The English Major
Requirements for the major in English at Washington University are designed to accommodate both those students seeking a broad liberal education and those who have already decided on careers such as law, business, medicine, social work, and teaching. The required introductory courses provide students with a foundation on which, in consultation with an advisor, they can build a coherent major appropriate to their career goals and intellectual interests. The wide range of electives includes courses designed to develop particular skills in reading and writing, courses that extend the student's knowledge of English and American literary traditions, and courses focused on works that enhance one's appreciation of the intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and historical dimensions of human experience. Our hope is that students who graduate with a major in English will be able to read comprehendingly, to write and speak effectively, and, as citizens, to act knowledgeably and imaginatively.
Requirements
- Prerequisite (six units minimum): E Lit 215 (Introduction to Literary Study) and either E Lit 211 (Chief English Writers I) or E Lit 257 (Art of Poetry). One additional course chosen from the three courses named above may be counted among electives satisfying th 24-unit upper-division requirement. Chief English Writers I (E Lit 211) may be counted as a pre-1700 course if it is taken in addition to the prerequisites.
- 24 units (8 courses) of upper-division (300 and 400) work. At least two of these courses must be taken at the E Lit 400 level. The eight upper-division courses must include:
- Two courses in literature pre-1700
- Two courses in literature written between 1700 and 1900
- One course in American literature (may be used to satisfy one of the 1700-1900 requirements)
- One course in a major author, i.e., Austen, Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare (may be used to satisfy the above requirements as well)
Goals for an English Major
Majors should discuss with their advisors a program that will achieve goals of depth and diversity, keeping in mind the following:
- The maturely literate English major studies not a single literature but an enormously varied range of texts generated by multiple cultures in richly diverse forms and idioms, including those of Anglophone post-colonial cultures. The student's choice of courses should reflect this kind of awareness.
- The Department plans to offer courses regularly in the comparative study of two different literary cultures. Students taking such courses (e.g., The Harlem and Irish Renaissances; British and American Modernisms) can discover how comparative study sharpens the profile of each culture while suggesting resonance, even symbiosis, between them.
Please Note:
- To fulfill the requirements for a major in English a student must receive a grade of C or better.
- Under ordinary circumstances, only one cross-listed course not home-based in English may be counted toward the 24 units of required upper-division work. The two required 400-level literature courses must be home-based in English. Problems and questions may be referred to the student's major advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- Department courses satisfying the Arts and Sciences Advanced Writing Requirement may be counted toward the major.
Questions and Answers about the English Major
Q. What can I do with a major in English?
R. An English major who has developed skills in analytic reading and persuasive writing and who has encountered diverse, challenging texts over a range of historical time will bring an articulate, humane
intelligence to bear on any career. For specific information, consult Career Opportunities, talk with an English Major advisor, and familiarize yourself with the resources of the Career Center.
Q. I am considering a major in English, but am not sure. What should I take?
R. Take one of the 200-level courses (211C, 215, 257) or Shakespeare. During the semester, talk with the instructor about your interests.
Q. As a first-year student, what can I take?
R. Before or after taking Writing 1 (E Comp 100), you can take a Freshman Seminar or one of the 200-level
courses.
Q. How do I declare a major?
R. When you have completed at least one prerequisite and registered for another, you can then obtain and complete a Major Declaration Form from the Dean's Office (or from the English Department), print a copy of your student record, and complete the self-evaluation questionnaire (one copy required). Bring all to the Academic Coordinator in the English Department (Duncker Hall, Room 117).
Q. May I choose my advisor?
R. You may request a particular advisor. Requests will be granted unless the faculty member already
has too many advisees.
Q. If I decide to participate in a Study Abroad Program, do the credits earned count toward the English Major?
R. Yes, but you should talk in advance with the Study Abroad Advisor and your major advisor about specific
application of courses taken abroad to English Major requirements. Final evaluation of your transcript and course work materials will be made by the Study Abroad advisor in the semester following your return.
Q. How do I earn Honors in English?
R. There are two Honors tracks. Read the page called Honors in English and talk with your advisor.
Q. Which E Comp Courses count toward the major?
R. Expository or Creative Writing courses, bearing a number 300 or above, may be counted toward the major to a maximum of nine units. If you wish to take more than nine units of writing courses, you should consider taking a Writing Minor in addition to your major.
Q. How can I get to know students majoring in English with whom I am not taking courses?
R.
- Attend the pre-advising sessions where English majors talk to faculty about courses to be offered in the coming semester.
- You may also apply for membership in Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honorary. The Washington University chapter publishes a critical magazine, Word.