English, Bachelor of Arts
English majors read, discuss, and write about literature, film, popular culture and the law from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, they build skills in critical reading and analysis, verbal presentation, argumentation, and persuasive writing. In John Jay’s unique English curriculum, students acquire a comprehensive and varied foundation in literary study, and then choose to pursue either the field of Literature in greater depth or an optional concentration in Literature and the Law. The major prepares students for a variety of careers and graduate work in law, public policy, business, education, writing, and government.
Learning Outcomes. Students will:
- Read texts closely, paying attention to the significance of words, syntax, and their contribution to the meaning of the text as a whole.
- Identify the key elements and terms of literature, such as tone, form, point of view, figurative language, and plot structure in their analysis of literature.
- Show awareness of a given genre and its conventions within a historical context.
- Appropriately use secondary and theoretical sources in support of literary analysis.
- Write critically on literature, including setting up a thesis, incorporating textual evidence, writing a coherent argument, and citing sources correctly according to a standardized format.
- Produce papers that are edited for clarity and grammatical correctness.
Credits Required.
| English Major |
39 |
| General Education |
42 |
| Electives |
39 |
| Total Credits Required for B.A. Degree |
120 |
Coordinator. Professor John Staines (646.557.4555, jstaines@jjay.cuny.edu)
Advising resources. Department of English webpage - information for students. English Major Advising Resources. Sample Four-year Plan of Study.
Honors option. To receive Honors in Literature, a student must take both the Literature Seminar and an Independent Study that includes a research project, maintaining a GPA of 3.5 within the major. To receive Honors in Literature and the Law, a student must take both the Literature and the Law Seminar and an Independent Study that includes a research project, maintaining a GPA of 3.5 within the major.
Additional information. Students who enrolled for the first time at the College or changed to this major in September 2017 or thereafter must complete the major in the form presented here. Students who enrolled prior to that date may choose either the form shown here or the earlier version of the major. A copy of the earlier version can be found in the 2016-17 Undergraduate Bulletin.
Foundational Courses
Select one General Education English Literature course
| LIT 230 | Expressions of the Living Past: Reading Ancient Worlds | 3 |
| LIT 231 | Medieval and Early Modern Literature | 3 |
| LIT 232 | Reading the Modern World | 3 |
| LIT 233 | American Stories (was American Literature) | 3 |
| LIT 236 | Literary Perspectives on Culture & Globalization | 3 |
| LIT 237 | Literature as Witness | 3 |
| LIT 239 | Science in the Making | 3 |
| LIT 241 | Murder on Screen and Stage | 3 |
| LIT 326 | Crime, Punishment and Justice in the U.S. Literature | 3 |
| LIT 327 | Crime, Punishment and Justice in World Literature | 3 |
| ISP 235 | Apples & Oranges: Form & Meaning in the Arts | 3 |
| ISP 236 | Truth & Creativity: How We Make Meaning | 3 |
| ISP 273 | The Stories We Tell | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Advisors recommendation. All courses listed above can fulfill one area of the Gen Ed Program.
Part One. Critical Skills
Required
| LIT 260 | Introduction to Literary Study | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 3
Part Two. Critical Methods
RequiredTotal Credit Hours: 6
Part Three. Historical Perspectives
Choose four
| LIT 370 | Topics in Ancient Literature | 3 |
| LIT 371 | Topics in Medieval Literature | 3 |
| LIT 372 | Topics in Early Modern Literature | 3 |
| LIT 373 | Topics in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-century Literature | 3 |
| LIT 374 | Topics in Nineteenth-century Literature | 3 |
| LIT 375 | Topics in Twentieth-century Literature | 3 |
| LIT 379 | Selected Historical Topics in Literature | 3 |
Students may choose the following elective courses as alternatives to satisfy PART THREE. Historical Perspectives:
For LIT 371: LIT 319 Law and Justice in European Medieval Literature
For LIT 372: LIT 313 Shakespeare OR LIT 314 Shakespeare and Justice
For LIT 375: LIT 344 Caribbean Literature and Culture OR LIT 357 Violence of Language: US Latino/a Street Literature OR LIT 383 Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Latino/a Literature
Please note: Courses cannot count in more than one area of the major.
Total Credit Hours: 12
Part Four. Electives
Choose any four courses from the list below
If concentrating in “Literature and the Law”, choose at least two of the courses identified in the bottom note.
| ENG 212 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENG 215 | Poetry Writing and Reading | 3 |
| ENG 216 | Fiction Writing | 3 |
| ENG 221 | Screenwriting for Film, Television, and Internet | 3 |
| ENG 228/ANT 228 | Introduction to Language | 3 |
| ENG 230 | Journalism in the 21st Century | 3 |
| ENG 233 | News Reporting and Writing | 4 |
| ENG 235 | Writing for Management, Business and Public Administration | 3 |
| ENG 242 | Contemporary Media in Everyday Life | 3 |
| ENG 245 | Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
| ENG 250 | Writing for Legal Studies | 3 |
| ENG 255 | Argument Writing | 3 |
| ENG 260 | Grammar, Syntax, and Style: Writing for All Disciplines | 3 |
| ENG 313 | Advanced Fiction Writing | 3 |
| ENG 316 | Advanced Argument Writing and Response: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ENG 320 | Writing Workshop in Autobiography: An Eye on the Self | 3 |
| ENG 328/ANT 328 | Forensic Linguistics: Language as Evidence in the Courts | 3 |
| ENG 334 | Intermediate News Reporting and Writing | 4 |
| ENG 336 | Digital Journalism | 4 |
| ENG 350 | Advanced Legal Writing: Advocacy and Oral Argument | 3 |
| ENG 380 | Selected Topics in Creative Writing | 3 |
| ISP 321 | Moral, Legal and Ethical Dilemmas that Shape the U.S.A. | 3 |
| ISP 322 | Making Waves: Troublemakers, Gadflies and Whistleblowers | 3 |
| LIT 203 | New York City in Literature | 3 |
| LIT 212 | Literature of the African World | 3 |
| LIT 219 | The Word as Weapon | 3 |
| LIT 223/AFR 223 | African-American Literature | 3 |
| LIT 265 | Foundations of U.S. Latino/a Literature | 3 |
| LIT 270 | Reading and Writing Children's Literature | 3 |
| LIT 275 | The Language of Film | 3 |
| LIT 283 | New York City in Film | 3 |
| LIT 284 | Film and Society | 3 |
| LIT 285 | The Rebel in Film | 3 |
| LIT 286 | The Horror Film | 3 |
| LIT 287 | Selected Topics in Literature | 3 |
| LIT 309 | Contemporary Fiction | 3 |
| LIT 311 | Literature and Ethics | 3 |
| LIT 313 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| LIT 314 | Shakespeare and Justice | 3 |
| LIT 315 | American Literature and the Law | 3 |
| LIT 316 | Gender and Identity in Literary Traditions | 3 |
| LIT 319 | Law and Justice in European Medieval Literature | 3 |
| LIT 323 | The Crime Film | 3 |
| LIT 324 | Road Movies | 3 |
| LIT 325 | Science Fiction Film | 3 |
| LIT 328 | Film Criticism | 3 |
| LIT 329 | Documentary Film and Media | 3 |
| LIT 330 | Alfred Hitchcock | 3 |
| LIT 331 | Steven Spielberg | 3 |
| LIT 332 | Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee | 3 |
| LIT 340/AFR 340 | The African-American Experience in America: Comparative Racial Perspectives | 3 |
| LIT 342 | Perspectives on Literature and Human Rights | 3 |
| LIT 344 | Caribbean Literature and Culture | 3 |
| LIT 346 | Cultures in Conflict | 3 |
| LIT 348 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| LIT 352 | New Fiction | 3 |
| LIT 353 | Comic Books and Graphic Novels: Investigating a Literary Medium | 3 |
| LIT 357 | Violence of Language: U.S. Latino/a Street Literature | 3 |
| LIT 360 | Mythology in Literature | 3 |
| LIT 362 | The Bible as Literature | 3 |
| LIT 366 | Writing Nature: Literature and Ecology | 3 |
| LIT 380 | Advanced Selected Topics in Literature | 3 |
| LIT 383 | Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Latino/a Literature | 3 |
| LIT 401 | Special Topics | 3 |
| LIT 409 | Seminar in U.S. Latino/a Literature | 3 |
| LLS 362 | Entangled Tongues: Bilingualism in U.S. Latino/a Literature | 3 |
| LLS 363 | Il-Legal Subjects: U.S. Latino/a Lit & the Law | 3 |
| LLS 364 | Ethical Strains in U.S. Latino/a Literature | 3 |
Students who wish to do the LIT and LAW concentration should choose their electives from this list: ENG 250, ENG 328/ANT 328, ENG 350, ISP 321, ISP 322, LIT 219, LIT 311, LIT 314, LIT 315, LIT 319, LIT 323, LIT 342, LIT 348, LLS 363.
Students should also consult the current course schedule for offerings
Total Credit Hours: 12
Part Five. Major Seminar
Choose one
(If concentrating in Literature and the Law, choose Literature and the Law Seminar)
| LIT 400 | Senior Seminar in Literature | 3 |
| LIT 405 | Senior Seminar in Literature and Law | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 3
Total Credit Hours: 39