Degree: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Major: English

Program Overview

The major in English offers undergraduates a variety of opportunities to develop the art of communication: reading, writing, and media skills through a rich variety of seminars and experiences: the study of English and American literature, the craft of poetry, Shakespearean drama, science fiction, the techniques of horror films, the rhetoric of medicine, and the dynamics of novels, plays, short stories, and creative non-fiction. The flexibility of the undergraduate major allows students to specialize their studies based on their passions—from classic literature to graphic novels, from poetry to journalism—while exposing them to genres and works they may not have previously considered. In addition to being a stand-alone major, English effectively complements many other disciplines and serves as excellent preparation for law school, medical school, and business school.

Teacher Licensure

This program offers a special option for undergraduate students who wish to pursue this major and a career in teaching. The Teacher Education Program prepares CWRU students to receive an Ohio Teaching License for grades K-12 (Multi-Age) or grades 7-12 (Adolescent to Young Adult (AYA)) depending on major area of study. Students declare a second major in education—which involves 36 hours in education and practicum requirements—and complete a planned sequence of major content coursework within the context of this major. The program is designed to offer several unique features not found in other programs and to place students in mentored teaching situations throughout their teacher preparation career. This small, rigorous program is designed to capitalize on the strengths of CWRU’s departments, its Teacher Education Program, and the relationships the university has built with area schools.
For the subject area requirements for teacher licensure, please visit the program page for the Teacher Education, BA.

Undergraduate Policies

For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Office of Undergraduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.

Accelerated Master's Programs

Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Studies section of the General Bulletin.

Program Requirements

Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the latter set of requirements.

The major in English includes two tracks. The primary track consists of at least 30 semester hours in English above the 100 level (including 15 hours at the 300 level or above). The required courses are:

In addition, students submit an English major portfolio as described on our website.

Because of the flexibility of departmental requirements and the variety of career paths to which the major may lead, all students should confer frequently and closely with advisors. No courses outside the department are required for the major (although a language course or equivalent proficiency is necessary for the honors track–see below), but the department recommends courses in comparative literature, history, philosophy, history and criticism of the fine arts, theater, and literature in other languages. Students planning to go to graduate school are reminded of the importance of foreign language study.

Teacher Licensure in Integrated Language Arts

The subject area requirements for teacher licensure (33 credit hours) are as follows:

Departmental Honors

To qualify for honors, English majors must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.75 in English courses taken for honors and follow a track consisting of at least 36 hours above the 100 level, including: (a) the general requirements for the major (see above); (b) ENGL 387; (c) at least 18 hours of approved electives in literary and cultural studies; and (d) one of the following:

• a course in a foreign language taught in the elected language at or above the 200 level,
• a course either in linguistics or in the history of the English language (the latter, however, cannot count for the general pre-1800 requirement and for honors track language substitution), or
• demonstrated fluency in a foreign language.

To be eligible for departmental honors, students must also complete their capstone requirement in a designated capstone course in English.

The department also offers other specialized options which follow.

Concentration Requirements

The film concentration requires that 9 of the 30 credits for the English major be approved film courses.

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Courses that have counted as electives toward the film concentration include: Latin American Cinema, Black Religion & Film, The Hollywood Musical, Topics in German Cinema, Film Music, Jewish Image in Popular Culture, French Cinema, James Bond & Popular Culture, Classics in Film, Bollywood & Social Justice, Video Production, and Folklore & Myth in Japanese Film.