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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, grant writing for nonprofits, journalism, consulting, and more.
Admission RequirementsComplete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
Graduation Requirements- Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the following major requirements:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Foundational Courses | ||
Complete 9 credits from the following: | 9 | |
ENGLÂ A120 | Critical Thinking | |
ENGLÂ A245 | Alaska Native Literatures | |
ENGLÂ A260 | Introduction to Creative Writing | |
LINGÂ A201 | How English Works | |
Introduction to English Studies | ||
Complete this 3 credit course: | 3 | |
ENGLÂ 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 | |
ENGLÂ A120 | Critical Thinking | |
ENGLÂ A121 | Introduction to Literature | |
ENGLÂ A200 | Global Literature and Culture | |
ENGLÂ A203 | Literature of Britain I | |
ENGLÂ A205 | Literature of the United States I | |
ENGLÂ A206 | Literature of the United States II | |
ENGLÂ A245 | Alaska Native Literatures | |
ENGLÂ A260 | Introduction to Creative Writing | |
ENGLÂ A309 | Texts of American Cultures and Regions | |
ENGLÂ A311 | Writing and Rhetoric in Public Life | |
ENGLÂ A312 | Advanced Technical Writing | |
ENGLÂ A313 | Professional Writing | |
ENGLÂ A385 | Creative Writing Workshop | |
ENGLÂ A390A | Literature by Period | |
ENGLÂ A390B | Literature by Genre | |
ENGLÂ A414 | Research Writing | |
ENGLÂ A429 | Major Authors | |
ENGLÂ A450 | Linguistics and English Language Teaching | |
ENGLÂ A476 | History of English Language | |
ENGLÂ A478 | Public Science Writing | |
ENGLÂ A479 | Advanced Studies in Literature | |
ENGLÂ A490 | Topics in English Studies | |
ENGLÂ A490A | Topics in Literature | |
ENGLÂ A490B | Language in Use | |
ENGLÂ A490C | Topics in Native Literatures | |
ENGLÂ A495 | Internship in Professional Writing | |
ENGLÂ A499 | English Honors Thesis | |
LINGÂ A101 | How Language Works | |
LINGÂ A201 | How English Works | |
Advanced Inquiry in English Studies | ||
Complete the following courses: | 9 | |
ENGLÂ A433 | Literacy, Rhetoric and Social Practice | |
ENGLÂ A435 | Critical Theory | |
ENGLÂ A437 | Studies in Style and Stylistics | |
Advanced Writing 1 | ||
Complete 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
ENGLÂ A414 | Research Writing | |
ENGLÂ A499 | English Honors Thesis | |
Integrative Capstone | ||
Complete 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
ENGLÂ A476 | History of English Language | |
ENGLÂ A478 | Public Science Writing | |
ENGLÂ A479 | Advanced Studies in Literature | |
Total | 45 |
1 | Students may petition to satisfy this requirement with 3 credits of ENGL A498 completed with a creative writing project. |
A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 42 credits must be upper-division.Â
Honors in EnglishThe 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:
- 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 minimum grade of A:
Course List Code Title Credits ENGL A429Major Authors ENGL A440Topics in Comparative Literature ENGL A490Topics in English Studies ENGL A490CTopics 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 ENGLÂ 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 ENGLÂ 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.