Bachelor of Arts in English
Admission Requirements
Satisfy the Application and Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
Graduation Requirements
- Satisfy the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the major requirements below.
Major Requirements
Students working toward a degree in English may choose from three options: Literature; Writing, Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literacies; or Secondary Education.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ENGL A201 | Masterpieces of World Literature I | 3 |
| ENGL A202 | Masterpieces of World Literature II | 3 |
| ENGL A414 | Research Writing | 3 |
| ENGL A433 | Literacy, Rhetoric and Social Practice | 3 |
| ENGL A435 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| ENGL A476 | History of English Language | 3 |
| Complete one of the following options: Literature; Writing, Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literacies; or Secondary Education | 24 | |
Literature Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| National Literature | ||
| Complete 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Literature of Britain I | ||
| Literature of Britain II | ||
| Literature of the United States I | ||
| Literature of the United States II | ||
| Texts of American Cultures and Regions | ||
| Period Courses | ||
| Complete 3 credits from one period and 6 credits from the other period: | 9 | |
Earlier | ||
| Ancient Literature | ||
| Survey of Medieval Literature | ||
| Renaissance Literature | ||
| Neoclassical Literature | ||
Later | ||
| Literature of Romanticism | ||
| The Victorian Period | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Literature | ||
| Topics in Comparative Literature | ||
| Genre | ||
| Complete 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Poetry | ||
| The Novel | ||
| Short Story | ||
| Narrative Nonfiction | ||
| Drama | ||
| Film Interpretation | ||
| Genres of Subject and Theme | ||
| Specialized Studies | ||
| Complete 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Shakespeare | ||
and one of the following: | ||
| Topics in Women's Literature | ||
| Major Authors | ||
| Topics in Native Literatures | ||
| Alaska Native Literatures | ||
| Topics in English Studies | ||
| Complete 3 credits of upper-division ENGL electives | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Studies in Writing, Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literacies Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Disciplinary Foundations | ||
| Complete all three courses from the following: | ||
| LING A201 | How English Works | 3 |
| ENGL A434 | Rhetoric and Composition Research Theories and Methodologies | 3 |
| ENGL A483 | Composition, Literacy and the Teaching of Writing | 3 |
| Professional Practice | ||
| Complete 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Technical Writing | ||
| Professional Writing | ||
| Linguistics and English Language Teaching | ||
| Professional Editing | ||
| Internship in Professional Writing | ||
| Civic Awareness and Participation | ||
| Complete 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Writing and Rhetoric in Public Life | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Public Science Writing | ||
| Topics in English Studies | ||
| How Language Works | ||
| Upper-Division Electives | ||
| Complete 1 upper-division ENGL course | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Secondary Education Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Literature | ||
| ENGL A424 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| Complete one of the following or an approved upper-division ENGL literature or creative writing course: | 3 | |
| Texts of American Cultures and Regions | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Literature | ||
| Topics in Women's Literature | ||
| Topics in Comparative Literature | ||
| Topics in Native Literatures | ||
| Alaska Native Literatures | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| Literature of the United States I | ||
| Literature of the United States II | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| Poetry | ||
| The Novel | ||
| Short Story | ||
| Narrative Nonfiction | ||
| Drama | ||
| Film Interpretation | ||
| Genres of Subject and Theme | ||
| Language and Composition | ||
| Complete 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Writing and Rhetoric in Public Life | ||
| Advanced Technical Writing | ||
| Professional Writing | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| How Language Works | ||
| How English Works | ||
| ENGL A450 | Linguistics and English Language Teaching | 3 |
| ENGL A474 | Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
A total 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 (Literature; Writing, Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literacies; or Secondary Education option), and fulfill the following:
- Meet the requirements for Graduation with Honors.
- Maintain a GPA of 3.50 in all courses in the English major.
- Complete 6 credits of the following 400-level topics courses with a grade of A:
Course List Code Title Credits Major Authors Topics in Comparative Literature Topics in Native Literatures Topics in English Studies - Complete ENGL A499 with a grade of A.
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 English Department.
- 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 an A for the honors thesis) may be used to count for 3 credits toward the 7 credit requirement of the honors senior project.