Bachelor of Arts in English

The programs offered by the Department of English prepare students to succeed in an increasingly diverse world by encouraging lifelong learning, critical thinking, and effective writing. The curriculum includes courses from across the fields of English studies: rhetoric, writing, linguistics, and literature.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English prepares students for graduate study in fields such as English and linguistics or professional school in fields such as secondary English education and law, or for work in any career that involves writing and reasoning. Graduates of the program have gone on to further study and jobs in fields as diverse as secondary school teaching, professional and technical writing, journalism, consulting, and more.

Admission Requirements Graduation Requirements
Introduction to English Studies
ENGL A209Introduction to English Studies3
Foundational Courses
Complete 9 credits from the following:9
ENGL A120
Critical Thinking
ENGL A245
Alaska Native Literatures
ENGL A260
Introduction to Creative Writing
LING A201
How English Works
Advanced Inquiry in English Studies
ENGL A433Literacy, Rhetoric and Social Practice3
ENGL A435Critical Theory3
ENGL A437Studies in Style and Stylistics3
Advanced Writing 1
Complete 3 credits from the following:3
ENGL A414
Research Writing
ENGL A499
English Honors Thesis
Integrative Capstone
Complete 3 credits from the following:3
ENGL A476
History of English Language
ENGL A478
Public Science Writing
ENGL A479
Advanced Studies in Literature
English Studies Electives
Complete 18 additional credits of ENGL or LING courses, of which 12 must be upper-division. 218
Total45
1

Students may petition to satisfy this requirment with 3 credits of ENGL A498 completed with a creative writing project.

2

Not all courses are offered every semester. Students should meet with their academic advisor to determine the best options to complete their degree.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division. 

Honors in English

The Bachelor of Arts in English recognizes distinguished achievement by conferring programmatic honors in English. In order to receive honors in English, a student must:

  • Be a declared English major;
  • Satisfy all requirements for a BA in English;
  • Meet the requirements for Graduation with Honors;
  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50 in all courses in the English major;
  • Complete 6 credits of the following 400-level topics courses with a minimum grade of A:
    ENGL A429
    		Major Authors
    ENGL A440
    		Topics in Comparative Literature
    ENGL A490
    		Topics in English Studies
    ENGL A490A
    		Topics in Literature
    ENGL A490B
    		Language in Use
    ENGL A490C
    		Topics in Native Literatures
  • Complete ENGL A499 with a pass grade on a P/F grading scale.

The honors thesis itself is shaped by these guidelines:

  • A student wishing to take ENGL A499 should coordinate the process from the beginning with two faculty members (one considered primary, one secondary), one of whom must be a full-time tenure-track member of the Department of English.
  • The secondary faculty member may be from another department with the approval of the primary faculty member. Both faculty members should be involved in the project from early in the process.
  • The student is responsible for locating the two faculty members and securing their agreement to become involved in the project.
  • The student should meet regularly (about once every couple of weeks) with the primary faculty member guiding the thesis to ensure that the project remains on track.
  • The student may well benefit from concurrent enrollment in ENGL A414.
  • The process should begin with a proposal of no more than 1,000 words (statement of purpose, preliminary controlling generalization and outline) along with an annotated bibliography of about 10 items. This proposal needs to be approved by both faculty members before the student may proceed to write the honors thesis itself.
  • The anticipated length of the project is 7,500-10,000 words (exclusive of reference page[s]).
  • The final paper needs to be submitted to the two faculty members by the end of the last week of instruction of the semester during which the student is enrolled in ENGL A499.
  • The project should be undertaken in a student's senior year.
  • Successful completion of ENGL A499 (with success defined as a pass for the honors thesis) may be used to count for 3 credits toward the 7 credit requirement of the honors senior project.