Undergraduate Catalog 2008-2009

Undergraduate: BA, Minor
Graduate: MA, PhD

The English Department offers a major leading to a BA. Students may choose instead an English minor, a reduced version of the full major that is taken alongside a major in another department; or they may choose a joint major, a somewhat different reduction of the major that is taken alongside a joint major in another department. Other students may choose to do a double major, combining a full major in English with a full major in another department. English majors accepted into the English departmental Honors Program will graduate with a designation of English Honors on their transcripts.

Joint Major. The joint major, a reduced version of the full major, requires a total of nine courses (27 credit hours):

• two 200-level courses (6 credits) of English in the ENG 202-299 range, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in these courses. At least one must be a literature course, and we recommend that at least one be a survey of literary history such as World Literature (ENG 221-222), British Writers (ENG 231-232), or American Writers (ENG 241-242)
  
• one course (3 credits) in Criticism (ENG 301)
  
• three courses (9 credits) in Earlier Literature, chosen from among specified upper-level courses that focus on literature written before 1830, including courses on two of the three early authors Chaucer (ENG 303), Shakespeare (ENG 309 or 310), and Milton (ENG 315)
  
• one course (3 credits) in Later Literature, chosen from among specified upper-level English courses that focus on literature written after 1830
  
• two additional (elective) courses (6 credits) chosen from the 300-400 range of English Courses

The department requires both joint and full majors to fulfill a departmental language requirement for graduation.
The English department welcomes joint majors with any department that offers that option.

New English majors, whether transfers or continuing students, should meet as soon as possible with the director of undergraduate studies to discuss the major and their course schedules. In addition, the department strongly urges all majors and prospective majors to seek out the director's advice whenever they have questions or problems.

Since all English courses require skills in writing, students should normally complete the university writing skills requirement (ENG 101 and ENG 201) before registering for courses numbered 202 and above. We strongly recommend that students with below a B average in English take no more than 18 credit hours per semester.

Instructors observe the general course descriptions, choosing authors, texts, topics, and approaches to suit their particular interests. More information about particular courses, including detailed descriptions of courses for the coming semester, can be found in the Whole English Catalog. Copies are available in the English Undergraduate Office, 303 Clemens Hall.

Language Requirement. English majors must fulfill the departmental language requirement by attaining an intermediate level of proficiency in any foreign language, either by passing an examination set by the appropriate language department, or by taking a two-semester intermediate language course. The requirement consists of four semesters, if one starts from the beginning. Double majors may petition to waive the final semester of foreign language study.

The English department will count up to two literature courses taken at another accredited college or university towards satisfaction of the department's requirement for two lower-level literature courses. The department generally accepts up to four junior- or senior-level courses taken elsewhere for upper-level credit. Students with questions regarding the evaluation of transfer credits should see the director of undergraduate studies in 303 Clemens Hall.

Advanced Placement Work
AP courses do not count towards fulfillment of English major or minor requirements. A score of either 4 or 5 on a single AP English exam will, however, enable a student to place into the more advanced of the university's Writing Skills courses (ENG 102), while scores of either 4 and 5 or 5 and 5 on two AP exams will exempt the student from the Writing Skills requirement entirely.