English Major
English Courses in improve the reading, writing, and analytical skills of students, offer insight into the structure of the English language, explore film as an art form, and develop an appreciation for great literature. As such, an English major is excellent preparation for graduate study in literature and communication, medical school, law school, and secondary education. It opens the way to many positions in government and private industry, including editing, technical writing, advertising, public relations, communication, sales, marketing, personnel management, human resources, and more. In order to provide a firm foundation, students in the major take four broad-range survey courses, preferably early in the program. In order to acquire range and balance, majors take one course in the English language, chosen from Linguistics or Grammar, and a wide variety of selections from period surveys, literary genres, film, major figures, and writing courses.
Because of the diversity of offerings and the expectation that English majors should improve their intellectual background and flexibility, students are encouraged to broaden their experience with additional courses beyond the minimum requirements, and to explore study abroad or internship options for their Experiential Learning requirement. It is very easy to add one or more minors and we strongly encourage our students to do so. Many of our students double major in Psychology, History, Theater, Music, Foreign Languages, Social Science, and more. Our program offers many Honors courses for students in the Honors program that can also satisfy English requirements.
Major Requirements
In addition to the University requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, English majors must complete a minimum of thirteen (13) ENGL courses numbered above 199, of which at least six (6) of these courses must be on the 300 and 400 level, totaling the following 39 ENGL credit hours:
| Code | Course | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 202 | The American Literary Experience | 3 |
| ENGL 204 | The British Literary Experience I | 3 |
| ENGL 206 | The British Literary Experience II | 3 |
| ENGL 305 | Survey of Literary Theory | 3 |
Either:
|
3 | |
|
3 | |
| ENGL xxxWI | 2nd ENGL Writing Intensive course at the 300 level or above | 3 |
| ENGL xxx | Six (6) ENGL elective courses, which must include:
|
18 |
Additionally, one 3-credit hour speech-intensive (SI) course is required to satisfy the 鈥淕eneral Requirements for all Bachelor Degree.
Important Notes
- ENGL 202, 204, 206, and 212 all satisfy the University Core literature requirement. Majors are strongly encouraged to take one of these courses to meet this requirement. ENGL 189 and ENGL 203 are considered electives in the major.
- The English major is offered as a Bachelor of Arts degree. All English majors (including those students matriculating to JU with the Associate of Arts degree) must satisfy the University Core Curriculum Global Studies requirement by completing a foreign language through the 202 level.
- Course ENGL 103 is a prerequisite for all English courses numbered above 179.
- AP Credits: Students who earn a 3 on either the AP Language & Composition or the AP Literature & Compsotion exams are placed into ENGL 103 Honors. Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the AP Language & Composition exam will earn credit for ENGL 103 and be placed into ENGL 203 Honors. Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the AP Literature & Composition exam are awarded 3 hours of English elective credit and are placed into ENGL 103 Honors. No student may exempt the Core Curriculum literature requirement.
- Students planning to teach in the public schools should take the following suggested
courses; however, students should consult with the School of Education early in their
academic careers to determine the specific requirements:
- ENGL 203, World Literature or ENGL 343, U.S. Multiethnic Literature
- ENGL 302WI, Writing: Argumentation or Exposition
- ENGL 400, Linguistics, or ENGL 402, Development & Grammar of the English Language
- Prior to graduation, English majors are asked to complete an assessment portfolio.