Academic Catalog 2022-2023 
    
    Oct 10, 2024  
Academic Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

English, B.A.


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Requirements beginning with the Class of 2025


Majors take “Confronting the Canon” course (EGL 190-199) as one of their two 100- level courses, and must take a 200-level BIPOC lit course as one of their 200-level electives. 

One course between 100-189:


One Confronting the Canon course (between 190-199)


Seven Intermediate Courses, including the following:


Three more intermediate courses of choice (any course between 200-299):


In addition to the courses listed above, these include the following:

Three Advanced Courses:


Advanced courses, or Junior and Senior Seminars, are writing intensive and research oriented. Majors must complete three advanced courses, including one Junior and one Senior Seminar, and a third seminar of choice. Students must take at least two Intermediate Courses before enrolling in a Junior Seminar. Students must take at least four Intermediate Courses and both Introductory Courses before enrolling in a Senior Seminar. Students are strongly advised to take Junior Seminar before enrolling in a Senior Seminar.

 

Requirements for the Major (for Classes of ‘23, and ‘24)


Twelve courses, including two introductory-level courses (100s); seven intermediate courses (200-level) including at least one course on Shakespeare (200 or 201), one pre-1700 course (202-215) and one pre-1900 course (216-236); and three seminars in total: one or two junior seminars (300-level) and one or two senior seminar (400-level).

Students seeking Honors in the Department of English have a 14-course requirement, the additional two beyond the requirements for the English major being the two-term Honors thesis seminar, EGL 402-3, a two-term thesis writing workshop available by application and invitation, to be written during Fall-Winter of their senior year.

No English major is required to write a thesis but all are still eligible for college honors based on GPA. 

All English majors, including students who write a thesis, must take one senior seminar (WS Common Curriculum requirement).

Two Introductory Courses chosen from the following:


Seven Intermediate Courses:


At least one Introductory Course is a prerequisite to courses at the Intermediate level (see exception for students who received a 5 on their AP exam in either English language or literature). In this group, majors must complete the following required courses:

Four more intermediate courses of choice (any between 200-299):


Three Advanced Courses:


Advanced courses, or Junior and Senior Seminars, are writing intensive and research oriented. Majors must complete three advanced courses, including one Junior and one Senior Seminar, and a third seminar of choice. Students must take at least two Intermediate Courses before enrolling in a Junior Seminar. Students must take at least four Intermediate Courses and both Introductory Courses before enrolling in a Senior Seminar. Students are strongly advised to take Junior Seminar before enrolling in a Senior Seminar.

Requirements for English Honors: Thesis (402-3):


Fourteen courses are required for honors, which includes the usual twelve plus a two-term honors thesis seminar, EGL 402 and EGL 403.* The two-term thesis does not replace the required senior seminar. Other qualifications to be eligible to apply to write an honors thesis include a 3.3 GPA both cumulatively and in the English major; the Literary Theory seminar; an accepted proposal (submitted during fourth week of Spring Term, students’ junior year). See the English Department website for a more complete description. 

In this seminar, students are expected to learn research methods, discuss their subjects and approaches to them, and share ideas and writing, as they work toward completing their individual theses under the direction of the seminar instructor. Prospective Honors thesis writers are required to take the Literary Theory Seminar EGL 302 in Winter of their Junior year, prior to applying to write a thesis, whether proposing a creative or an analytical thesis. Students proposing creative theses are strongly encouraged to have already participated in a creative writing workshop in the proposed genre. Interested students should discuss possible thesis subjects with their advisor and other departmental members in order to develop an appropriate thesis topic. Prospective Honors students submit a two-to three-page thesis proposal and writing sample for review by the department’s Honors selection committee.

 

*Note: Double major Honors thesis students whose thesis combines both fields of study register for IDM 487-488 (with signatures from a director in each department) yet participate in the Honors thesis workshop class, EGL402-403. DO NOT REGISTER FOR BOTH

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