Department of English

Academic Programs

Role and Mission

Department of English faculty share a heritage in which language, writing, literature, and the art of teaching are valued as cornerstones of a liberal education. Representing distinct specializations, we form a community of readers and writers who pursue the study of humane letters for both aesthetic and practical reasons. The English Department provides students from across the University with courses that fulfill the General Studies requirements in Written Communication: English 1010 Composing Arguments and English 1020 Research and Scholarly Writing. The department also teaches literature and linguistics courses that meet the General Studies requirement in Arts and Humanities. Thus, in keeping with the liberal arts tradition of general education, the department promotes both the basic intellectual skills of critical reading and writing and the kind of understanding of the human condition that comes from the experience and appreciation of literature.

Our mission is inclusive and student-centered, reflecting the variety of disciplines housed within our department and our commitment to honoring the diversity of our student body. We recognize the wide variety of roles our students fulfill in their daily lives, and we are committed to providing them with a meaningful and relevant educational experience. Accordingly, our mission is to:

prepare our students effectively for further education or the careers of their choice;
affirm the diverse nature of our students through inclusive excellence in our pedagogy and curriculum;
maintain and develop programs consistent with our teaching and research expertise in the broader Denver community in order to engage with and serve our community;
encourage and support the research, creative productions, and publications of our faculty members to provide a richer classroom experience, including opportunities for students to participate in faculty research projects; and
support and encourage excellent and innovative teaching by all our faculty;
work with faculty in other departments, colleagues in other institutions, and the administration to continue to provide the best learning experience for our students.

The English Department offers instruction in literature, writing, language and linguistics, rhetoric and professional writing, and in secondary English education. Courses in each area appeal to students in every school of the University who wish to read and understand representative literatures of the world, to examine the principles underlying how language works, and to cultivate their writing skills.

The department invites students in other disciplines to select English courses to enhance their general education. Students may also choose an English major or minor from areas listed below.

Students who are considering a major or minor in the English Department are expected to consult with faculty for advising. Students in the secondary licensure program should consult with advisors in the appropriate education department as well.

The English major may choose a concentration in one of the following:

open major (no concentration)
literature
writing
secondary school teaching, leading to licensure

The English minor may choose a concentration in one of the following:

rhetoric, composition and professional studies
literature
writing
film and media studies

The Linguistics major is a single track major and does not require a concentration to be declared.

The Linguistics minor may choose a concentration in one of the following:

linguistics-linguistics
linguistics-language

The English Department assesses the major in designated Senior Experience courses. Portfolios of papers assigned through these courses will be read by members of the faculty. Senior Experience courses should not be taken until the student’s final year of study. Because these courses may not be offered every semester, students should discuss scheduling with English department advisors.

To receive credit for any ENG or LING prefix course, the student must receive a grade of “C-“ or better.