English BA
Total Units Required: 120
The Department of English offers a Bachelor of Arts in English with three options:
The option in English education. This option is designed for students considering teaching English and language arts at the middle school and high school levels. This option provides pre-professional preparation in the subject matter knowledge needed by California English teachers. When combined with the Minor in Secondary Language Arts, this option fulfills all requirements for the Single Subject Matter Preparation Program in English, which will lead to a California teaching credential. If students who finish this option choose not to pursue a teaching credential, they leave the program as highly skilled writers, presenters, and analysts who are positioned to work in a variety of careers.
The option in English studies. This option provides students with a breadth of knowledge of English’s sub-disciplines (composition and rhetoric, creative writing, linguistics, and literature) as well as an opportunity to focus on a specific area of interest. This option pairs well with the department’s minor and certificate programs and provides excellent preparation for careers in business, education, publishing, and nonprofit settings where effective communication and critical problem-solving skills are valued.
The option in literature. Students gain extensive knowledge of American, British, comparative, and multicultural literature and cultures. Students in this option take a range of courses that hone their analytical skills, expand their understanding of critical theories, and enrich their understanding of literary movements. This option is excellent preparation for graduate study in English, as well as for professional programs such as law and medicine. Like those in the other English options, graduates of the literature option leave the program with marketable skills valued by businesses, educational institutions, publishers, marketers, and related career fields.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 43-46 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major Core | ||
| ENGL 220W | Beginning Creative Writing (W) 1 | 4 |
| ENGL 315 | Introduction to Literary Editing and Publishing | 4 |
| ENGL 335W | Rhetoric and Writing (W) | 3 |
| ENGL 340 | Approaches to Literary Genres | 3 |
| ENGL 371 | Principles of Language | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Literacy Studies | ||
| Theory and Practice in Tutoring Composition | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Early British Literature | ||
| Survey of Later British Literature | ||
| Survey of Early American Literature | ||
| Survey of Later American Literature | ||
| Major Option | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 20-22 | |
| Total Units | 43-46 | |
- 1
Transfer students who take the equivalent of ENGL 220W may complete the major in as few as 42 units.
Major Option Course Requirements
Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
The Option in English Education: 21 units
The option in English education, when combined with the Minor in Secondary Language Arts, fulfills all requirements for the Single Subject Matter Preparation Program in English, which will lead to a California teaching credential. See the Single Subject Matter Teaching Credential section for additional information.
Note: Students pursuing the option in English education must take the following two GE courses:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 375 | Introduction to English Grammar | 3 |
| ENGL 441W | Shakespeare (W) | 3 |
| ENGL 470 | Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGL 534W | Literature, Language, and Composition: A Synthesis (W) | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Courses selected may not count toward any other requirement. | ||
| Survey of Early British Literature | ||
| Survey of Later British Literature | ||
| Survey of Early American Literature | ||
| Survey of Later American Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Modern World Literature | ||
| Teaching Multicultural Literature | ||
| Total Units | 21 | |
The Option in English Studies: 20-22 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| English Studies Course Groups | ||
| Select one of the following groups of courses and complete the requirements for that group. | 12-14 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select eight units from any upper-division English (ENGL) course 1 | 8 | |
| Total Units | 20-22 | |
- 1
Select from any upper-division English (ENGL) course (except ENGL 499) not used to satisfy any other requirement in the major.
Creative Writing, Literary Editing and Publishing
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following: | 12 | |
| Poetry Writing (W) | ||
| Fiction Writing (W) | ||
| Creative Nonfiction Writing (W) | ||
| Editing Literary Magazines | ||
| Chapbook Production | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
General Studies
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Multicultural Literature: Issues and Themes | ||
| Literature, Politics, and Activism | ||
| American Ethnic and Regional Literature in Focus (W) | ||
| Studies in Major American Authors | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
| Teaching Multicultural Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Technical Writing (W) | ||
| Theory and Practice in Tutoring Composition | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Poetry Writing (W) | ||
| Fiction Writing (W) | ||
| Creative Nonfiction Writing (W) | ||
| Editing Literary Magazines | ||
| Advanced Poetry Writing | ||
| Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Semantics: Language and Meaning | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Total Units | 13-14 | |
Linguistics
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Syntactic and Morphological Analysis | ||
| Phonological Analysis (W) | ||
| Semantics: Language and Meaning | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
Literature
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Multicultural Literature: Issues and Themes | ||
| Literature, Politics, and Activism | ||
| American Ethnic and Regional Literature in Focus (W) | ||
| Studies in Major American Authors | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
| Teaching Multicultural Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Classical Literature | ||
| Bible, Literature, and Culture | ||
| Early British Literature | ||
| Later British Literature | ||
| The Long Eighteenth Century | ||
| Early American Literature | ||
| Later American Literature | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to English Grammar | ||
| Fiction and the Supernatural | ||
| The Bildungsroman: Novels of Development | ||
| Modern Poetry | ||
| The Modern Novel | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of American Film (W) | ||
| Comics and Graphic Novels | ||
| Development of British Drama | ||
| Modern Drama | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
Writing Studies
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12-13 | |
| Courses selected may not count toward any other requirement | ||
| Introduction to Technical Writing (W) | ||
| Introduction to Digital English Studies | ||
| Introduction to Literacy Studies | ||
| Environmental Rhetoric (W) | ||
| Theory and Practice in Tutoring Composition | ||
| Issues in Rhetoric | ||
| Cultural Rhetorics | ||
| Professional Writing for Organizations | ||
| Applied Rhetoric | ||
| Total Units | 12-13 | |
The Option in Literature: 21 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Literature Surveys | ||
| Courses selected may not count toward any other requirement. | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Survey of Early British Literature | ||
| Survey of Later British Literature | ||
| Survey of Early American Literature | ||
| Survey of Later American Literature | ||
| Methods | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Chaucer and His Age (W) | ||
| Shakespeare (W) | ||
| Literary Theory and Criticism | ||
| Literature and Diversity | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Multicultural Literature: Issues and Themes | ||
| Literature, Politics, and Activism | ||
| American Ethnic and Regional Literature in Focus (W) | ||
| Studies in Major American Authors | ||
| Modern World Literature | ||
| Teaching Multicultural Literature | ||
| Literature, History, and Culture | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Classical Literature | ||
| Bible, Literature, and Culture | ||
| Early British Literature | ||
| Later British Literature | ||
| The Long Eighteenth Century | ||
| Early American Literature | ||
| Later American Literature | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Language, Form, and Genre | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to English Grammar | ||
| Fiction and the Supernatural | ||
| The Bildungsroman: Novels of Development | ||
| Modern Poetry | ||
| The Modern Novel | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Media, Text, and Performance | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of American Film (W) | ||
| Comics and Graphic Novels | ||
| Development of British Drama | ||
| Modern Drama | ||
| Total Units | 21 | |
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
To be eligible for Honors in English, students must have completed the following courses with grades that place them in the top 5% of English majors:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| ENGL 335W | Rhetoric and Writing (W) | 3 |
| ENGL 340 | Approaches to Literary Genres | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Early British Literature | ||
| Survey of Later British Literature | ||
| Survey of Early American Literature | ||
| Survey of Later American Literature | ||
| Select one course from any 400-level genre or period courses | 3 | |
| Thesis | ||
| ENGL 599H | Honors Senior Thesis 1 | 6 |
| Total Units | 18 | |
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- Any upper-division Writing (W) course.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.