary language and elsewhere. Students interested in studying abroad or elsewhere in the United States should discuss questions of transferring credits, fulfilling requirements, and other related matters with the department's study abroad adviser, Professor Milla Riggio. The English Department accepts two courses for a semester away, and three courses for a year away toward the major, with the possibility of petitioning the chair to count additional courses under exceptional circumstances.