COURSE CURRICULUM

The English major at Bellarmine requires a minimum of 120 credits and is designed to develop strong reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through a progressive, structured curriculum. In the first year, students complete foundational courses including Introduction to Academic Writing (ENGL-101), Literary Form and Interpretation (ENGL-205), and general education requirements such as philosophy, history, social science, natural science, and mathematics, along with foreign language study. The second year builds on these foundations with Critical Writing in English (ENGL-206), an introduction to the profession of English (ENGL-299), and several 300-level English courses across five required categories, alongside electives and general education courses in fine arts and theology. By the third year, students continue taking advanced 300-level courses and 400-level seminars, while fulfilling the Intrinsic Dignity & Inclusivity requirement and completing additional electives. The fourth year focuses on completing the 300-level category courses, a third 400-level seminar, and the senior capstone course ENGL-450, along with the Merici Community Engaged Seminar (KNGT-401) to satisfy the senior seminar requirement. Throughout the program, students also complete electives and courses in English or film studies, allowing them to explore diverse texts such as novels, poetry, films, and graphic novels. This comprehensive curriculum emphasizes close reading, critical analysis, and extensive writing, preparing graduates for careers in writing, education, communications, and beyond, while fostering a lifelong appreciation for literature and thoughtful inquiry.