The Program in English

English faculty strive to inspire in student a love for literature and for writing, to help students develop analytical and critical skills, and to guide students in improving their writing.

The program offers courses appropriate to students at all levels. English 101 is the college’s introductory writing course, required of most students. Except for English 295, courses on the 200-level are designed for students from all disciplines. Courses on the 300-level may also appeal to a diverse audience but require a more sophisticated study of texts and more advanced writing. Courses on the 400-level offer a seminar experience in which students study a topic or theme in depth, frequently take charge of class discussions, and produce a major paper or project. To facilitate discussion and individual attention, the department limits enrollment in many classes to 15 to 25 students. Some courses accommodate enrollments up to 35. Students who pursue a major in English become familiar with the language, with literary theory, and with a variety of literatures in the language,, including works outside the recognized canons. They practice literary and linguistic analysis, and they develop as writers of different modes and genres. While the major requires certain courses and categories of courses, it also allows the individual student the flexibility to emphasize an area of special interest such as literature, journalism, creative writing, linguistics, or speech.

Many juniors and seniors enroll in internships to test classroom knowledge in the outside world and to explore career interests. Juniors and seniors with appropriate academic standing may also elect to pursue individual studies. An increasing number of students choose to study abroad.

Upon graduation, English majors go in many directions. About 20 percent enter teaching. Others go to graduate and professional schools. Still others take jobs in journalism, public relations, government, and business. Graduates of the English program report that the skill they acquired that employers value most is good writing. In nourishing good communication and analytical skills, the program prepares students to enter many fields.

The Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication is committed to the aggressive recruitment of minority faculty and students.

Requirements for the English Major

Thirty-six credits in English, Linguistics, and Communication courses as follows: Linguistics 101; English 295; five upper-level literature courses; one 300-level linguistics course; one 300-level writing course, one 400-level seminar, six additional credits from the following: English 200, any of the department’s 300- and 400-level courses, and department-sponsored internships and individual studies. This is summarized in the table below:

NEW ENGLISH MAJOR (effective Fall 2007)

Courses	Course Name or type
ENGL 295	Introduction to Literary Studies
LING 101	Introduction to Linguistics
5	upper-level literature courses
1	upper-level writing course
1	300-level linguistics course
1	400-level seminar in in English, Linguistics, or Communication. Seminars include all 400-level courses EXCEPT individual studies (491, 492), internships (499), ENGL 480, and COMM 470.
6 credits	selected from the following: English 200, any of the department's 300- and 400-level courses, and department-sponsored internships and individual studies.
36 credits	Total

 

To read complete course descriptions, click here.

To read descriptions of new courses, topics, and seminars, click here.

CHOOSING YOUR COURSES

The new major requirements allow considerable leeway in selecting the literature and linguistics courses that will be most useful and interesting for each student. This places increased responsibility on you to choose courses that form a coherent and also diverse experience in the major. You should also think about career options and how your coursework might affect them. It is vital that you work closely with your advisor and other professors to see which selection of courses will work best for you. Students considering graduate school or secondary education need to pay particular attention to their course distribution.

Because the biggest change is in the literature requirements, the department offers the following guidelines. Please read those that apply to you:

Literature guidelines:

• You should study multiple national literatures, including literature by historically marginalized groups.
• Your coursework should include multiple time periods.
• Your coursework should also include multiple genres (fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction).

 

Literature guidelines for students interested in pursuing an MFA in creative writing:

• Follow general guidelines but add coursework in contemporary literature, particularly in the genre the student intends to write.

 

Literature guidelines for students interested in teaching:

• For Virginia 6-12 licensure, you will need 24 credits of upper-level literature coursework, of which at least six must be in American literature.
• You should study multiple national literatures, including literature by historically marginalized groups.
• Your coursework should also include multiple time periods, including British literature both before and after 1800. (ENGL381 and 382 are an efficient way to establish British coverage for teaching; a separate course in Shakespeare is often recommended.)
• Your coursework should also include multiple genres (fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction).

 

Literature guidelines for students interested in graduate school in English:

• To demonstrate breadth, you should study multiple national literatures, including literature by historically marginalized groups. Your coursework should also include multiple time periods, including British literature both before and after 1800.
• To demonstrate depth, you should take more than one course in the period or genre you intend to focus on in graduate school, plus courses in the periods immediately before and after.
• To demonstrate familiarity with contemporary literary theory beyond English 295, you should take at least one upper-level course that emphasizes theoretical approaches.
• To demonstrate the ability to do high-level literary analysis, and to be prepared with a writing sample, you should take at least one seminar or individual study course (preferably one of each) in which you produce an extended research essay. Group individual studies are an additional option.
• To obtain the strongest recommendations, take more than one course from potential recommenders.

Guidelines for students interested in graduate school in Linguistics:

• To demonstrate breadth, you should take LING101, LING301 (Psycholinguistics), LING302 (Sociolinguistics), LING309 (Phonology), and LING311 (Morphology).
• To demonstrate depth in a particular area, you should take courses that build on one of the courses above, such as LING202 (Cross-cultural Communication), LING205 (Writing Systems), LING305 (Linguistics and Text), LING307 (Language and Gender), LING310 (History of the English Language), LING312 (Language Acquisition).
• To demonstrate the ability to do high-level linguistic analysis, and to be prepared with a writing sample, you should take at least one seminar or individual study course (preferably one of each) in which you produce an extended research paper.
• You should also consult with a linguistics advisor to determine which courses will be most useful for the program of studies you intend to pursue.
• To obtain the strongest recommendations, take more than one course from potential recommenders.

 

Old Requirements for the English Major (39 credits)

(most courses carry 3 credits)

• ENGL 295 – Introduction to Literary Studies
• LING  101 – Introduction to Linguistics
• Two upper-level English courses dealing with literature written before 1800

ENGL 309 – Chaucer and His Age

ENGL 310 – Courtly Tradition in Medieval Literature

ENGL 319 – Shakespeare: Early Plays

ENGL 320 – Shakespeare: Late Plays

ENGL 325a – Restoration and Early 18th Century Literature

ENGL 326b – Late 18th Century British Literature

ENGL 381 – Survey of British Literature

ENGL 411 – Shakespeare’s Competitors

ENGL 445 – Studies in English Literature to 1600

ENGL 447 — Studies in English Literature 1600-1800

ENGL 474 – Milton

Some special studies and seminars

• One upper-level English course dealing principally with literature of historically marginalized people

ENGL 351 – African-American Literature

ENGL 360 – Literature of Resistance

ENGL 368 — African Literature

Some special studies (375/376) and seminars

• One upper-level English course in American literature (cannot be the same course that satisfies the requirement for a course in the literature of historically marginalized people)

ENGL 334 – The American Novel to 1945

ENGL 355 – American Romanticism

ENGL 356 – American Realism

ENGL 357 – Southern Literature

ENGL 383 – Survey of American Literature

ENGL 455 – Studies in American Literature to 1900

ENGL 457 – Studies in American Literature, 1900 - Present

Some special studies and seminars.

• One upper-level English writing course:

ENGL 300 – News Writing

ENGL 301 – Magazine Writing

ENGL 302 – Creative Writing

ENGL 306b – Technical Writing

ENGL 306e – Creative Non-fiction

ENGL 306f – Memoir Writing

ENGL 307 – The Writing Process

ENGL 470 — Seminar in Creative Writing

• Any 300-level Linguistics course

 

• One 400-level seminar in English, Linguistics, or Speech.  Seminars include all 400-level courses EXCEPT individual studies (491, 492), internships (499), ENGL 480, and SPCH 470.
• Twelve additional credits (normally four courses) selected from the following: English 200, any of the department's 300- and 400-level courses, and department-sponsored internships and individual studies.