The English (BA) Program
The study of literature is the study of culture itself: the stories and myths, values and ideals, struggles and conflicts that shape our understanding of ourselves as individuals and of our relationships in the world. Courses in the English Department are designed to increase students' literary, cultural, and critical awareness, and help them develop the skills necessary to express their ideas effectively both orally and in writing: in addition to literary studies, we offer courses in writing, rhetoric, and public speaking.
The department offers undergraduate course work at three levels: 100 (University Writing, Literature and Culture, and Literature and Criticism), 200 (University Writing II, Literature and Culture II, Literature and Criticism II, Literature and Traditions II, and Book Club), and 300 (Literature and Writing III, Literature and Culture III, Literature and Traditions III, and Word and Image).
There are also some 400-level courses that focus specifically on professional development, whether for the world of work or graduate school. Students may take them while taking 300-level courses.
All 100-level and most 200-level and 300-level English courses require that students write supervised examinations, demonstrating the ability to meet the department’s requirements.
Note: The English Department considers a minimum “C+” (2.33) average in first- and second-year courses to be a reasonable foundation for success in upper-level English courses.
Degree Outcomes
- enhanced ability to appreciate the aesthetics and pleasures of diverse literary forms
- recognition of literature as a product and producer of social, cultural, and individual identities
- advanced analysis and interpretation of primary course material
- advanced synthesis of relevant scholarly resources
- ability to integrate critical thinking with secondary resources to produce independent scholarship related to course texts and material in writing and presentations
- refinement of academic writing skills, including development of a voice and prose style appropriate to the discourse situation
- understanding of the ethics involved with intellectual property and the practice of scholarship
- ability to participate in a collaborative learning community