Literature Track

BA in English (Literature)

Total credits required to complete major: 40

Basic Requirements - 16 credits

Electives in English selected under advisement (a minimum of 12 hours must be in literature) - 24 credits

Notes:

• Majors must successfully complete at least 8 credits of English at the 300 level.
• Majors must successfully complete at least 16 credits of English at the 400 level.
• Majors must successfully complete the self-reflective advising requirement. (Applies only to students who begin their program in fall 2014 or later.)
• 3-credit courses transferred from other institutions may fulfill certain of the requirements above, but all students must successfully complete a minimum of 40 credits.
• A grade of C- or above is required in any course applied to the program.
• Courses in film studies (FMST) may be used to meet these requirements.

Learning Outcomes in English/Literature

100 level: General Interest

100-level courses in English explore a variety of topics and media types in a way that is accessible to majors and non-majors alike. All courses at this level help students to develop fundamental skills for critical reading and effective writing. English majors in the literature or creative writing track may count no more than one course at this level towards the requirements of the major.

In literature courses at the 100 level, students will demonstrate

• the ability to read texts closely
• the ability to write clear and effective English prose

200 level: Reader and Text

The 200 level in the literature track provides students with an introduction to the discipline through the study of particular topics, issues, genres, or authors. Under the general heading Reader and Text: (Subtitle), literature courses at this level help students understand the theoretical questions that inform all critical conversations about textual meaning and value. They provide a working vocabulary for analyzing texts, relating texts to contexts, and discussing the difference that theory makes. Through discussion and writing, they invite students to participate in the ongoing conversation about texts and theory that constitutes English as a field of study.

In literature courses at the 200 level, students will demonstrate

• the ability to read texts closely
• the ability to write clear and effective English prose
• the ability to write analytically about texts in accordance with the conventions of textual criticism
• an understanding of how criticism as a practice gives rise to questions about how to conduct that practice, questions that are constitutive of the discipline: e.g., questions concerning what we should read, why we should read, and how we should read

300 level: Connections

300-level courses in the literature track put a spotlight on the connections between texts and contexts. No matter what the title, a course at this level gives students an understanding of the dynamic relationship between individual texts and the broader culture from which they emerge. Many, though not all, of these courses, are organized with an eye towards historical periods and movements. Those that concern written texts pay particular attention to the historical development of language.

In literature courses at the 300 level, students will demonstrate

• the ability to read texts in relation to history
• an understanding of how texts are related to social and cultural categories (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, ability), enterprises (e.g., philosophy, science, politics), and institutions (e.g., of religion, of education)
• an understanding of how language as a system or linguistic change over time inform literature as an aesthetic object, expressive medium, or social document

400 level: Investigations

400-level courses in the literature track invite students to study a topic, issue, genre, or author in depth. No matter what the title, a course at this level engages students in some degree of research into published critical perspectives on primary works or important primary contextual documents. The quantity of reading and writing required at this level is typically greater than at the 3 level. However, students who have completed a 200-level literature course should regard themselves as adequately prepared to take courses at either the 3 or the 4 level.

In literature courses at the 400 level, students will demonstrate

• the ability to "join the conversation" that is always ongoing among critics and scholars regarding texts, authors, and topics by engaging with secondary sources
• an in-depth understanding of a single author, a small group of authors, or a narrowly-defined topic, theme, or issue