Want to go places? Our English major will take you to medieval Europe and to African villages. Want to get to know interesting characters? You’ll meet them in the pages of books written by great writers.

In our program, you’ll design a course of study to suit your own interests. Your own career plans. You’ll take courses in British, American and world literature. You can also get real-world experience on an internship. And you can travel abroad. Walk on the same streets as William Shakespeare. Or Albert Camus. Or James Joyce. 

With a degree in English, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of careers in many fields, including business, politics, education and journalism. Or, you can take what you’ve learned and go to graduate school.

Course Requirements in the Major

• LITERATURE AND INTERPRETATION
• INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE or  SHAKESPEAREAN PERFORMANCES
• CRITICAL METHODS
• CAPSTONE: ENGLISH
• ENGLISH INTERNSHIP

 Six courses required from the following list, including at least one course from a period prior to 1800 (indicated with asterisks), and one course from each group (18 credits):

American Literature Survey

• AMERICAN LITERATURE BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR*
• AMERICAN LITERATURE SINCE THE CIVIL WAR
• 19TH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE
• 20TH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE

British/European Literature Survey

• BRITISH LITERATURE BEFORE 1800*
• BRITISH LITERATURE AFTER 1800
• 19TH-CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE
• 20TH-CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE

Contemporary World Literature

• HISPANIC LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
• SHORT FICTION IN SPANISH
• FRENCH LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
• AFRICAN LITERATURE
• POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE

Western Foundations

• MASTERPIECES OF WORLD LITERATURE
• INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
• MASTERPIECES OF GREEK AND ROMAN LITERATURE
• Foreign Language Proficiency through 0201 or equivalent (0-9 cr)

Other Required Courses

• Upper-Level English, Writing, Classics, or Comparative Literature Electives (12 cr)

Total Credits for Major: 42-51