COURSE CURRICULUM

The English BA is a 124-hour degree that builds strong skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, and analysis through a mix of general education courses, core English study, and advanced literature electives. In the general education section, students complete foundation courses in writing (ENG 101 and ENG 102), natural sciences with lab work, humanities including literature, philosophy, or history, social sciences like psychology or sociology, mathematics, and communication skills such as speaking-intensive courses, while also completing a senior capstone (ENG 400). The main English program requires courses like literary analysis (ENG 340), advanced upper-level English electives, and distribution across major literary areas including diverse perspectives (such as African-American, postcolonial, or women’s literature), medieval and early modern literature, mid-modern literature, modern literature, and contemporary or theory-based literature, ensuring students understand literature across historical periods and cultural contexts. Students must also complete a writing-intensive upper-level English course and maintain a strong academic standard (typically C or higher in key courses). Additionally, students choose a specialization option such as Creative Writing, focusing on fiction, poetry, and advanced creative workshops, or Professional Writing, focusing on technical writing, grammar, digital communication, and workplace writing skills. Beyond English requirements, students complete additional BA requirements in history, social sciences, and humanities, along with a foreign language requirement of 12 hours up to at least the intermediate level (202), which strengthens communication and cultural understanding. Overall, this degree is designed to produce graduates who are highly skilled in communication, literary analysis, and writing, preparing them for careers in education, publishing, media, law, business communication, and other fields requiring advanced language and analytical abilities.