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Apr 23, 2024
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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
English Major, B.A.
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About the Program
For students majoring in English, the program provides a foundation in literature, language, writing, visual literacy, and teaching. Thus students’ command of written language, their ability to analyze concepts, and their broad understanding of human nature and social realities will enable them to be competitive in a variety of fields, including education, business, and civil service or, with appropriate graduate work, in professions such as law and higher education.
The English Major requires concentration in one of the following:
- creative writing
- literature, film and media studies
- professional writing and rhetoric
- secondary school teaching, leading to licensure
Students who are considering a major in the English Department are expected to consult with faculty for advising. Students in elementary or secondary licensure programs should consult with advisors in the School of Education as well.
Student Outcomes
With completion of any of the concentrations in the English Major, students should be able to do the following:
- Produce polished writing in a variety of genres appropriate to audience and purpose
- Understand how language is used, and the factors accounting for variation in language use
- Identify and use appropriate methods in their research, assess their sources, and cite all sources professionally
- Analyze texts appropriate to the discipline, with an understanding of the ways in which texts can reflect or shape historical and cultural contexts.
- Apply appropriate disciplinary criticism or theory
- Examine diverse perspectives among the world-views, power structures, and experiences of individuals, groups, communities, and/or cultures, in historical and contemporary contexts, specifically through the lenses of race and ethnicity, global perspectives, and/or sexual and gender identities.
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General Degree Requirements
To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the four areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.
Program Requirements
- A total of 120 semester hours are required for graduation.
- A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this program to count toward the bachelor’s degree. Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required.
- To receive major or minor credit for any ENG or LING prefix course or courses in the teacher licensure program, the student must receive a grade of “C-” or better.
- A minor is required for the Creative Writing, Literature, Film and Media Studies, and Professional Writing and Rhetoric concentrations in this program. A minor is not required for the Secondary English Teacher Licensure concentration.
General Studies Requirements: 33 credits
Students should consult the General Studies Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements for degree completion.
- Written Communication (6 credits)
- Oral Communication (3 credits)
- Quantitative Literacy (3 credits)
- Arts and Humanities (6 credits)
- Historical (3 credits)
- Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)
- Global Diversity (0 or 3 credits**)
** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences.
Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Requirement: 0 or 3 credits
- Students should consult the Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Graduation Requirement for a list of courses that fulfill the ESSJ Requirement for degree completion.
- Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement.
Creative Writing Concentration: 30 credits
The Creative Writing concentration is comprised of courses through which students develop advanced writing skills in genres such as fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, and screenwriting. Our unique program is structured around choice; students work with faculty advisors to develop distinct pathways to graduation, taking specific writing and educational goals into account. Workshop is at the heart of the program; Creative Writing brings together individualized attention from professors and peer collaboration within our strong community. Students also may participate in the publication of The MSU Roadrunner Review, one of the few biannual undergraduate creative writing journals in the country. Required courses in the broader English department expose students to a variety of representative texts and approaches to critical reading. Coursework built around imaginative and purposeful thinking, writing, and reading leads students to deeper examinations of their lives and communities. Our program includes instruction on the marketing of finished manuscripts; students and alumni have an excellent publication record. Student accomplishments range from small press publications to recognition as a National Book Award finalist. A number of alumni have gone on to study in MFA and PhD programs. Many students use their transferable skills, including the ability to analyze and critique texts, communicate persuasively and effectively, understand other points of view, and build effective, often research based arguments, in a variety of fields beyond the arts, including education, business, medicine, and law.
With completion of the Creative Writing concentration in the English Major, students should be able to do the following:
- Produce effective, revised writing with consideration of audience and purpose.
- Analyze and critically respond to texts: creative, craft-based, or cultural.
- Demonstrate advanced writing skills in a specific genre, with attention to form, language, and devices.
Required Courses
In satisfying the requirements of the concentration, students may not count courses taken to fulfill the English BA Core requirements. Additionally, a course may be used to satisfy only one requirement.
Literature or Film and Media Studies: 6 credits
- Select one course, 2000-level or above, from course ranges ENG 2100-2499, 2800-2899, 3100-3499, 3610-3629, 3700-3799, 4100-4499, 4630, 4670.
- Select one course, 3000-level or above, from course ranges ENG 3100-3499, 3610-3629, 3700-3799, 4100-4499, 4630, 4670.
Literary Genre: 3 credits
Select one of the following courses:
Writing Workshops: 6 credits
Select two of the following courses:
Writing Studios: 6 credits
Select two of the following courses:
- ENG 3820 - Writing Studio: Variable Topics Credits: 3
- ENG 382A Writing Studio: Poetry
- ENG 382B Writing Studio: Speculative Fiction
- ENG 382F Writing Studio: Screenwriting
- ENG 382M Writing Studio: Contemporary Short Story
- ENG 382R Writing Studio: Adaptation for Stage and Screen
- ENG 382S Writing Studio: Novel
- ENG 382T Writing Studio: Micro Narrative
Workshop, Studio, Magazine, Bootcamp, or Internship: 3 credits
Select one or more of the following, for a total of 3 credits:
Electives: 3 credits
- Select any 2000-level or above ENG course.
Senior Experience: 3 credits
Literature, Film and Media Studies Concentration: 30 credits
The Literature, Film and Media Studies concentration (LFMS) encompasses a range of American, British, and World literatures and film media, through which students learn to critically engage with the artistic, narrative, and persuasive techniques of written and visual media and examine how such works record and influence the complex interactions between people and cultures in history. With grounding in a rich and diverse array of cultural production from different times and places, students develop both broader cultural knowledge and facility with understanding and navigating multiple points of view. Because of their command of written language and visual literacy, and their ability to deal with ideas and concepts as well as facts, English majors concentrating in LFMS are prepared to pursue graduate work in such areas as writing, advanced studies in the humanities, library sciences, or law, and are valued in many fields. Either alone or paired with other specialized minors, licensures or certificates, the LFMS degree can prepare students for careers in an array of professional fields, including teaching, academe, law, politics, business, health, non-profits, journalism, and entertainment.
With completion of the Literature, Film and Media Studies concentration in the English Major, students should be able to do the following:
- Interpret and analyze literary, filmic, and digital texts, with an understanding of contexts as well as formal and stylistic elements.
- Apply appropriate criticism, theory, concepts, and/or terminology to readings, interpretations, or analyses of literary, filmic, and/or digital texts.
- Create an original text or project that demonstrates understanding of disciplinary content and relevant skills.
Required Courses
In satisfying the requirements of the concentration, students may not count courses taken to fulfill the English BA Core requirements. Additionally, a course may be used to satisfy only one requirement.
Theory of Literature and Film: 3 credits
Literature, Film and Media Studies: 24 credits
Students take 12 credit hours each in Literature and Film and Media Studies courses. Of these courses (24 credit hours total), students must take a minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) at 3000-level or above. Note: ENG 3120 courses, Literature and Film: Variable Topics, can be counted as either Literature or Film and Media Studies.
Literature: 12 credits
Select four courses from the following:
Film and Media Studies: 12 credits
Select four courses from the following:
Senior Experience: 3 credits
Professional Writing and Rhetoric Concentration: 27 credits
The Professional Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) concentration of the English B. A. provides a program of study that focuses on how language and writing are connected to identity and shape actions and attitudes. Students learn to analyze and understand others’ perspectives and acquire the skills to broaden and effectively articulate and defend their own perspectives. Students choose from classes that study professional writing; topics in current rhetoric, like disability rhetorics, environmental rhetorics or the language of race; contemporary and classical rhetorical and composition theory; and topics such as visual literacy, social media, or the history of authorship. This concentration provides students the opportunity to hone analysis and writing skills, as well as to conduct original, undergraduate research, to compose and interpret texts using multiple modes, to learn to tutor or teach writing, and to become effective, nuanced communicators.
With completion of the Professional Writing and Rhetoric concentration in the English Major, students should be able to do the following:
- Interpret and explain major theories of PWR as an intellectual field and the relationship of rhetoric to language and visual literacies.
- Analyze rhetorical situations, identify arguments, and read texts rhetorically.
- Generate persuasive written discourse with a proficiency in language and documentation style specific to the task with attention to audiences and genres.
- Conduct research with attention to ethical practices.
- Analyze the ways that identity - including but not limited to language, race, socio-economic class, religion, sex, and gender - both constructs and is constructed by rhetoric.
Required Courses
In satisfying the requirements of the concentration, students may not count courses taken to fulfill the English BA Core requirements. Additionally, a course may be used to satisfy only one requirement.
Linguistics Course: 3 credits
Select one of the following courses:
Theory and Methodology: 3 credits
Select one or more of the following courses, for 3 credit hours total:
Rhetoric: 3 credits
Select one of the following courses:
Professional Writing: 3 credits
Select one or more of the following courses, for 3 credit hours total:
Professional Writing and Rhetoric Electives: 6 credits
Select two or more of the following courses, for 6 credit hours total:
Additional Electives: 6 credits
- Select any ENG or LING course, 2000-level or above, for a total of 6 credit hours.
Senior Experience: 3 credits
Summary of Requirements
| General Studies Requirements |
33 credits |
| ESSJ Requirement |
0-3 credits |
| Major Core Requirements |
15 credits |
| Selected Concentration |
27-30 credits |
| Senior Experience |
counted in concentration |
| Minor and Unrestricted Electives |
39-51 credits |
| Total for the English Major, B.A. |
120 credits |
| Note: Secondary Education Licensure Totals on that program page |
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Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and ESSJ requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.
Program Modified June 28, 2023
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