In its core and in all concentrations, the Bachelor of Arts in English degree develops critical thinking, writing, research, and communication skills as students explore and investigate the great works of Western and world Literature. Students gain an appreciation of the imaginative power of language and the complexity of human thought through a variety of critical lenses. As students engage with literary works, they demonstrate, through written and oral discourse, their ability to think critically, to argue persuasively, and to use research to support ideas. The B.A. in English is an excellent choice for students interested in careers such as editing, publishing, business, the arts, technical and professional writing, research, teaching, law, advertising, marketing, or public relations. The degree also provides an excellent foundation for graduate level work.
Bachelor of Arts in English
Core Curriculum (Credit: 42 hours)
See listing of requirements
Area F: Lower Division Major Requirements (Credit: 18 hours)
Major Field French, German, or Spanish (Credit: 6-9 hours)
Major Electives (6-12 hours)
Select from:
Upper Level Courses (Credit: 60 hours)
AREA I Required Core Courses (Credit: 21 hours)
Take all six:
| ENGL 3010 | Gateway to Literary Studies | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3500 | 19th Century American Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4100 | Shakespeare | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4400 | 19th Century British Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4430 | Topics in World Literature | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4600 | History of the English Language | 3 credits |
Genre Course (Credit: 3 hours)
Take one:
AREA II: English Electives or Concentrations (Credit: 21 hours*)
Take seven English (ENGL), Creative Writing (CRWR), and/or Professional Writing (PFWR) courses at the 3000 or 4000 level. You may choose one of the five Concentrations below (A-E) (Credit: 21 hours*).
*27 credit hours for the Teacher Certification Concentration
A. LITERATURE CONCENTRATION (Credit: 21 hours)
American Literature (Credit: 3-15 hours)
Take at least one:
| ENGL 3140 | American Realism and Naturalism | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3400 | 17th and 18th Century American Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3600 | 20th Century American Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4460 | Southern Literature | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4470 | Contemporary Literature | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4490 | African American Literature | 3 credits |
British Literature (Credit: 3-15 hours)
Take at least one:
| ENGL 3100 | Old English Language and Culture | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3110 | Middle English Language and Culture | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3200 | Chaucer | 3 credits |
| ENGL 3300 | Literature of the English Renaissance | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4130 | 17th Century British Poetry and Poetics | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4200 | Milton | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4300 | 18th Century British Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4405 | English Romanticism | 3 credits |
| ENGL 4500 | 20th Century British Poetry and Prose | 3 credits |
Beyond the British and American (Credit: 3-15 hours)
Take at least one:
B. PROFESSIONAL WRITING CONCENTRATION (Credit: 21 hours)
Professional Writing Courses (Credit: 15 hours)
Take all five:
| PFWR 3160 | Introduction to Professional Writing | 3 credits |
| PFWR 3170 | Practical Workplace Writing | 3 credits |
| PFWR 3180 | Inquiry, Information & Research Methods | 3 credits |
| PFWR 4650 | Advanced Editing and Style | 3 credits |
| PFWR 4660 | Advanced Professional Writing | 3 credits |
Professional Writing Electives (Credit: 6 hours)
Take two upper-level English (ENGL) or Creative Writing (CRWR) courses not applied elsewhere in the degree program. May also include the following:
| MCOM 2131 | News Writing and Reporting | 3 credits |
| NMAC 3108 | Writing for Digital Media | 3 credits |
| MCOM 3131 | Newswriting Practicum: Print and TV News Production | 3 credits |
| PFWR 4050 | Legal Writing | 3 Credits |
C. CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION (Credit: 21 hours)
Introductory and Intermediate Creative Writing Courses (Credit: 9-12 hours)
Take all four:
| CRWR 2105 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 credits |
| CRWR 3040 | Intermediate Fiction Writing | 3 credits |
| CRWR 3050 | Intermediate Poetry Writing | 3 credits |
| CRWR 3700 | Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Writing | 3 credits |
Note: If CRWR 2105 is taken for Area F credit, it may not be repeated for credit in this concentration and only nine credit hours completes this portion of the concentration.
Advanced Creative Writing Courses (Credit: 6 hours)
Take two:
Creative Writing Electives (Credit: 3-6 hours)*
Take one or two upper-level English (ENGL) or Creative Writing (CRWR) courses not applied elsewhere in the degree program.
*Depending on whether CRWR 2105 is applied in Area F or in Introductory and Intermediate Courses, students need either three Creative Writing Elective hours or six.
Note: CRWR 4000-level courses are repeatable up to six semester hours.
D. PRE-LAW CONCENTRATION (Credit: 21 hours)
Required Legal and Professional Writing Courses (Credit: 6 hours)
Take both:
Required Rhetoric Course (Credit: 3 hours)
Take one:
Pre-Law Electives (Credit: 12 hours)
Take four upper-level English (ENGL) courses not applied elsewhere in the degree program.
E. TEACHER CERTIFICATION TRACK (Credit: 27 hours)
Required Education Courses (Credit: 27 hours)
Take all seven:
| EDUC 3100 | Reading in Multiple Literacies | 3 credits |
| SPED 3110 | Introduction to the Exception Learner | 3 credits |
| EDUC 3520 | Classroom Management | 2 Credits |
| EDUC 4120 | Integrated Secondary Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment | 3 credits |
| EDUC 4130 | Methods in Content Area | 4 credits |
| EDUC 4140 | Practicum | 3 credits |
| EDUC 4150 | Clinical | 9 credits |
Note: Admission, progression, and graduation requirements for the concentration can be found in the Academic Catalog under the Secondary Education Certification track.
AREA III: University Electives (Credit: 18 hours*)
Take six elective courses from the University curriculum. (Credit: 18 hours*)
*Four courses, or 12 credit hours, for the Teacher Certification Concentration.