English, B.A.
Upon successful completion of the program of studies for English, the student will receive a B.A. in English and will have given evidence of the following outcomes:
- Students will write a creative and/or critical work with a clear sense of purpose.
- Students will clearly support their arguments with relevant details from primary texts and employ reading strategies that offer clear, substantial explanations and interpretations of those details.
- Students will effectively incorporate secondary scholarly sources to support and/or develop key ideas and correctly cite those sources in current MLA format.
- Students will hone their oral communication skills by clearly delivering presentations that are focused, well-organized, and informative.
- Students will expand their cultural awareness by formulating effective arguments that analyze the socio-historical circumstances of marginalized, disenfranchised people.
To earn this degree, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including General Education requirements and the major requirements below.
Major Sequence
Beyond basic degree requirements, 33-36 semester hours of English are required for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English. For students who complete the 175 hours of clinical practice requirement for NJ teacher certification, the major requirements are 33 semester hours of English. For students who do not complete the 175 hours of clinical practice required for NJ teacher certification, the major requirements are 33 semester hours of English, plus one of the following three options, which adds 0-3 credits to the major, bringing the total to 33-36 semester hours of English: 1) an internship, either credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing (0-3 credits); 2) a 1-credit practicum (EN299 Practicum); or 3) a 1-3-credit independent project (EN421 Independent Project). The internship option may be satisfied by EN405 Internship (3 credits), CAR465 NonCredit Internship (0 credits) or by an internship arranged through the Office of Career Services or completed for another major or program. The requirements for the major are as follows:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
EN300 | Gateways to Literary Study | 3.0 |
British Literature before the Nineteenth Century | ||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | |
Shakespeare I: Of Kings & Lovers | ||
Shakespeare II: Deception & Betrayal | ||
Heroes, Myths, & Monsters | ||
Medieval Literature | ||
Chaucer: Bawds & Churls | ||
Shakespeare Theater Violence & Obsession | ||
Seventeenth Century Literature | ||
Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
British Literature from the Nineteenth Century to the Present | ||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | |
Romantic Literature | ||
Victorian Literature | ||
Modern British Literature | ||
Contemporary British Literature | ||
American Literature | ||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | |
American Drama | ||
American Renaissance | ||
American Realism | ||
Modern American Literature | ||
Contemporary American Literature | ||
Make It New: Modern American Poetry | ||
Multi-Ethnic Literature | ||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | |
AsianAmericanLit | ||
USMultiEthnicLit | ||
NativeAmLit&Crit | ||
African Diaspora | ||
Senior Seminar | ||
EN429 | Bookends: A Global Literature Seminar | 3.0 |
EN430 | Senior Seminar II | 3.0 |
English Electives | ||
English elective courses 1,2 | 12.0-15.0 | |
Total Credits | 33.0-36.0 |
- 1
Electives may be chosen from any of the EN offerings numbered EN113 or higher. One gen ed English course other EN111/221 may be double counted for English major elective credit. Students may not take both EN114 and EN226 for credit.
- 2
Students who complete the 175 hours of clinical practice requirement for NJ teacher certification must take at least 12 English elective credits. Students who do not complete the 175 hours of clinical practice required for NJ teacher certification must take at least 12 English elective credits plus complete one of the following three options: 1) an internship, either credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing, in English or another discipline (0-3 credits; the three credit EN405 Internship course satisfies this requirement as does the zero credit CAR465 NonCredit Internship); 2) a 1-credit practicum (EN299 Practicum); or 3) a 1-3-credit independent project (EN421 Independent Project).
Majors are required to earn a final grade point average of at least 2.5 in the major in order to successfully graduate with an English major.
English majors seeking New Jersey teacher certification are encouraged to consider the following English electives for the major:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
EN250 | The Power of Grammar | 3.0 |
EN260 | Exploring Children's Literature | 3.0 |
EN264 | Journeys in Young Adult Literature | 3.0 |
EN416 | HistoryStructureofEnglish (when offered) | 3.0 |
Total Credits | 12.0 |
Writing Concentration
This concentration offers students the opportunity to sharpen their writing skills in a variety of scholarly, creative, and professional genres. Students learn about the practical requirements of writing with different technologies and for different media, while exploring their creativity in collaboration with faculty and peers. Since this track prepares students for jobs in a variety of fields (including advertising, publishing, editing, and marketing), a practicum, internship (noncredit or credit) or independent project is required. The concentration also offers a strong foundation for students planning to pursue an M.F.A. in creative writing. Students who minor in writing cannot choose the writing concentration.
English Major Course Requirements (21); see above
Additional requirements for the Writing Concentration (12–15 credits):
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Internship or Practicum (note: students completing 175 hr for clinical practice requirement for teacher certification are not exempt from this requirement). Select one of the following: | 0.0-3.0 | |
NonCredit Internship | ||
Practicum | ||
Internship | ||
Independent Project | ||
Internship completed for another major or program | ||
Required Other Courses (substitute for English electives) | ||
Select three of the following: | 9.0 | |
News Writing & Reporting | ||
News Editing | ||
Writing for the Mass Media | ||
Creative Writing | ||
Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research | ||
Topics in Writing | ||
Writing on the Web | ||
Writing About Television | ||
The Power of Grammar | ||
Public Relations Writing | ||
HistoryStructureofEnglish | ||
Additional English Elective | ||
English elective course 1 | 3.0 | |
Total Credits | 12.0-15.0 |
- 1
Elective may be chosen from any of the EN offerings numbered EN113 or higher. One gen ed English course other EN111/221 may be double counted for English major elective credit. Students may not take both EN114 and EN226 for credit.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall Semester | Credits | |
GEN101 | Pathway to the Bridge 1 | 2.0 |
EN111 or EN221 |
Academic Writing and Research I 1 or Honors Argument: Rhetoric & Research |
3.0 |
Mod. Lang.; Culture; Global 1 | 3.0 | |
Social Science 1 1 | 3.0 | |
Quantitative Analysis 1 | 3.0-4.0 | |
Elective (recommended) | 1.0 | |
Credits | 15.0-16.0 | |
Spring Semester | ||
GEN199 | WI:Discovering Self in the Universe 1 | 3.0 |
History 1 | 3.0 | |
Literature (EN100 level) 1, 2 | 3.0 | |
Natural Sciences (w/ lab) 1 | 4.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 16.0 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
EN300 | Gateways to Literary Study 2 | 3.0 |
EN Requirement 2 | 3.0 | |
Social Science 2 1 | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 15.0 | |
Spring Semester | ||
EN Elective 2 | 3.0 | |
EN Elective 2 | 3.0 | |
EN Requirement 2 | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 15.0 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
PL245 | Philosophical Inquiry 1 | 3.0 |
Religious Studies 1 | 3.0 | |
EN Elective 2 | 3.0 | |
EN Requirement 2 | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 15.0 | |
Spring Semester | ||
WS311 | Shaping Lives: Women & Gender 1 | 3.0 |
Visual & Performing Arts 1 | 3.0 | |
EN Requirement 2 | 3.0 | |
Internship, Practicum, or Independent Project 2 | 0.0-3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 12.0-15.0 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall Semester | ||
Ethics 1 | 3.0 | |
GEN400 | WI:Visioning a Future 1 | 3.0 |
EN429 | Bookends: A Global Literature Seminar 2 | 3.0 |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 15.0 | |
Spring Semester | ||
EN430 | Senior Seminar II 2 | 3.0 |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Elective | 3.0 | |
Credits | 15.0 | |
Total Credits | 118.0-122.0 |
English
Students who wish to earn departmental honors as English majors must meet the following requirements:
- To be eligible, the student must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA, and have completed 18–21 credits in English with a minimum of 3.5 GPA.
- Eligible students will enroll in 300/400 level designated honors courses in consultation with the department chair. Students will choose a subject for research in collaboration with a faculty mentor. Reading, research and writing will be under the direction of the mentor. The completed Honors Thesis will be presented before the department (students and faculty), and at a public forum such as Academic Excellence Night or a regional meeting.