COURSE CURRICULUM

The English Core curriculum requires 21 credits and is designed to provide students with strong foundational knowledge in literature, writing, genre studies, cultural analysis, and critical interpretation while preparing them for advanced study within the English major. The program begins with core courses such as ENGL 2200, which introduces students to literary studies and analytical methods, and ENGL 2210, which explores literature within a specific historical, cultural, or thematic moment. Students then select a genre-focused course that allows them to study different forms of storytelling and literary expression, including drama, graphic novels, science fiction, short stories, video games as literature, popular lyrics, or narrative structures in games, reflecting the program’s broad and modern approach to literary studies. To strengthen cultural and social awareness, students must complete a course emphasizing the literature of a specific ethnic or cultural group, with options such as African-American literature, immigrant literature, women’s literature, queer drama and performance, or Irish literature, encouraging engagement with diverse voices and perspectives. The curriculum also requires one advanced writing course at the 2000 level or higher, allowing students to develop practical and creative writing skills through courses in business writing, technical writing, narrative nonfiction, poetry, fiction workshops, essay writing, or creative writing. Students further deepen literary analysis by studying a single influential author or literary legacy through courses focused on Shakespeare, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, or broader literary traditions. The English Core concludes with the required English Capstone course, where students integrate the analytical, research, and writing skills developed throughout the program into an advanced culminating academic project. Overall, the curriculum combines traditional literary study with contemporary cultural analysis and creative expression, preparing students for careers in writing, publishing, education, media, communications, and related professional or graduate fields.