English – Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA)

The English BA Program opens opportunities for personal enrichment as well as professional growth. The English BA degree develops students’ proficiency in writing, reading, critical thinking, and speaking skills necessary for success in both academic work and careers. Our graduates go to graduate and professional schools, publish books, educate others, travel abroad, start their own businesses, and, in short, achieve their professional goals and personal aspirations. Our courses are geared towards helping our students succeed by offering a wide array of traditional and contemporary topics, in addition to providing real-world experiences through our internship and capstone courses, with access to the area’s cultural resources. Our faculty, whose professional interests include composition and rhetoric, gender studies, culture studies, creative writing, linguistics, film, and literature are dedicated to ensuring the success of our students.

Student Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to  

• produce substantive writings which draw on interdisciplinary, critical approaches applied to a vast array of primary sources.
• engage in research using contemporary research methods, including print and electronic technologies, as well as various modes of citation (MLA, Chicago Style, APA).
• analyze texts for claims, arguments, evidence, and style.
• read and interpret texts according to different critical frameworks, including historical and theoretical methodologies.
• synthesize life experience, class materials, and experiential learning (e.g., film screenings, conference attendance, community tutoring, etc.).
• participate in assignments demanding self-assessment of learning and composition methods.
• enroll in course sequences sharing common literary and methodological texts studied from differing contexts.
• complete a capstone course that requires students to synthesize content knowledge as well as complete an independent project that reflects their progress as a writer and thinker.
• demonstrate knowledge of major literary genres, subgenres, and periods (including major authors for given periods), as well as demonstrate a sound understanding of basic literary terms and categories.
• demonstrate knowledge of 20th and 21st century literary theory and analyze media through these critical lenses.
• demonstrate knowledge of World, British, American, and African- American literatures.
• demonstrate understanding of major linguistic processes and subsystems.

Related:

• Division of Arts and Humanities
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Learn more about applying for admission to the English program
• Find out about scholarship opportunities for English students

Curriculum and Program Requirements

The English Program offers courses in Technical Writing, African American Literature and Film, British and American Literature, Literary Theory, Post-Colonial and Diaspora Literatures, Critical Race Studies, Linguistics, and Children Literature and Media. Advanced seminar and internship courses help students synthesize their diverse skills and knowledge, as they take the next steps toward their career goals.

Program of Study – English Major

Students in the bachelor’s program complete a 120-credit hour plan of study to earn the degree.