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You are here: Undergraduate Catalog 2005 - 2006 > Academic Programs > English

Department of English

College of Arts and Sciences
306 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4610

Phone: 716.645.2575
Fax: 716.645.5980
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/english

About the Program

English students explore the expressive power of language primarily through a comprehensive study of the English and American literary tradition; however, this focus often broadens to include other verbal arts, such as drama, folklore, film and video, and foreign works in English translation. Some students also develop their creativity through select courses that emphasize the writing of poetry, and prose fiction, and autobiography, as well as playwriting. Our diverse faculty aim to help students become critical readers and writers. Critical readers employ analytical skills of close reading, historical contextualization, and theoretical reflection. Critical writers synthesize the results of their analyses into coherent and original critical essays.

Degree Options

Joint Major. The joint major, a reduced version of the full major, requires a total of nine courses (27 credit hours):
• Two literature courses (6 credit hours) in the ENG 202-ENG 299 range with a minimum GPA in those courses of 2.5
• one course (3 credit hours) of Criticism (ENG 301 Criticism)
• Three courses (9 credit hours) designated as earlier literature, including courses on two of the three early authors: ENG 303 Chaucer, ENG 309-ENG 310 Shakespeare, ENG 315 Milton
• One course (3 credit hours) designated as later literature
• Two courses (6 credit hours) of electives
There is a departmental language requirement for graduation; with a joint major, it is the same as for a full major.
The English department welcomes joint majors with any department that offers that option.

Advisement

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.

Academic Requirements

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.

Transfer Policy

Generally speaking, any two literature courses taken at an accredited college or university satisfy the English 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.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

Students interested in more intensive, self-guided intellectual inquiry, should consider applying to the honors program. Students who have a minimum English GPA of 3.5, and have completed at least two lower-level and two upper-level English courses, may apply for admission by submitting a writing sample to the English Undergraduate Office (303 Clemens Hall). Once in the honors program, students may enroll in special small honors seminars, and plan, research, and write an honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Course credit for honors seminars and the thesis counts toward the 33 credit hours of upper-level work required for the major.

Literary Prizes: The Albert Cook, Mac Hammond, and John Logan Prizes
Through the generosity of an anonymous benefactor, the English department is pleased to announce the creation of three new creative writing contests and their attendant awards: the Albert Cook Prize, the Mac Hammond Prize, and the John Logan Prize. The competitions are open to all UB undergraduates and graduate students in comparative literature, drama, and English. Prizes are awarded for the three best offerings in poetry, fiction, or drama. The award for each of these prizes is $500.

The Arthur Axlerod Memorial Award
The prize of $100 is for poetry only and is open to all university undergraduates.

The George Knight Houpt Prize
The prize of $100 is awarded for excellence and proficiency in the work of the English department and is limited to graduating English majors.

The Joyce Carol Oates Prize The prize of $100 is for the best piece of fiction by a university undergraduate or graduate student.

The Scribblers Prize
The prize of $100 is for the best piece of creative writing, fiction or poetry, by a university undergraduate woman.



Literary Prizes Awarded by the Oscar A. Silverman Undergraduate Library (in conjunction with the English department) and the Friends of the University Libraries:

Academy of American Poets Prize
The prize of $100 is for the best poem or group of poems submitted by a university undergraduate or graduate student.

The Friends of the University Libraries Undergraduate Poetry Prize
The prize of $100 is for poetry only and is open to all university undergraduates.

The competitions for these prizes are held during the spring semester. Further information and advice on submissions for any of these awards are available in the Undergraduate Office of the English Department, 303 Clemens Hall.

Career Opportunities/Further Study

English is a humanistic discipline designed to develop our students’ intellectual and artistic potentialities, thereby preparing them for any subsequent career. Through their immersion in a rich literary legacy, English majors gain a mastery of language and develop a range of interpretative skills that give them the wisdom, flexibility, and self-knowledge demanded by modern life. Thus, many find rewarding careers in education, law, journalism, business, and other similar vocations that value strong writing skills, analytical ability, and an appreciation of the powerful role of language and literature in the dynamics of contemporary culture. Graduating students receive specific advice concerning career opportunities.