Undergraduate programs
The study of English has long been considered one of the best ways to obtain a liberal education. Courses are designed to develop students’ critical capabilities, to deepen their understanding of diverse cultural issues, and to improve their abilities to analyze and produce complex texts. The department prepares its majors for careers in writing and teaching, as well as for a variety of professions in which high levels of literacy and critical thought are required.
Various concentrations in literature and writing allow students flexible ways to combine interests in the literary arts with personal and professional goals. Community-based learning courses encourage students to integrate their academic skills with experience in the metropolitan area. Indeed, the breadth of knowledge and the communication skills that English majors typically acquire make them attractive to many potential employers and prepare them for graduate work leading to professions such as law.
For those who wish to teach, the English Department prepares majors for graduate work leading to teaching certification or for entry into graduate master’s or doctoral programs in English. PSU graduates in English have gone on to succeed in advanced degree programs at many major universities.
English B.A.
Requirements
In addition to meeting the general University B.A. and University Studies or Honors requirements, the English major will meet the following requirements for the B. A. degree:
Lower-division courses
Two courses selected from the following: (8 credits)
Eng 201 | Introduction to Shakespeare | 4 |
Eng 204 | Survey of English Literature | 4 |
Eng 205 | Survey of English Literature | 4 |
Eng 253 | Survey of American Literature | 4 |
Eng 254 | Survey of American Literature | 4 |
Eng 260 | Introduction to Women?s Literature | 4 |
Wr 200 | Writing About Literature | 4 |
Total Credit Hours: | 8 |
Upper-division courses
Theory (Group A)
Eng 300 | Introduction to the English Major | 4 |
Elective in criticism and practice (4 credits)
Eng 491 | History of Literary Criticism and Theory I | 4 |
Eng 492 | History of Literary Criticism and Theory II | 4 |
Eng 493 | Advanced Topics in Feminist Literary Theory | 4 |
Eng 494 | Topics in Critical Theory and Methods | 4 |
Literatures of Ethnicity, Gender, Class, and Culture (Group B)
Electives (8 credits)
Eng 305 | Topics in Film | 3 - 4 |
Eng 309 | American Indian Literature | 4 |
Eng 330 | Jewish and Israeli Literature | 4 |
Eng 351 | African American Literature | 4 |
Eng 352 | African American Literature | 4 |
Eng 353 | African American Literature | 4 |
Eng 367 | American Literature and Culture | 4 |
Eng 372 | Topics in Literature, Gender, and Sexuality | 4 |
Eng 373 | Topics in Literature, Race, and Ethnicity | 4 |
Eng 387 | Women's Literature | 4 |
Eng 420 | Caribbean Literature | 4 |
Eng 421 | African Fiction | 4 |
Eng 422 | African Fiction | 4 |
Eng 441 | Advanced Topics in Renaissance Culture | 4 |
Eng 443 | British Women Writers | 4 |
Eng 444 | British Women Writers | 4 |
Eng 445 | American Women Writers: 19th Century | 4 |
Eng 446 | American Women Writers: 20th Century | 4 |
Eng 467 | Advanced Topics: American Literature and Culture | 4 |
Eng 469 | Advanced Topics in Asian-American Literature and Culture | 4 |
Period Studies and British and American Literature (Group C)
12 credits, 3 courses total
One must be a Pre-1800 course and two courses must be 400-level
Pre-1800 courses
Eng 301 | Topics: Shakespeare | 4 |
Eng 311 | Tragedy | 4 |
Eng 312 | Comedy and Satire | 4 |
Eng 314 | The Epic | 4 |
Eng 320 | The English Novel | 4 |
Eng 340 | Medieval Literature | 4 |
Eng 341 | Renaissance Literature | 4 |
Eng 342 | Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature | 4 |
Eng 343 | Romanticism | 4 |
Eng 360 | American Literature to 1865 | 4 |
Eng 411 | English Drama | 4 |
Eng 426 | Advanced Topics in Medieval Literature | 4 |
Eng 430 | Sixteenth Century Literature | 4 |
Eng 440 | Advanced Topics in Seventeenth Century Literature | 4 |
Eng 441 | Advanced Topics in Renaissance Culture | 4 |
Eng 450 | Advanced Topics in Eighteenth Century Literature | 4 |
Eng 458 | Advanced Topics in Romanticism | 4 |
Eng 460 | Advanced Topics in American Literature to 1800 | 4 |
Other Group C courses
Writing, Rhetoric, Composition, and Linguistics (Group D)
One upper-division writing course elective (4)
Eng 331 | Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition Studies | 4 |
Eng 413 | Teaching and Tutoring Writing | 4 |
Eng 414 | Contemporary Composition Theories | 4 |
Eng 415 | Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition | 4 |
Eng 416 | History of Rhetoric | 4 |
Eng 425 | Practical Grammar | 4 |
Eng 490 | Advanced Topics in Rhetoric and Composition Studies | 4 |
Ling 390 | Introduction to Linguistics | 4 |
Wr 300 | Topics in Composition | 4 |
Wr 312 | Intermediate Fiction Writing | 4 |
Wr 313 | Intermediate Poetry Writing | 4 |
Wr 323 | Writing as Critical Inquiry | 4 |
Wr 324 | Advanced Writing About Literature | 4 |
Wr 327 | Technical Report Writing | 4 |
Wr 328 | News Editing | 4 |
Wr 330 | Desktop Publishing I | 4 |
Wr 333 | Advanced Composition | 4 |
Wr 394 | Writing Careers for English Majors | 4 |
Wr 400 | Advanced Topics in Composition | 4 |
Wr 412 | Advanced Fiction Writing | 4 |
Wr 413 | Advanced Poetry Writing | 4 |
Wr 416 | Screenwriting | 4 |
Wr 420 | Writing: Process and Response | 4 |
Wr 425 | Advanced Technical Writing | 4 |
Wr 426 | Document Design | 4 |
Wr 427 | Technical Editing | 4 |
Wr 428 | Advanced News Writing | 4 |
Wr 429 | Writing Computer Documentation | 4 |
Wr 430 | Desktop Publishing II | 4 |
Wr 456 | Forms of Nonfiction | 4 |
Wr 457 | Personal Essay Writing | 4 |
Wr 458 | Magazine Writing | 4 |
Wr 459 | Memoir Writing | 4 |
Wr 460 | Introduction to Book Publishing | 4 |
Wr 461 | Book Editing | 4 |
Wr 462 | Book Design and Production | 4 |
Wr 463 | Book Marketing and Promotion | 4 |
Wr 464 | Bookselling | 4 |
Wr 470 | Intellectual Property and Copyright | 4 |
| appropriate adviser-approved, upper-division course | 4 |
Wr 312, Wr 313, Wr 412, Wr 413, Wr 416, Wr 420 may be taken twice for credit.
Electives (Group E)
Any 300 or 400 level English or Writing Course (16 credits)
Courses to be selected from any upper-division English or writing course.
Alternate Courses
English majors will be expected to choose their courses in consultation with their advisers. For upper-division coursework in the several groups, consult the following lists of acceptable courses:
The following courses, depending on their content, may fulfill major requirements in Groups A, B, C, and D. Students should consult specific offerings each term and meet with their adviser to have them approved:
Courses
- Eng 300 Introduction to the English Major is the expected preparation for all 400-level courses in the English major.
- English majors in upper-division English courses are expected to be able to write a library research paper when required. The department recommends that majors without prior training in research paper writing enroll in Wr 222. Wr 222 does not count toward the English major.
- Only courses in which a student receives a C or above can count for the English major.
- No more than 12 credits taken for the Minor in Writing may be applied to the English major.
- No more that 8 credits taken for the Minor in Film Studies may be applied to the English major.
- A minimum of 24 credits in English and/or writing at PSU is required to graduate from PSU with a major in English.
- Only courses taken for a letter grade can count toward English major.
- Upper-division WLL Literature in Translation course may be used in English with adviser approval.
- Chiron courses will not count toward the English major or the Minors in English, Writing or Film Studies.