Majors are urged to select a balance of intermediate and advanced courses, and to choose classes from both the American and British traditions. Each student can fashion his or her own sequence of study within a basic pattern that insures coherence and variety. This pattern comprises at least nine courses.
They are also urged to elect collateral courses in subjects such as art, music, history, comparative literature, philosophy, religion, theatre, and foreign languages with a view to supporting and broadening their studies in literature. In particular, the study of classical and modern languages, as well as of foreign literatures, is strongly recommended.
Requirements
The nine courses required for the major must include the following:
1) Any 100-level English class except English 150. Students exempted by the department from 100-level courses will substitute an elective course.
2) At least two courses dealing primarily with literature written before 1700 (identified in parentheses at the end of the course description).
3) At least two courses dealing primarily with literature written between 1700 and 1900 (identified in parentheses at the end of the course description).
4) At least one course dealing primarily with literature written after 1900 (identified in parentheses at the end of the course description).
5) At least one Criticism
Course identified in parentheses at the end of course description).
A course fulfilling the criticism requirement entails a sustained and explicit
reflection on problems of critical method, whether by engaging a range of
critical approaches and their implications or by exploring a particular
method, theorist, or critic
in depth. Please note that when a criticism course also deals with literature
satisfying a historical distribution requirement (pre-1700, 1700-1900, etc.),
the course may be used
to satisfy either the criticism or the chronological requirement, but not
both.
6) At least one 200-level
Gateway course (listed at the end of the 200-level course descriptions).
Gateway courses are designed for first- and second-year students contemplating
the major or intending to pursue more advanced work in the department; these
courses focus on analytical writing skills while introducing students to
critical
methods and historical approaches that will prove fruitful as they pursue
the major.
(Note: a Gateway course can fulfill a Period or Criticism requirement as
well as a
Gateway requirement.)
The English Department encourages majors to consider courses offered in the Comparative Literature Program. The English Department will allow students to count one course with a COMP prefix as an elective in the English major. This course must be an elective; it may not be used to satisfy the department's historical distribution, criticism, or gateway requirements.