Humanities Department
- English
- Visual and Digital Arts
English Program Description
Concentrations in Creative Writing and Professional Writing
The study of English provides students with the opportunity to explore the centrality of written expression in understanding and giving meaning to human experience. Through dynamic and multifaceted investigations of the immense creative possibilities of language, students who major in English develop clarity of thought, precise writing and speaking skills, informed critical judgment, and a keen awareness of the power of language to shape personal and social relations. The development of these competencies provides excellent preparation for careers in teaching, law, business and management, government, publishing, technical writing, journalism, writing for media, public relations, library science, and many other areas of professional and creative endeavor. Additionally, the English major is ideal preparation for law or graduate school.
Students majoring in English develop a strong foundation in (1) the historical development of American and British literature; (2) the major genres of literary expression—prose, poetry, and drama; (3) the principal critical-theoretical approaches to reading and writing; and (4) the practice of writing in a variety of professional and academic contexts. Students also are exposed to literature outside of the American and British traditions, as well as to other forms of expression—for example, art, philosophy, theater, music—that make up the Humanities. In addition, English majors complete a field experience by interning with a local business or organization. The field experience allows students to apply the knowledge, skills, and values that they have learned in a professional setting.
Students who complete the program earn a Bachelor of Arts in English. Students who have a particular interest in the craft of writing can tailor their curriculum to combine their Bachelor of Arts in English with a formal concentration in either Creative Writing or Professional Writing. While all English majors gain a broad grounding as mature writers in a variety of genres and professional contexts, students who choose one of these formal concentrations extend their learning to develop a thorough understanding of writing as a complex, rigorous discipline of study in its own right. All English majors, but especially those who choose a concentration in Creative or Professional Writing, benefit from one-on-one interactions with faculty who are themselves published writers of literary criticism, poetry, fiction, or multimedia. They also benefit from a number of extracurricular opportunities, such as The Write Thing Reading Series, which allows students to interact with nationally and internationally acclaimed writers in an intimate setting.
Students who know that they would like to teach English at the secondary level can matriculate in an English major specially designed to allow students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English with certification as an Adolescent English Teacher in as few as 123 credits. This major combines the majority of the courses that English majors take with a uniquely tailored Education curriculum that prepares students to be certified as English teachers in the New York State school system. This major also provides the ideal foundation to earn the Masters degree required of all tenured teachers in New York.
Program Goals
- to enrich students’ understanding of the historical development of American and British literature and of the English language
- to expose students to both canonical and non-canonical literary texts, as well as to literature in English outside of the American and British traditions
- to enhance students’ comprehension of the major genres of literary expression: prose, poetry, and drama
- to familiarize students with major critical-theoretical approaches to analyzing literary texts: as aesthetic objects, as historical registers, as social documents, as occasions for meditation or revolution
- to increase students’ abilities to read closely and to make informed critical judgments
- to develop students’ abilities to communicate clearly and persuasively, both orally and in writing
- to develop students’ awareness of cultural diversity so that they can communicate with reflection, sensitivity, and intelligence
- to prepare students for careers in teaching, writing, and other fields that require precise communication and intellectual discernment
Program Objectives
Upon successful completion of the requirements for the English major, students will be able to:
- identify major literary movements and authors in the American and British traditions
- explain the historical development of the English language in relationship to social, political, and cultural circumstances
- identify significant literary contributions outside of the American and British traditions and traditional literary canons
- define the major literary genres: prose, poetry, and drama
- situate and analyze literary texts in historical, intellectual, and aesthetic contexts
- communicate clearly, precisely, and persuasively in a variety of professional and academic contexts, both orally and in writing
- listen and respond sensitively and intelligently to multiple points of view
- integrate the skills and competencies fostered through the study of English in order to develop a desired career and/or pursue graduate study.
Credit Distribution
Bachelor of Arts
General Education Core (30 Credits)
ENG 110 College Writing II (3)
ENG 200 Analytical Writing (3)
GEN 110 Ideas and Experiences
Introduction to Critical
Thought and Expression (3)
GEN 220 Colonial North America:
Case Study in Cultural
Interaction (3)
GEN 240 Scientific Discovery (3)
GEN 410 Baccalaureate Capstone I (3)
GEN 411 Baccalaureate Capstone II (3)
MAT 114 Intermediate Algebra or
above as determined by
placement test (3)
MAT 201 Statistics and Society (3)
SPE 130 Fundamentals of Public
Speaking (3)
Major Requirements and Electives (48 Credits)
A. Major Requirements (33 credits)
ENG 205 Introduction to Literature (3)
ENG 210 Introduction to Creative Writing (3)
(fulfills GEN 230 requirement)
ENG 215 Survey of World Literature (3)
ENG 260 Business and Professional Writing (3)
ENG 305 British Literature: Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century (3)
ENG 315 British Literature: Late Eighteenth Century through the Twentieth
Century (3)
ENG 325 American Literature: Colonial to the Civil War (3)
ENG 335 American Literature: Civil War through the Twentieth Century (3)
ENG 360 Advanced Report and Proposal
Writing (3)
ENG 365 Ethnic Literature in America (3)
ENG 460 Literary Theory & Criticism: English Seminar (3)
ENG 477 English Field Experience (3)
B. Major Electives (12 credits)*
Choose one (1) of the following: (3)
ENG 300 Fiction Workshop
ENG 310 Poetry Workshop
ENG 320 Drama Workshop
Choose three (3) of the following: (9)
ENG 345 Film Art and Appreciation
ENG 355 Major Literary Forms
ENG 405 Themes and Topics in
American Literature
ENG 415 Themes and Topics in
British Literature
ENG 425 Themes and Topics in
World Literature
ENG 435 Major Literary Figures
Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses (24 Credits)
A. Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements (18 credits)
FRE 101 Elementary French I (3)
Or
SPA 101 Elementary Spanish I (3)
FRE 102 Elementary French II (3)
Or
SPA 102 Elementary Spanish II (3)
HIS 100 Western Civilization (3)
Or
HIS 101 World Cultures (3)
HIS 315 History of Ethnic America (3)
HUM 300 Literature and the Arts (3)
PHI 300 Ethics (3)
B. Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives (6 credits)*
Choose one (1) of the following: (3)
Any APY, ART, BIO, CHE, ECO, ENG, GEO, HIS, HUM, LNG, MAT, MUS, PHI, PHY, POL, PSY, SSC, SOC, THE course
Choose one (1) of the following: (3)
Any 200 level or above APY, ART, BIO, CHE, ECO, ENG, GEO, HIS, HUM, LNG, MAT, MUS, PHI, PHY, POL, PSY, SSC, SOC, THE, course
Free Elective Component (18 credits or 6 credits w/ optional concentration)**
Any College Course 18/6
Total Credit Hours for B.A. in English 120 or 121
Optional Concentrations
Creative Writing Concentration (12 credits)**
ENG 330 Prelude Practicum I & II 3
ENG 400 Senior Portfolio 3
Choose two (2) of the following:* (6)
ENG 300 Fiction Workshop
ENG 310 Poetry Workshop
ENG 320 Drama Workshop
ENG 498 Independent Study in Writing
Professional Writing Concentration (12 or 13 credits)**
MCO 110 Journalism: Organization and
Practice (3)
ENG 400 Senior Portfolio (3)
Choose one (1) of the following:* (3)
MCO 150 Media Promotion: Organization
and Practice
MCO 211 Writing for Media
MCO 212 News Writing
Choose one (1) of the following:* (3) or (4)
MMS 200 Fundamentals of Multimedia (4)
MCO 315 Feature Writing
MCO 320 Copy Writing
ENG 330 Prelude Practicum I & II
*Electives must be chosen in consultation with the Department Chair and/or appropriate Program Director.
**English majors who choose to pursue a formal concentration in either Creative Writing or Professional Writing will use twelve (12) of their free elective credits to fulfill the concentration requirements. As with all elective credits, majors must consult with the Department Chair and/or appropriate Program Director before scheduling any elective credits.
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