English Major

Requirements

The major consists of ENG 150, ENG 250, and at least eight other courses. These must include at least five at the 300 level or above that satisfy three geographical areas (British, U.S., and World) and three historical periods (Medieval & Early Modern, Eighteenth & Nineteenth Centuries, and Twentieth & Twenty-First Centuries). The same course may satisfy both an area and a period requirement, but no single course can be used to satisfy two areas or two periods.

Required Courses for all Students:

British Literature:

U.S. Literature

World Literature

Medieval and Early Modern

Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

All students who major in English are required to complete a senior seminar unless they are writing a critical honors thesis. Besides the courses listed above, critical honors study may be used to meet the area and period requirements of the major. Only one course at the 100 level, in addition to ENG 150, may be counted towards the minimum of ten courses required for the major. One course in a foreign-language literature may be counted towards the minimum of ten; such a course cannot satisfy an area or period requirement.

Only two courses in creative writing (ENG 105, ENG 217, ENG 220, ENG 221, ENG 222, ENG 222A, ENG 222B, ENG 240, ENG 300, ENG 321, ENG 322, ENG 340) may be counted towards the minimum of ten courses, although all writing courses are counted in determining the maximum of sixteen courses allowed in one department.

Two courses taken outside the College may be counted towards the major with permission of the chair.

Concentration in Creative Writing

The minimum number of courses to satisfy both the major and the concentration in creative writing is twelve, four of which must be in creative writing. Of the four courses in creative writing, at least three must be devoted to either fiction/non-fiction or poetry.

Fiction/non-fiction specialization within the concentration

Students in the creative writing concentration who choose fiction/non-fiction must take both of these courses:

Students in the creative writing concentration who choose fiction/non-fiction must also take either two more fiction/non-fiction courses OR one more fiction/non-fiction course and one poetry course. (Note that individual studies and honors study courses only count towards the concentration if they are taken as creative writing courses.)

Poetry specialization within the concentration

Students in the creative writing concentration who choose poetry must take both of these courses:

Students in the creative writing concentration who choose poetry must also take either two more poetry courses OR one more poetry course and one fiction/non-fiction course. (Note that individual studies and honors study courses only count towards the concentration if they are taken as creative writing courses.)

Concentration in World Literature

The history of the English language is inextricable from histories of imperialism, colonialism, decolonization, liberation, power, inequality, violence, and freedom. The Concentration in World Literature is for students who wish to focus their study of English literature beyond British and American works and to think about how stories and poems cross national borders and intertwine with world history.

The minimum number of courses to satisfy both the major and the World Literature concentration is twelve, three of which must be in World Literature. In addition to the College language requirement, students in the concentration must take at least one course in a foreign language at the intermediate level or beyond. To complete the concentration, students must also complete a World Literature-themed senior seminar paper, honors study, or individual study at the 400 level.

Students concentrating in World Literature are strongly encouraged to study away. They may complete an advanced-level literature course in a language other than English at the 300 or 400 level (taught either in the original language or in translation) in lieu of one of the two additional courses.

Of the three courses in World Literature, at least one of them must be from the list of core courses in the concentration and two more courses from either the core course list or the additional course list.

Core Courses in World Literature

Additional courses that count towards the World Literature concentration. (Note that individual studies and honors study courses only count towards the concentration if they are taken as World Literature courses.)

Concentration in Race, Power, Difference

The Concentration in Race, Power, Difference brings together the English Department's courses that foreground the interplay of race, power, and difference in literature. Students in the concentration will coalesce their research interests in race, gender, queer theory, age studies, disability studies, empire, and other areas of power and difference for use on literary texts.

Students take three Race, Power, Difference courses (one core course and two more courses from either the core course list or the additional course list) in order to conduct a sustained investigation of how the intertwining of these categories is represented in literary and other texts. To complete the concentration, these courses must be capped with a Race, Power, Difference-themed comprehensive exercise—a full-length senior seminar paper, honors study, or individual study at the 400 level—that must be completed by the senior year.

The minimum number of courses to satisfy both the major and the Race, Power, Difference concentration is twelve, three of which must be in Race, Power, Difference. Of the three courses in Race, Power, Difference, at least one of them must be from this list of core courses in the concentration:

Core Courses in Race, Power, Difference

Additional courses that count towards the Race, Power, Difference concentration. (Note that individual studies and honors study courses only count towards the concentration if they are taken as Race, Power, Difference courses.)