Program of Study
A Revised Program
The English program underwent a complete revision during the 2009-10 academic year as the faculty unanimously supported a new set of courses and major requirements for both the Literature and Creative Writing concentrations. The new program goes into effect during Autumn Quarter 2010. As one student has said, these changes bring both “great fun and great opportunity.”
Current Courses
The new courses update the major to keep up with the newest trends in our discipline, and include theme-based and comparative literature courses as well as new genre studies classes in areas ranging from science fiction to film and everything in between. (See detailed quarterly course descriptions)
A Rigorous Program
The new major requirements also update our academic program, bringing greater rigor to the Creative Writing concentration and greater flexibility to the Literature concentration, while retaining a core of literary history and disciplinary study. (See requirements)
Self-directed and In-depth
Literature majors can expect to be much more self-directed in their academics so that they can align their advanced literary studies with their own interests and future plans. (See suggested literature tracks) Creative writers can expect to do a much more in-depth study of both genre and craft.
If you're thinking about majoring in English but aren’t sure where to start, we suggest you first try one of our Exploratory Curriculum literature courses. These are great intros to literary study at a college level and also count as a “Humanities” credit, too, in case you decide English isn’t for you:
ENG 1110: Literature and Faith
ENG 1220: Film and Faith
ENG 2221: Good Poems
ENG 2223: Fantasy and Science Fiction
ENG 2248: New International Fiction
And if you're interested in Creative Writing, try ENG 2215: Imaginative Writing as a next step after exploratory literature courses.
Core Courses
Once you decide that an English major is right for you, we suggest you turn to 2000-level “core courses” next. These classes are designed to give you the foundational knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in advanced studies. The yearlong literature survey series, especially – ENG 2251, 2252, and 2253 – forms the backbone of English degrees in universities all over the world.
And while that survey series can seem like “boot camp for English majors” it also works like real boot camp in that it prepares you to be fit and ready for everything that comes later, providing a firm foundation in the overall movement of English literature throughout history. Specifically, in the surveys, you'll study a vast array of the canonical works, authors, and major literary periods in English – everything from Beowulf to Toni Morrison – while learning to read, think, interpret, and write like an expert.
Mix It Up
We also suggest that you mix in some other theme, topic, genre, or author courses that interest you – preferably at the 2000- or 3000-level – as you work through the major core, saving 4000-level courses for when you are a seasoned English major well into your junior or senior years. (Course numbers, by the way, roughly reflect the college year they are designed for: 2000 = sophomore, 4000 = senior, for example. This isn’t a rigid restriction, of course, but it might be a useful “rule of thumb” to know about.)
If you're interested in Creative Writing, you’ll need to start taking those Literature core courses, too, but you may want to follow ENG 2215: Imaginative Writing with some of the Creative Writing core courses, as well. Alongside those choices, you may also want to start taking the genre workshop (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) course you're interested in specializing in.
Don’t Forget
Your faculty advisor is always there to help you plan courses and make decisions about which program is best for you. We want to help you succeed in the program, as well as to help you find your life calling after college.
