Professors Davis, Hardy-S, Perry, K. Weese; Associate Professors Horne, Varholy; Assistant Professor Celeste.
Chair: Abigail T. Horne
For information about the Creative Writing minor, please contact Professor Neil Perry.

The requirements for a major in English are 34 hours. These hours must include one semester of History of English Literature (211 or 212); one semester of American Literature (221 or 222); one focused perspectives course (English 224, 226, 228, 230, or 340); Literary Theory and Criticism (English 380); four other upper level English courses (300-level), two of which need to be pre-1900; one elective numbered 223 or above (not including creative writing courses); one free elective (this can be any English course including creative writing). Each major must also enroll in English 480, the Capstone Seminar, and take as a corequisite English 481, the Research Methods Seminar. It is strongly recommended that students take Literary Theory and Criticism in the junior year. Students should take 480/481 during their senior year unless they are considering Departmental Distinction, in which case they should talk to their advisor about taking 480/481 during the second semester of their junior year. It is recommended that students complete 380 and two other 300-level courses before enrolling in the capstone. Prospective majors are strongly encouraged to take a literature course numbered at the 100 level in their freshman year. English courses taken at other institutions and presented for major credit must be approved in writing by the Department of English; for current students this approval must be secured in advance, and for transfer and former students it must be secured at entrance.

The requirements for a minor in Creative Writing are 15 hours, including a minimum of three creative writing courses from among English 250, 252, 350, and 352. A Creative Writing minor must specialize in either poetry or fiction by taking both workshops in that genre as well as a literature course that focuses on the genre of choice. In addition, each student must take Rhetoric 302. English majors who elect to complete this minor are allowed to count one course towards both the English major and the Creative Writing minor. Students completing the Creative Writing minor who elect also to complete the Rhetoric minor (see underRhetoric) are allowed a one course overlap (Rhetoric 302). Students electing to pursue this minor develop their course of study in consultation with their major advisor and Creative Writing advisor, Professor Neil Perry.

Note: The English Department offers several sections of the following 100-level courses each year. Please consult TigerWeb for the precise courses offered each semester. These courses are especially suitable for first- and secondyear students beginning the English major or satisfying the College’s general literature requirement. Students may take as many different 100-level literature courses as they like for credit, and all will satisfy the general literature requirement, but only one such course will fulfill a requirement for the English major.

All 300- and 400-level courses have the following prerequisite: any 100-level or 200-level literature course in the Department of English, or consent of the instructor.

English Course Catalogue

updated 8/19/24

English Major Checklist

Major Requirements
211 or 212 One British Lit. Survey
221 or 222 One American  Lit. Survey
224, 226, 228, or 230 One focused perspectives
380 Literary Theory & Criticism
480 (3 hours) Capstone seminar*
481 (1 hour) Research methods seminar
Additional Requirement: Six English Electives
Four 300-level courses Four 300-level literature courses (two of which must be pre-1900)
Two Electives

1 elective any choice and

1 elective above 222 (this may not be Creative Writing)


*As of fall 2013, the Catalogue reads: "Each major must enroll in English 480, the Capstone Seminar, and take as a corequisite English 481, the Research Methods Seminar. Students should take 480/481 during their senior year unless they are considering an honors project, in which case they should talk to their advisor about taking 480/481 during the second semester of their junior year. It is recommended that students complete 380 and two other 300-level courses before enrolling in the capstone.

Creative Writing Minor Checklist

The Creative Writing Minor consists of five courses: four creative writing courses and one literature course that focuses on a genre. A student completing this minor must choose a "track" or specialization, normally either poetry or fiction. He will take both the beginning and advanced writing course in that track and will then select an appropriate genre course to complete the track.

English majors who elect to complete this minor are allowed to count one course towards both the English major and the Creative Writing minor. Students completing the Creative Writing minor who elect also to complete the Rhetoric minor are allowed a one-course overlap. 

Required Courses:  

  • English 250.  Introductory Creative Writing: Poetry  
  • English 252.  Introductory Creative Writing: Fiction  
  • Rhetoric 301. Creative Nonfiction    

Tracked Electives:  

  • One advanced-level creative writing course, normally English 350 or 352.  (Students who wish to specialize in creative non-fiction might arrange for an independent study.)  
  • One literature course focusing on the appropriate genre. Examples are English 316 (Modern British and American Poetry) for students specializing in poetry, or English 317 (The English Novel) or English 320 (The Modern Short Story) for students specializing in fiction.