Academics: Undergraduate

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Option Requirements

Schedule of Studies for Majors

Four options are offered for the English major, all leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts in English.

As part of their graduation requirements, all English majors except those in the Creative Writing Option must take Hum 101, 198, 103, 302, 303, 304, 335, 350, 410 or 450. Majors in all options must have two [M] (writing intensive) courses in English. Of the 120 total credit hours required for the bachelor’s degree at WSU, forty credit hours must be in upper-division courses. For course descriptions and suggested four-year degree sequences, see the current WSU catalog.

Download (2005-2006) Advising Handbook and Guide (.pdf)
or Download (Revised 2006-2007) Advising Handbook and Guide (.pdf)

Assessment: End-of-Program Portfolio
In all options, students are required to deposit a sample paper from Engl 302 and from a senior literature course (for Creative Writing majors, a sample of writing from Engl 251 and from an advanced creative writing workshop course) in their files and to complete an exit questionnaire before graduation.

A. Literary Studies Option

1. GER HUMANITIES REQUIREMENT (3 credit hours)[H]
To broaden their background for the major, students include in their GERs at least one of the following: Hum 101, Hum 198[for Honors students], 103, 302, 303, 304, 335, 350, 410 (a Tier III class recommended for English majors)., or 450. These courses deal with influential works of art, music, literature, and philosophy outside of English studies.

2. CORE (5 courses, 6 credit hours):
A. Engl 302 “Introduction to English Studies” [W,M]
This course introduces students to various disciplines within English studies, including literary study, rhetoric, creative writing, and professional writing,
B. 4 readings courses: Engl 370, 371, 372, or 373
These readings courses introduce students to significant themes, genres, authors, and works, arranged in a chronological sequence: Engl 370: The Making of “English”: Literature, Language and Culture Before 1600; Engl 371: 17th and 18th Century Transnational Literature in English; Engl 372: 19th Century Literature of the British Empire and the America; and Engl 373: 20th and 21st Century Global Literatures in English. Note: In the spring semester of 2006 only students taking Engl 332 receive credit for Engl 371 and students taking Engl 338 receive credit for Engl 372.

3. ELECTIVES (7 courses, 21 credit hours): Students may take for their electives any combination of literature classes from either the English or Humanities courses.
• At least one of these courses must be a writers-of-color class so designated by the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
• No more than two may be lower-division classes.
• No more than two may be non-literature Engl classes.
• At least two must be 400-level courses.

B. RHETORIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING OPTION

1. GER HUMANITIES REQUIREMENT (3 credit hours)]
To broaden their background for the major, students include in their GERs at least one of the following: Hum 101, Hum 198 [for Honors students], 103, 302, 303, 304, 335, 350, 410 (a Tier III class recommended for English majors)., or 450. These courses deal with influential works of art, music, literature, and philosophy outside of English studies.

2. CORE (5 courses, 15 credit hours)
A. Engl 302 “Introduction to English Studies” [W,M] (3 credit hours)
This course introduces students to various disciplines within English studies, including literary study, rhetoric, creative writing, and professional writing,
B. Rhetoric and Professional Writing required courses: Engl 301, 360, 362 (9 credit hours)
These include Engl 301: Writing and Rhetorical Conventions; Engl 360: Principles of Rhetoric; and Engl 362: Rhetorics of Racism.
C. One readings course from Engl 370, 371, 372, or 373 (3 credit hours)
These readings courses introduce students to significant themes, genres, authors, and works, arranged in a chronological sequence: Engl 370: The Making of “English”: Literature, Language and Culture Before 1600; Engl 371: 17th and 18th Century Transnational Literature in English; Engl 372: 19th Century Literature of the British Empire and the America; and Engl 373: 20th and 21st Century Global Literatures in English. Note: In the spring semester of 2006 only students taking Engl 332 receive credit for Engl 371 and students taking Engl 338 receive credit for Engl 372.
3. ELECTIVES (18 credit hours)
To be chosen from 308, 336, 354, 355, 358, 361, 363, 375, 401, 402, 405, 410, 458, 475, 476, 495, and any creative writing course deemed appropriate by CW faculty, the student, and her or his advisor.

C. TEACHING OPTION

42 hrs = 30 required + 12 electives
No more than 9 hrs of lower-division courses

[ 3 hrs] World Literature
choose one/may also count as H GER
Hum 101 Humanities in the Ancient World
Hum 103 Mythology
Hum 198 Humanities in the Ancient World: Honors
Hum 302 Humanities in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Hum 303 Reason, Romanticism, and Revolution
Hum 335 The Bible as Literature
Hum 350 Sacred Texts and Cultures of World Religions
Hum 410 Love in the Arts
Hum 450 Representations of the Holocaust

[3 hrs] Engl 302 Introduction to English Studies

[9 hrs] Transnational Literature
(choose any three)
Engl 370 The Making of "English": Literature, Language and Cutlure Before 1600
Engl 371 17th and 18th Century Transnational Literature in English
Engl 372 19th Century Literature of the British Empire and the Americas
Engl 373 20th and 21st Century Global Literatures in English

[12 hrs] English Teaching
Engl 323 Approaches to the Teaching of English
Engl 324 Rhetoric and Composition for Teaching
Engl 325 Young Adult Literature
Engl 326 Applied Grammar for Teachers

[3 hrs] Shakespeare
(choose one)
Engl 205 Introduction to Shakespeare
Engl 305 Shakespeare [to 1600]
Engl 306 Shakespeare [after 1600]

[12 hrs] English or Humanities Electives (3 hrs must be an advisor-approved writers-of-color class)

For secondary credential, grades of C or better required in all courses in major, as well as 2.5 g.p.a. overall. See College of Education for additional credential requirements.
*Must include two [M] courses

D. Creative Writing Option

Foundation Courses
• Engl 251 (3 credits)
• Engl 302 [W,M] (3 credits)
Upper-Division Requirements (11 courses, 33 credit hours)
Two 300-level courses in Creative Writing:
• Engl 351, 352, or 353
Four Upper-Division literature courses, including at least one at 400-level
Advisor must approve all courses
Form and Theory Requirement (prereq: two college-level creative writing courses)
• Engl 446 (3 credits)
Two Advanced Creative Writing Workshops
• Engl 451 or Engl 452 (courses repeatable for credit)
One from the following
• Engl 355 (Multi-Media Authoring), Engl 357 ( Magazine Editing), Engl 402 (Technical and Professional Writing), Engl 499 (Creative Writing project), or Engl 498 (approved publishing/editing internship (3 credits)
Literature or creative writing elective (3 credits)

American Studies Major

In cooperation with the Departments of History, Comparative American Cultures, Women's Studies, Communications, Sociology, Fine Arts, and Others, the department participates in the Program in American Studies; students interested in the Bachelor of Arts in this interdisciplinary field should consult the program's director and the requirements listed under "Program in American Studies" in the WSU Catalog.

Digital Technology and Culture and other General Studies Majors

The department oversees the Digital Technology and Culture major <http://libarts.wsu.edu/english/undergraduate/electronic.html> and offers courses required for other General Studies majors in Linguistics, Classical Studies, and Religious Studies. Students in these and other concentrations within General Studies often elect English and Humanities courses when designing their programs.

Major in Humanities

Sometimes students who enjoy the interdisciplinary, international approach to learning they experience in our Humanities courses ask whether they can major in Humanities. Although no major is listed with the Humanities course descriptions in the Catalog, the answer is yes. Humanities is a series of programs offered by the Department of English. It is not a department in and of itself. However, you can take any of the options in the English major, doing a concentration in world literature and humanities with a minimum of four courses in non-English literatures and other related topics.

There also exists a major in General Studies-Humanities. This degree is for students whose primary interest in the humanities requires interdisciplinary programs and course selections which are not possible within single academic programs or established curricula. It is expected that students' major programs will be coherent, that they will include as many upper-division hours as possible consistent with appropriate prerequisites, and that they will be aimed at a general education or oriented toward a future degree. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Each student must 1) satisfy the General Education Requirements and any additional requirements of the College of Liberal Arts, 2) earn 120 semester hours which include 40 or more at the upper-division level, 3) establish an acceptable program in consultation with the coordinator.

A series of Humanities courses can make up a substantial part of a General Studies--Humanities major. An excellent plan would be to take the sequence of surveys of European civilization, including 101 or 198 (Humanities in the Ancient World), 302 (Humanities in the Middle Ages and Renaissance), 303 (Reason, Romanticism, and Revolution) and 304 (Humanities in the Modern World). Note that of these courses, only 101 is offered every semester, so some advance planning is important if you wish to take them in chronological sequence.

Other Humanities courses include 103 (Mythology), 335 (The Bible as Literature) and 338 (Topics in Humanities). The latter course varies in content from semester to semester and may be repeated for credit for a cumulative maximum of 6 hours. For course descriptions, see the Humanities section of the full catalog. It is possible to take 24 credit hours in HUM courses from our current curriculum. By combining some or all of these courses with appropriate English, history, philosophy, music, or foreign languages courses, a student can create an interesting and varied degree emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach to the humanities. If you are interested in pursuing a General Studies-Humanities degree you should study the section of the university catalog titled "General Studies Program."

If you are interested in enrolling in Humanities coursework abroad, contact the Overseas Programs Section, International Programs, at 335-4508. For those students wanting to explore this approach beyond the limits of the current curriculum, HUM 499 Special Problems offers credit for independent study of interdisciplinary, international topics. To arrange for such credit, contact Coordinator of Humanities Paul Brians (335-5689).

Digital Technology & Culture

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Professional Writing Certificate

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