COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts degree in English provides a comprehensive education in literary study, writing, rhetoric, and critical analysis, preparing students for a wide range of careers or advanced study. The program develops students’ skills as insightful readers and innovative writers through a combination of core courses, electives, and concentration-specific coursework. Core courses include introduction to literary study, literature in English or U.S. literature sequences, critical theory or rhetoric and writing studies, and a senior seminar that fulfills the writing-intensive requirement. Students also select English electives at the 20000, 30000, or 40000 level to deepen their understanding of literature and writing.The English major offers three concentrations: General, Literature, and Professional Writing. The General concentration allows students to explore a mix of creative and professional writing, rhetoric, linguistics, historical literature, genre studies, and literary theory according to personal interests. The Literature concentration emphasizes analysis and interpretation of texts from historical and cultural perspectives, requiring courses in early and modern historical literature, historical literature topics, and additional electives in genre, cultural, and literary studies. The Professional Writing concentration focuses on advanced writing, editing, and publishing skills. Students complete courses in grammar, technical and professional writing, rhetorical and linguistic studies, and a professional experience component through internships, service-learning, or tutoring.The program encourages engagement beyond the classroom through internships, service-learning, study abroad, and special topics courses. Experiential learning opportunities, such as writing internships or editing projects, allow students to apply theory and writing skills in professional contexts. Through its combination of rigorous coursework, practical experience, and flexible concentration options, the English major fosters critical thinking, communication, creativity, and professional readiness. Students graduate with the ability to read analytically, write effectively, and adapt to a variety of professional, academic, and creative environments.The program requires a minimum of 120 credit hours, including lower- and upper-division coursework, concentration requirements, Kent Core courses, general electives, and foreign language study, ensuring both depth and breadth in the study of English.