Degree Requirements
Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with this major
Major Requirements: 11 courses, 41 credits
Professional Development Requirement (1 course, 1 credit)
CAS-201 | College to Career: Explore Your Options And Find Your Path | 1 |
Literary History Surveys Requirement (4 courses, 16 credits)
Diverse Literature Requirement (1 course, 4 credits)
The Diverse Literature requirement broadens a major's exposure to the growing historical and contemporary importance of voices outside the traditional Anglophone literary canon as constructed in English studies.
Choose one of the following:
Concentration Requirement (5 courses, 20 credits)
Choose one of the following areas of concentration:
- Creative Writing
- Literature
Requirement Policy: In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.
Concentrations
Creative Writing Concentration Requirements: 5 courses, 20 credits
Seminar Requirement (1 course, 4 credits)
ENG-212 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 4 |
Creative Writing Workshops Requirement (3 courses, 12 credits)
Students will take at least three creative writing workshops in two different genres.
Choose at least two (students may take one workshop twice):
Elective (1 course, 4 credits)
Choose one ENG elective at the 300-level or above.
Literature Concentration Requirements: 5 courses, 20 credits
Seminar Requirement (1 course, 4 credits)
Literature Before 1900 Requirement (1 course, 4 credits)
A required upper level Literature Before 1900 course ensures that majors read, analyze, and interpret older texts in order to enhance their knowledge of the foundations of literary history.
Choose one of the following:
Electives (3 courses, 12 credits)
Choose two ENG electives at the 300-level or above.
Choose one elective from any ENG course numbered above 104.
Note: The First-year Seminar may satisfy one of the electives at the discretion of the department.
Honors
To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:
- Graduate with a major GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Complete ENG-212 or ENG-301
- Complete an English honors seminar course
- Complete ENG-H555 (1 credit in the Fall, 3 credits in the Spring)
Note: These 4 credits are in addition to the English major requirements
- Complete a thesis/project in ENG-H555 that is approved by the major department
- Publicly present work at an English Department event in April
- CAS Honors Program students only: Also present work from the senior honors experience at the Honors Symposium or Pecha Kucha event
To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:
- Have a major GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Attend an honors orientation session
- Complete an honors contract and a declaration of topic/advisor form for the thesis, which must be signed by a faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project
CAS Honors Program students only: CAS Honors Program students who fulfill the GPA requirement declare intent to the honors coordinator in the spring of junior year
All other students: Apply to the honors coordinator by submitting an application in the spring of junior year. An application includes a letter of interest, the names of two faculty references, and a copy of the student's program evaluation
English Major Learning Goals and Objectives
Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.
Learning Goals |
Learning Objectives |
Students will... |
Students will be able to... |
Demonstrate effective writing |
- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach |
Develop and display critical thinking |
- Understand, effectively analyze, and evaluate literary, critical, and theoretical source materials
- Use proper citation and research methods, including following MLA formatting |
Cultivate cultural literacy |
- Demonstrate broad familiarity with British and American literary traditions through study of major English and American writers and the literary history of England and America
- Gain exposure to diverse perspectives through study of literature with focuses on gender, race, ethnicity, immigrant experiences, or literary influences |