Major

The primary track to major in English consists of at least 30 semester hours in English above the 100 level (including 15 hours at the 300 level or above). The required courses are:

ENGL 300	English Literature to 1800	3
ENGL 302	English Literature since 1800	3
ENGL 308	American Literature	3
ENGL 380	Departmental Seminar	3
One of the following:		3
ENGL 310	History of the English Language
ENGL 312	Chaucer
ENGL 320	Renaissance Literature
ENGL 323	Milton
ENGL 324	Shakespeare: Histories and Tragedies
ENGL 325	Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances
ENGL 327	Eighteenth-Century Literature
ENGL 328	Studies in the Eighteenth Century
ENGL 329	English Literature, 1780-1837
Fifteen additional hours of English courses, at least 3 of which must be at the 300 level		15
Total Units		30

(For a downloadable English-Major-Requirements-spring-2023. For a downloadable declaration form, go here.)

Because of the flexibility of departmental requirements and the variety of career paths to which the major may lead, all students should confer frequently and closely with advisors. No courses outside the department are required for the major, but the department recommends courses in comparative literature, history, philosophy, history and criticism of the fine arts, theater, and literature in other languages. Students planning to go to graduate school are reminded of the importance of foreign language study.

Capstone portfolio

The Capstone Portfolio assesses your progress in the major.  More information is available here.

The Capstone:
Under the SAGES Capstone structure in English, the department will offer a choice of cross-listed capstone courses each semester. These courses will enroll both capstone and non-capstone students, but capstone students will pursue different writing requirements. Each school year the department will offer cross-listed capstones in different fields of literary and cultural studies, as well as fields such as creative writing, journalism, and film.

Students who register for these cross-listed capstone courses (which are designated with a “C” after the regular course number) will be required to complete the same readings, attend the same classes, take the same quizzes and exams, and participate in the same class discussions as the students registered for the regular course. Capstone students, however, will not complete all the same writing assignments as non-capstone students. Instead, capstone students will  develop an independent research topic in the field of study covered by the course (though not limited to the books on the syllabus), and produce a research paper of approximately 25pp. (or in the case of an advanced creative writing or journalism course, a comparably ambitious independent project with an accompanying critical introduction). Capstone students will also be required to design an oral report on their project, delivered with the other capstone course projects for that semester as a separately scheduled public presentation at the end of the semester.

Prerequisites and other enrollment conditions for the cross-listed capstone courses:
All capstone courses have ENGL 380 as a prerequisite, and all require “Permission of Instructor” for registration. Some of the capstone courses (such as those in film, creative writing, and Renaissance studies) have an additional prerequisite to ensure that students have enough background expertise to complete a capstone project in that specific area of study. Students should plan ahead and speak with their major advisor about the prerequisites (which are listed in the English Course Descriptions and University General Bulletin) and about capstone planning in general.

With the exception of the Creative Writing courses, students will not be able to repeat a course for capstone credit if they have taken that exact same course before in its regular version (i.e. with the same syllabus and subtitle).

How to enroll in an English capstone:
If you are planning to complete your capstone in English, look over the list of fall capstone offerings and projected spring capstone offerings and determine which ones best fit your interests and schedule. You should then make sure you have the required prerequisites for the capstone you have chosen and that you are eligible to enroll. Discuss your capstone choice with your major advisor and request permission to enroll with the faculty instructor listed for the course. Then, once you have received permission of instructor, you may enroll for the capstone “C” section of that course.

These capstone classes are also open to non-majors who have taken ENGL 380 (departmental seminar) and who have met any additional prerequisites that may be required.

Students minoring in English, creative writing, or film may take their capstone in English, but must fulfill the prerequisites to enroll.

Majoring in English with a Concentration in Film

Learn more about this option.

Departmental honors

To qualify for honors, English majors must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.75 in English courses taken for honors and follow a track consisting of at least 33 hours above the 100-level, including the general requirements for the major; at least 18 hours of approved electives in literary and cultural studies; and a designated capstone course in English.* For a downloadable English-Major-Honors-Track-Requirements-Spring-2023

*Capstones completed in Integrated Language Arts (EDUC 390C) will count as capstones in English.