English Undergraduate Programs - Kendall College of Arts and Sciences

English Undergraduate Programs

Students in the English Department achieve a breadth of historical and critical exposure, chiefly but not exclusively in British, American and Irish literature and culture.  They will study literary technique, style, form, genre, and the Anglo-American literary tradition.   Opportunities may include creative writing workshops taught by novelists or poets of national and international reputation. Classes characteristically are small (15-20 students) and emphasize lecture and discussion. Approaches to critical writing go hand in hand with approaches to critical reading and essay examinations and term papers typically are required.

Extracurricular life originating in the Faculty of English is rich and varied. An undergraduate literary magazine is published annually, and there are close ties to performances in the Faculties of Theatre and Music, as well as to special programs in related disciplines such as art, communication, foreign languages, and history. In addition, undergraduates benefit from a number of guest lecturers, visiting artists, and special conferences brought to campus each year by the English department.

Students who can write clearly and think creatively typically find jobs in a wide range of occupations, many of them located well beyond what is traditionally considered the career path of English or creative writing. Some of the most common jobs are editing/publishing, grant and proposal writing, feature film and television writer and digital copywriter just to name a few.

  • Program Learning Outcomes

    1. Progress toward Critical Perspective: gain and demonstrate knowledge of an historically varied range of Anglophone literary texts by reading them and writing about them;

    2. Progress toward Creative Knowledge and Practice: Write and present in public creative work in different creative writing genres.

    3. Progress toward Professionalization: participate in a larger creative community through activities such as peer critiques, writers groups, meetings with professional writers, attendance at public events, submitting work to publications, and presenting work in public.

    4. Progress toward Self-actualization: a) articulate goals through formal written statements, informal journal entries, oral questions and answers, or other reporting methods and b) assess their own progress towards those goals through self-reflection artifacts.

  • Degree Options

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    Achieve a breadth of historical and critical exposure, chiefly but not exclusively in British, American and Irish literature and culture.

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    Non-majors are welcome to minor in English.

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    Non-majors are welcome to minor in Creative Writing.


  • Typical Four Year Schedule
    FRESHMAN – FALL SEMESTERFRESHMAN – SPRING SEMESTER
    Exposition and ArgumentationFirst Seminar
    Beginning Language IBeginning Language II
    Block I - Aesthetic Inquiry and Creative ExperienceBlock II - Historical and Social Interpretation
    Reading Major American WritersContemporary Mathematics
    Freshman ExperienceReading Major British Writers I
    SOPHOMORE – FALL SEMESTERSOPHOMORE – SPRING SEMESTER
    Intermediate Language IIntermediate Language II
    Block II - Historical and Social InterpretationBlock I - Aesthetic Inquiry and Creative Experience
    Block III - Scientific InvestigationBlock II - Historical and Social Interpretation
    Reading Major British Writers IIBlock III - Scientific Investigation (lab)
    English ElectiveEnglish Elective
    JUNIOR – FALL SEMESTERJUNIOR – SPRING SEMESTER
    Block II - Historical and Social InterpretationPost-1800 English
    Post-1800 EnglishEnglish Elective
    English ElectiveElective
    ElectiveMinor
    MinorMinor
    SENIOR – FALL SEMESTERSENIOR – SPRING SEMESTER
    Senior Project in EnglishElective
    English ElectiveElective
    MinorElective
    ElectiveElective
    ElectiveElective
    *Introduction to College Writing or its equivalent may be a prerequisite in some cases.
    † The language requirement may be fulfilled with Spanish, German, French or Russian.
    †† Courses that fulfill Blocks I, II, and III are listed each semester in the advising center and in the university
    schedule of courses.