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, and also acquire the skills requisite to formulating and advancing sustained and persuasive readings of texts. Building on the foundations of English 213 and 219, in which fundamental skills and practices of reading and writing about literature are cultivated, students encounter some of the intellectual and cultural issues in the fields of British, American, and World literature in English 314, 316, and 321. Students then practice their reading skills and deepen the base of knowledge developed in this core in six electives and a seminar devoted to the study of a single author. Elective choices allow students to focus on the English language, explore specific literary genres and themes, and investigate the writing of particular communities and literary historical periods. Finally, in English 412, the Capstone Seminar, students interrogate a critical issue current in literary studies by completing a research essay of publishable quality and length.

Required
ENGL 213Introduction to the Study of Literature3
ENGL 219Making Literature Matter3
ENGL 314Topics in American Literature3
ENGL 316Topics in British Literature3
ENGL 321Topics in World Literature3
ENGL 412Capstone Seminar: Current Issues in the Discipline of English3
One Single Author Course:
ENGL 331Shakespeare: Early Works3
ENGL 332Shakespeare: Later Works3
ENGL 363Single Author Study3
Electives
Select six literature courses from the following for a total of 39 credits:
ENGL 204Modern American Literature3
ENGL 205Queer Literature3
ENGL 209Children's & Young Adult Literature3
ENGL 214Science Fiction3
ENGL 215Multiethnic US Literature3
ENGL 218The Short Story3
ENGL 219Making Literature Matter3
ENGL 220African American Literature3
ENGL 226Women in Literature3
ENGL 227Survey of Dramatic Literature to 16203
ENGL 228Survey of Dramatic Literature from 16203
ENGL 230Classical Drama of Greece & Rome3
ENGL 231The Short Novel3
ENGL 303The Novel3
ENGL 305African American Women Writers3
ENGL 306Modern Poetry3
ENGL 307Modern Drama3
ENGL 308Satire3
ENGL 309Epic3
ENGL 310Medieval & Renaissance Drama3
ENGL 312Colonial American Literature3
ENGL 313Stories of Teaching & Learning: Narratives of Education3
ENGL 318Postcolonial Literature3
ENGL 322Middle Eastern Literature: Writing Beyond Modernity3
ENGL 323World Poetry of 20th Century3
ENGL 324Irish Literature3
ENGL 326Eighteenth-Century British Literature3
ENGL 327Romanticism in England3
ENGL 328Literature of the Crusades3
ENGL 329Contemporary World Literature3
ENGL 330Elizabethan Literature3
ENGL 331Shakespeare: Early Works3
ENGL 332Shakespeare: Later Works3
ENGL 340Survey of U.S. Writers of Latin-American Descent3
ENGL 342Asian Literature3
ENGL 345Literature of Genocide3
ENGL 346American Romanticism3
ENGL 347American Realism and Naturalism: 1865-18903
ENGL 350Age of Chaucer3
ENGL 351African & Caribbean Women Writers3
ENGL 352Modern and Contemporary African Literature3
ENGL 353Mythical Themes in Literature3
ENGL 356Victorian Literature3
ENGL 363Single Author Study3
ENGL 389Literature of the Palestine - Israel Conflict3
ENGL 409Literary Theory3
ENGL 410Thematic Studies3
ENGL 420Major Cultural Conflicts in Literature3
39
Notes and Policies: All students must take a total of 13 courses.    • The requirement for admission to the English Major is a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in AUR and general education courses.  • Only courses in which a grade of C or higher is earned will be applied to the major.  • Students in the Literature concentration may take one Creative Writing course to fulfill a literature elective.  • Single Author requirement (#6 above) may be fulfilled with ENGL 331 (Shakespeare: Early Works), ENGL 332 (Shakespeare: Later Works) or ENGL 363 (Single Author Study)• English majors in all concentrations must complete ENGL 213 (Introduction to the Study of Literature) within the first nine credits in the major and ENGL 219 (Making Literature Matter) within the first fifteen, and must enroll in ENGL 412 (Senior Capstone Seminar) in their final year of classes.• English 213 is a pre/co-requisite for every 200-level course in the major.• English 219 is a pre/co-requisite for every 300-level Literature course in the major.• English 314, 316, and 321 (Topics courses) are all pre/co-requisites for every 400-level course in the major.• Majors may not take more than six 200-level courses, including English 213 and 219. 
Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
Semester 1Credits
ENGL 101
English Composition I
or English Composition I for English as a Second Language Students
4-6
MATH 114
Contemporary Mathematics
or Statistics I
3
General Education Tier I Course 3
General Education Tier I Course 3
INTD 101 Orientation to College *first time freshmen only 1
 Credits14-16
Semester 2
ENGL 102
English Composition II
or English Composition 2 ESL
4-6
General Education Tier I Course 3
General Education Tier I Course 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
Minor/Elective 3
 Credits16-18
Sophomore
Semester 1
ENGL 213 Introduction to the Study of Literature 3
ENGL 219 Making Literature Matter 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
Minor/Elective 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
ENGL 314 Topics in American Literature 3
ENGL 316 Topics in British Literature 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
Minor/Elective 3
 Credits15
Junior
Semester 1
ENGL 321 Topics in World Literature 3
ENGL 331
Shakespeare: Early Works
or Shakespeare: Later Works
or Single Author Study
3
200- OR 300- level Major Elective 3
200- OR 300- level Major Elective 3
General Education Tier II Course 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
Major Elective 200- level or above 3
Major Elective 200- level or above 3
Major Elective 300- level or above 3
Major Elective 300- level or above 3
General Education Capstone Tier III Course 3
 Credits15
Senior
Semester 1
Major Elective 300- level or above 3
Major Elective 400- level or above 3
Minor/Elective 3
Minor/Elective 3
Minor/Elective 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
ENGL 412 Capstone Seminar: Current Issues in the Discipline of English 3
Minor/Elective 3
Minor/Elective 3
Minor/Elective 3
Minor/Elective 3
 Credits15
 Total Credits120-124

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Literature BA program, students will be able to:

  1. Summarize texts written in a variety of modes, styles, and discourses.
  2. Paraphrase texts written in a variety of modes, styles, and discourses.
  3. Perform close reading of literary works with attention to their formal features.
  4. Construct explication of texts written in a variety of literary modes.
  5. Analyze, synthesize, and integrate secondary materials into original analysis, interpretation, or argument.