Bachelor of Arts in English

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English provides experience across the breadth of English studies, with coursework in literature, rhetoric, linguistics, and writing. It 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, grant writing for nonprofits, journalism, consulting, and more.

Admission Requirements

Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.

Graduation Requirements
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
Introduction to English Studies
Complete this 3 credit course:3
ENGL A209
Introduction to English Studies
English Studies Electives
Complete 18 credits from the following, of which at least 12 credits must be upper-division:18
ENGL A120
Critical Thinking
ENGL A121
Introduction to Literature
ENGL A200
Global Literature and Culture
ENGL A203
Literature of Britain I
ENGL A205
Literature of the United States I
ENGL A206
Literature of the United States II
ENGL A245
Alaska Native Literatures
ENGL A260
Introduction to Creative Writing
ENGL A309
Texts of American Cultures and Regions
ENGL A311
Writing and Rhetoric in Public Life
ENGL A312
Advanced Technical Writing
ENGL A313
Professional Writing
ENGL A385
Creative Writing Workshop
ENGL A390A
Literature by Period
ENGL A390B
Literature by Genre
ENGL A414
Research Writing
ENGL A429
Major Authors
ENGL A450
Linguistics and English Language Teaching
ENGL A476
History of English Language
ENGL A478
Public Science Writing
ENGL A479
Advanced Studies in Literature
ENGL A490
Topics in English Studies
ENGL A490A
Topics in Literature
ENGL A490B
Language in Use
ENGL A490C
Topics in Native Literatures
ENGL A495
Internship in Professional Writing
ENGL A499
English Honors Thesis
LING A101
How Language Works
LING A201
How English Works
Advanced Inquiry in English Studies
Complete the following courses:9
ENGL A433
Literacy, Rhetoric and Social Practice
ENGL A435
Critical Theory
ENGL A437
Studies in Style and Stylistics
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
Total45

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 42 credits must be upper-division. 

Honors in English

The Department of English recognizes exceptional undergraduate students by awarding them departmental honors in English. To graduate with departmental honors, the student must be a declared English major, satisfy all requirements for a BA in English and fulfill the following:

  1. Meet the requirements for Graduation with Honors.
  2. Maintain a GPA of 3.50 in all courses in the English major.
  3. 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 A490C
    		Topics in Native Literatures
  4. 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.