English, BA

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The English program of the Department of English and Modern Languages offers courses leading to the BA degree.

Every attempt has been made to state the major and minor requirements as clearly as possible. However, we recommend that every student majoring or minoring in the program maintain close communication with the academic advisor assigned by the department in order to plan a program suited to the student’s needs.

NOTE: The department does not guarantee that all courses listed will be offered every year.

Assessment

The Department requires student outcomes assessment testing prior to graduation.

The major in English requires a minimum of 39 hours of coursework in the discipline. Graduates from the program enter a variety of careers requiring skills in communication; research; and the analysis or production of texts, including teaching, journalism, law, publishing, creative writing, technical writing, and business management. The relatively low number of required hours for the major gives students flexibility either to develop further their background in writing and literature or to add expertise in a related field. The concentration in Creative Writing requires an additional 22 hours of coursework; the concentration in Rhetoric and Professional Writing requires an additional 23 hours of coursework.

Majors seeking licensure for teaching secondary English should add to the major requirements ENGL 208 , ENGL 350 , ENGL 381 , ENGL 382 , ENGL 479 , ENGL 480 and ENGL 482 . In addition, they must be formally admitted to the Teacher Preparation Program and should therefore complete EDUC 245 and EDUC 260 and pass the Praxis I examination preferably during their freshman year. Before being admitted to student teaching, teacher candidates must complete all required education and major courses except ENGL 482 , maintain a minimum cumulative GPA both overall and in the major, pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and Praxis II tests. Finally, students must complete student teaching in their last semester.

In addition to the BA degree in English, the department offers three concentrations (Rhetoric and Professional Writing, Creative Writing, and secondary licensure) and four minors (English, Children’s Literature, Rhetoric and Professional Writing, and Creative Writing).

Civitae Core Requirements (39-40 credits)

Civitae Core

English majors may count Civitae Core courses satisfying major requirements as also satisfying their respective Civitae Core requirements, up to two Pillar courses and one Perspectives course. (Students pursuing Virginia teaching licensure are not restricted as to the number of courses.) The following are the courses in this major that may be used in this way:

ENGL 220 , ENGL 221 , ENGL 222 , and ENGL 223 can satisfy the Aesthetic Expression Pillar requirement
ENGL 215 can satisfy the Historical and Contemporary Insights Pillar requirement
EDUC 245 can satisfy the Human Behavior and Social Institutions Pillar requirement

Courses satisfying major requirements that are designated as Civitae Core courses subsequent to the print deadline of this Catalog will not appear in the above listings but will be eligible to also satisfy Civitae Core requirements, subject to the same rules as the others. (If doing so would otherwise decrease the total credits required for the degree below 120, General Elective credit must be substituted to restore the total.)

Transfer students go to Transfer Student General Education for requirements.

Additional Degree Requirements (3 credits)

See Additional Degree Requirements for Bachelor of Arts.

Major Requirements (39 credits)

One 300- or 400-level course in a literature of diversity (3 credits)

Literature of diversity-a literature that has been historically marginalized or underrepresented, such as ethnic literature, queer studies, postcolonial literature, or women’s literature (ENGL 362 , ENGL 384 , ENGL 432 , ENGL 441 , ENGL 443 , and other 300- and 400-level courses that fall into the categories described above, subject to the approval of the department chair).

Three 300- or 400-level courses (9 credits)

(ENGL 356 - ENGL 360 , ENGL 411 – ENGL 446 , ENGL 490 , ENGL 495 , ENGL 498 )

NOTE: No more than three of these credits may be satisfied with a 300-level class.

NOTE: Students in the secondary teaching licensure concentration should satisfy three of these elective credits with ENGL 479 - Writing: Theory and Practice for the Middle and Secondary Classroom /3 credits.

NOTE: This requirement cannot be met by any class that satisfies another major, minor, or concentration requirement.

ENGL 461 - Literary Criticism: Senior Seminar

Three professional credits

May be satisfied with ENGL 319 - Technical Writing /3 credits or ENGL 470 - Professional Writing Skills /3 credits

NOTE: Students in the secondary teaching licensure concentration should satisfy these credits with ENGL 381 - Literature for Young Adults /3 credits. Students in the creative writing concentration should satisfy these credits with ENGL 319 - Technical Writing /3 credits.

NOTE: Students in the Creative Writing concentration who also desire secondary licensure should contact the English Education director at the beginning of their program for additional requirements and help scheduling credits.

Concentration Requirements

General Electives

General Electives for BA in English without secondary teaching licensure 2-3 credits
General Electives for BA in English Creative Writing Concentration 19-20 credits (plus 3 credits included in Civitae Core requirements)
General Electives for BA in English Professional Writing Concentration 17-18 credits

Total Credits Required

Total Credits Required for BA in English 120
Total Credits Required for BA in English/Creative Writing Concentration 120
Total Credits Required for BA in English with Secondary Teaching Endorsement 120
Total Credits Required for BA in English/Rhetoric & Professional Writing Concentration 120