For lists of courses required for specific Majors, Minors, and Certificates, please view the following:
- Writing Major Requirements
- Literature Major Requirements
- Public and Professional Writing Major Requirements
- Film and Media Studies Major Requirements
- Public and Professional Writing Certificate Requirements
- Children's Literature Certificate Requirements
- Public Communcation of Science and Technology Certificate
General Requirements for All English Majors
Grade Requirements for Courses in Major
Students wishing to graduate with a major in English literature must maintain at least a 2.00 quality point average in department courses.
Students wishing to graduate with a major in English writing must maintain at least a 2.00 quality point average in department courses, as well as individual grades of C or better in all courses within the track in which the student specializes.
Departmental Honors Major Requirements
The Department of English confers honors on those graduates who maintain a 3.25 overall quality point average with a QPA of 3.50 or better in English department courses. Please note: you need not apply for honors designation; your record will be reviewed when the department is asked to certify you for graduation. Also note that the QPA is based on all courses taken in the Department of English -- not just those that fulfill major requirements.
Double Majors and Certificates
A major in English literature or writing lends itself especially well to being studied in combination with other disciplines. Double majors are common.
Related Area
If you are not pursuing a second major, a minor, or certificate program, you are required by Arts and Sciences to complete 12 credits in any one A&S department approved by the departmental advisors. (Some courses are non-A&S and cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.)
S/NC and Audit Grading Option
The Department of English places no limit on the number of courses its majors may take on a Satisfactory/No-Credit (S/NC) or Audit (N) grade basis, either inside or outside the department. If you wish to elect one of these options, you must submit a request form to the A&S Dean’s Office, 140 Thackeray Hall, by the deadline, normally 4 weeks into the term or 2 weeks after the end of Add/Drop Period.
Language Study
There is no foreign language requirement beyond the A&S requirement, but those who contemplate graduate study in English should remember that many graduate schools do require foreign language competence, sometimes in more than one language.