English—Literature, B.A.
Students concentrating in literature gain a broad understanding of literary culture and a variety of perspectives from which to explore issues of representation and literary form; they also acquire the necessary skills to formulate and advance sustained and persuasive readings of texts. Building on the foundations of English 213 and 219, which cultivate fundamental skills and practices of reading and writing about literature, students engage with intellectual and cultural issues in the fields of British, American, and World literature, as well as in a seminar devoted to the study of a single author. Elective choices allow students to explore specific literary genres and themes, investigate the writing of particular communities and literary historical periods, focus on the English language, or write creative texts themselves. Finally, in the Capstone Seminar, students interrogate a critical issue current in literary studies by completing a substantial research essay.
Total Credit Hours: 39
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Three Required Core Courses (9 credits) | ||
| ENGL 213 | Introduction to the Study of Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 219 | Making Literature Matter | 3 |
| ENGL 412 | Capstone Seminar in English | 3 |
| One Single Author Course (3 credits) | ||
| ENGL 331 | Shakespeare I | 3 |
| ENGL 332 | Shakespeare II | 3 |
| ENGL 363 | Single Author Study | 3 |
| One American Literature Course (3 credits) | ||
| ENGL 314 | Topics in American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 204 | Modern American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 215 | Multiethnic US Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 220 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 305 | African American Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 307 | American Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL 312 | Early American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 315 | American Folklore | 3 |
| ENGL 340 | Survey of U.S. Writers of Latin-American Descent | 3 |
| ENGL 346 | American Romanticism | 3 |
| ENGL 347 | American Realism and Naturalism: 1865-1890 | 3 |
| One British Literature Course (3 credits) | ||
| ENGL 316 | Topics in British Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 207 | Modern British Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 310 | Early British Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL 326 | Eighteenth-Century British Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 327 | Romanticism in England | 3 |
| ENGL 330 | Elizabethan Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 350 | Age of Chaucer | 3 |
| ENGL 356 | Victorian Literature | 3 |
| One World Literature Course (3 credits) | ||
| ENGL 321 | Topics in World Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 227 | Early Modern Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 228 | Modern Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 230 | Classical Drama of Greece & Rome | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Portugal Brazil North America: Stories of Migration | 3 |
| ENGL 318 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 322 | Middle Eastern Literature: Writing Beyond Modernity | 3 |
| ENGL 323 | World Poetry of 20th Century | 3 |
| ENGL 324 | Irish Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 329 | Contemporary World Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 342 | Asian Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 351 | African & Caribbean Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 352 | Modern and Contemporary African Literature | 3 |
| Six English Electives (18 credits) | ||
| Select six ENGL courses numbered 201 or higher, for a total of 39 credits. | ||
| ENGL 204 | Modern American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 205 | Queer Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 208 | The Novel and Film | 3 |
| ENGL 209 | Children's & Young Adult Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 212 | Murder in Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 214 | Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 215 | Multiethnic US Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 218 | The Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL 219 | Making Literature Matter | 3 |
| ENGL 220 | African American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 226 | Women in Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 227 | Early Modern Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 228 | Modern Dramatic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 230 | Classical Drama of Greece & Rome | 3 |
| ENGL 231 | The Short Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 235 | Reading Hip Hop | 3 |
| ENGL 247 | Literature of the City | 3 |
| ENGL 255 | Cut, Copy, Paste: Creative Approaches to Writing and Design | 3 |
| ENGL 270 | Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 301 | Narrative Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 303 | The Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 305 | African American Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 306 | Modern Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 307 | American Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL 308 | Satire | 3 |
| ENGL 309 | Epic | 3 |
| ENGL 310 | Early British Theatre | 3 |
| ENGL 312 | Early American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 313 | Stories of Teaching & Learning: Narratives of Education | 3 |
| ENGL 317 | Literature and Philosophy | 3 |
| ENGL 318 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 319 | The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire | 3 |
| ENGL 322 | Middle Eastern Literature: Writing Beyond Modernity | 3 |
| ENGL 323 | World Poetry of 20th Century | 3 |
| ENGL 324 | Irish Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 326 | Eighteenth-Century British Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 327 | Romanticism in England | 3 |
| ENGL 328 | Literature of the Crusades | 3 |
| ENGL 329 | Contemporary World Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 330 | Elizabethan Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 331 | Shakespeare I | 3 |
| ENGL 332 | Shakespeare II | 3 |
| ENGL 340 | Survey of U.S. Writers of Latin-American Descent | 3 |
| ENGL 341 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| ENGL 342 | Asian Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 343 | Linguistics: Language, Culture & Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 344 | Creative Writing in a Digital Age: Remediation, Sampling, Journaling, and Mixed Media Appropriation | 3 |
| ENGL 345 | Literature of Genocide | 3 |
| ENGL 346 | American Romanticism | 3 |
| ENGL 347 | American Realism and Naturalism: 1865-1890 | 3 |
| ENGL 349 | Special Topics in Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 350 | Age of Chaucer | 3 |
| ENGL 351 | African & Caribbean Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 352 | Modern and Contemporary African Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 353 | Mythical Themes in Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 354 | The Craft of Narrative | 3 |
| ENGL 355 | The Craft of Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 356 | Victorian Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 359 | Grammar and Usage | 3 |
| ENGL 363 | Single Author Study | 3 |
| ENGL 372 | Advanced Expository Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 376 | Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 383 | Playwriting Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 385 | Voice & Diction | 3 |
| ENGL 386 | Memoir Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 389 | Literature of the Palestine–Israel Conflict | 3 |
| ENGL 390 | The Craft of Prose | 3 |
| ENGL 392 | The Craft of Memoir | 3 |
| ENGL 395 | Creative Nonfiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 398 | Video Game Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 399 | The Craft of Video Game Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 400 | Writing Internship | 3 |
| ENGL 403 | Literature and Psychology | 3 |
| ENGL 409 | Literary Theory | 3 |
| ENGL 410 | Thematic Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 420 | Major Cultural Conflicts in Literature | 3 |
Notes:
• ENGL 213 should be taken in the first semester of the major and ENGL 219 in the first or second semester; ENGL 412 should be taken in the final year of classes.
• A maximum of six 200-level courses, including 213 and 219, may be applied to the major.
• Only courses in which a grade of C or higher is earned will be applied to the major.
| Sophomore | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| ENGL 213 | Introduction to the Study of Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 219 | Making Literature Matter | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| American Literature Course | 3 | |
| ENGL Major Elective 201+ | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Junior | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| World Literature Course | 3 | |
| ENGL Major Elective 201+ | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| British Literature Course | 3 | |
| ENGL Major Elective 201+ | 3 | |
| ENGL Major Elective 201+ | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Senior | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| ENGL Major Elective 301+ | 3 | |
| ENGL Major Elective 301+ | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ENGL 412 | Capstone Seminar in English | 3 |
| Single Author Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Literature BA program, students will be able to:
- Summarize texts written in a variety of modes, styles, and discourses.
- Paraphrase texts written in a variety of modes, styles, and discourses.
- Perform close reading of literary works with attention to their formal features.
- Construct explication of texts written in a variety of literary modes.
- Analyze, synthesize, and integrate secondary materials into original analysis, interpretation, or argument.