English - Undergraduate Programs
Overview
By majoring in English, students are involved simultaneously with two activities that are essentially and uniquely human: language and art. The mission of the Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Arlington is to educate students about the powers and pleasures of literary and other kinds of language.
The curriculum provides students with an understanding of theoretical and analytical processes which enable them to assimilate a variety of textual materials representing many cultures and historical periods. Students will learn to read closely, critically, and with empathy. In addition, students will learn to conduct scholarly research and to produce clear and cogent arguments in both written and oral form. These skills are widely applicable for English graduates who seek out and create careers in the arts, education, business, research and development, government, media, and publishing.
The English department offers two degree options: a BA in English and a BA in English with Teacher Certification (BATCH). Students choosing the BA in English will meet several distribution requirements but also have the flexibility to specialize in one of six different concentrations: Generalist, Multicultural and Comparative Literatures, Language and Rhetoric, Gender and Sexuality, Critical Theory, and Environment. In addition to the majors, the English Department offers minors in English, in Writing, and in Creative Writing. The English Department frequently cross-lists courses with Women's Studies, Mexican American Studies, African American Studies, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, and Medieval and Early Modern Studies.
Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English
| Pre-Professional Courses | ||
| General Core Requirements | 42 | |
| Recommended Core Requirements | ||
| Electives sufficient to complete the total number of hours required for the degree | ||
| Modern and Classical Languages: 1441, 1442, 2313, and 2314 or equivalent | ||
| Professional Courses | ||
| Major. To count toward the major, all English courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. 1 | ||
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I (or waiver for advanced standing) | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II (or waiver for advanced standing) | 3 |
| ENGL 2350 | INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION (This course is a pre- or co-requisite for all upper-level English courses. English majors must pass this course with a C or better in order to receive credit toward the major for any 3000/4000-level English courses.) 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 2384 | STRUCTURE OF MODERN ENGLISH (This course is a pre- or co-requisite for all upper-level English courses. English majors must passs this course with a C or better in order to receive credit toward the major for any 3000/4000 level English courses) | 3 |
| 6 hours of sophomore literature or 3 hours with a grade of A | 3 | |
| 18 hours of 3000/4000-level courses, distributed as follows: AREA A, Literature written in English before mid-seventeenth century (3 hours); ABEA B, Literature written between mid-seventeenth century and mid-nineteenth century (3 hours); AREA C, Literature written between mid-nineteenth century and contemporary (3 hours); AREA D, Language, Rhetoric, and Theory (3 hours); | ||
| ENGL 4399 | SENIOR SEMINAR (capstone course) | 3 |
| 3000/4000-level elective (3 hours) | 9 | |
| 12 hours of 3000/4000 level courses organized in a Concentration. A Concentration consists of 12 hours selected from any 3000- or 4000-level courses. No course which has been counted toward an Area requirement may also be counted toward a Concentration. Any upper-level topics course may be counted toward a Concentration if the topic is directly related to the subject of the Concentration. A topics course may be repeated for credit toward a Concentration when content changes, if the new topic is directly related to the subject of the Concentration. Under special circumstances and with the approval of the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies, students may count one course from another department toward the Concentration. The possible Concentrations are as follows. GENERALIST: This Concentration consists of a combination of courses in any topic, theme, or period of British or American literature. LANGUAGE AND RHETORIC: This concentration focuses on the history, theory, and practice of language use and on rhetoric from its inception as the art of public speaking to contemporary applications. MULTICULTURAL AND COMPARATIVE: This concentration consists of courses in multicultural, ethnic, and/or world literature. CRITICAL THEORY: This concentration focuses on a range of critical and philosophical questions central to the interpretation of texts, which include how to understand language, culture, power, subjectivity, knowledge, history, race, and other issues. GENDER AND SEXUALITY: This concentration focuses on representations of gender and sexuality in literature as well as in social, cultural, political, economic, and/or scientific contexts. ENVIRONMENT: This concentration overlaps with science studies and also brings together several recent areas of inquiry into the relations between texts and environments, including ecocriticism, the environmental humanities, animal studies, and posthumanism. | ||
| Total Hours | 69 | |
| 1 | To count toward the major, each English course must be completed with a grade of C or better. |
| 2 | English majors must pass this course with a grade of C or better in order to receive credit toward the major for any 3000/4000-level English courses. |
Teacher Certification
Students wishing to take a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with Secondary Teacher Certification must complete LIST 4343 CONTENT AREA READING AND WRITING and 36 hours in English. To count toward the major, each English course must be completed with a grade of C or better. The required English courses are:
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I (or waiver for advanced standing) | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II (or waiver for advanced standing) | 3 |
| ENGL 2350 | INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 2384 | STRUCTURE OF MODERN ENGLISH | 3 |
| Literature on the sophomore level or above | 3 | |
| ENGL 3340 | HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| ENGL 3351 | HISTORY OF BRITISH LITERATURE I | 3 |
| ENGL 3361 | HISTORY OF WORLD LITERATURE I | 3 |
| or ENGL 3362 | HISTORY OF WORLD LITERATURE II | |
| Select one of the following (Writing/Composition Group): | 3 | |
| ADVANCED EXPOSITION | ||
| COMPUTERS AND WRITING | ||
| ADVANCED ARGUMENTATION | ||
| WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING | ||
| WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING II | ||
| Select one of the following (Cultural Diversity Group): | 3 | |
| US CHICANO/LATINO LIT | ||
| AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| MEXICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| TOPICS IN MULTICULTURAL LITERATURES | ||
| POST-COLONIAL LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | ||
| GAY AND LESBIAN LITERATURE | ||
| WOMEN IN LITERATURE | ||
| LITERATURE BY WOMEN | ||
| ENGL 4326 | SHAKESPEARE | 3 |
| ENGL 4370 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
| 1 | BATCH majors must pass this course with a C or better in order to receive credit toward the major for any 3000/4000-level English courses. |
The requirement of six hours of English or world history does not pertain to students obtaining teacher certification.
Competence in Oral Presentations
Students obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English can demonstrate oral proficiency by passing:
| COMS 1301 | FUNDAMENTALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| COMS 1302 | VOICE AND DICTION | 3 |
| COMS 2305 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| COMS 3315 | COMMUNICATION FOR EDUCATORS (or equivalent) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Competence in Computer Use
Students obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English can demonstrate computer proficiency by:
- passing ENGL 3372 COMPUTERS AND WRITING, ENGL 3374 WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING or ENGL 4374 WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING II; or
- passing CSE 1301 COMPUTER LITERACY (or equivalent); or
- passing the University computer literacy examination.
Information on Sophomore Courses
Unless otherwise indicated, six hours of first-year English credit is prerequisite to all 2000-level courses. Students who are not majoring in English may register for ENGL 2303 TOPICS IN LITERATURE, ENGL 2309 WORLD LITERATURE, ENGL 2319 BRITISH LITERATURE or ENGL 2329 AMERICAN LITERATURE. Students who plan to major in English must complete ENGL 2350 INTRODUCTION TO ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION and ENGL 2384 STRUCTURE OF MODERN ENGLISH with a grade of C or better, even if they have already completed six hours of sophomore literature.
Minoring in English
An English minor may be achieved by completing eighteen hours in English with a grade of C or better. At least six of the hours must be on the 3000- or 4000-level. In addition to this minor, English also offers a minor in Writing and a minor in Creative Writing.
Option for Minor in Writing
The Writing minor is offered for students who wish to concentrate in writing as a part of their undergraduate curriculum. Students selecting the Writing minor should consult first with the undergraduate advisor in their department or program for approval of the minor, and then with the English department undergraduate advisor. Working with advisors, students will select a sequence of advanced courses to fulfill their minor requirements. To count toward the minor, all English courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. This minor consists of 21 hours, distributed as follows.
Required Courses for Students Selecting the Writing Option:
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| TOPICS IN LITERATURE | ||
| WORLD LITERATURE | ||
| BRITISH LITERATURE | ||
| AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| ENGL 3371 | ADVANCED EXPOSITION | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| COMPUTERS AND WRITING | ||
| TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING | ||
| BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WRITING | ||
| ADVANCED ARGUMENTATION | ||
| WRITING, RHETORIC, AND MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING II | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Option for Minor in Creative Writing
The Creative Writing minor is offered for students wishing to do intensive work in creative writing to supplement an English major or another major. Students selecting the Creative Writing minor should consult first with the undergraduate advisor in their department or program for approval of the minor, and then with the English department undergraduate advisor. Working with advisors, students will select a sequence of advanced courses to fulfill their minor requirements. To count toward the minor, all English courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. This minor requires 24 hours, distributed as follows:
Required Courses for Students Selecting the Minor in Creative Writing:
| ENGL 1301 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| TOPICS IN LITERATURE | ||
| WORLD LITERATURE | ||
| BRITISH LITERATURE | ||
| AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
| ENGL 3375 | CREATIVE WRITING | 3 |
| Select three of the following Advanced Creative Writing courses: | 9 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE SCREENWRITING | ||
| ADVANCED NARRATIVE SCREENWRITING | ||
| PLAYWRITING I | ||
| ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: TOPICS | ||
| ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: FICTION | ||
| ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: POETRY | ||
| ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: CREATIVE NON-FICTION | ||
| Total Hours | 24 | |
| 1 | ART 3350 INTRODUCTION TO NARRATIVE SCREENWRITING is a prerequisite for this course |
The Medieval and Early Modern Studies Minor
The medieval and early modern world saw major social and cultural changes--the rise of the middle class, the development of the individual, the emergence of the nation state, and the consolidation of many modern languages. The Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor fosters interdisciplinary study of these periods, encouraging students to explore and connect topics in language, literature, history, art, and philosophy. The minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies comprises courses taught by members of the Art, English, French, German, History, Latin, Philosophy, and Spanish departments in the College of Liberal Arts.
Students seeking to minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies should first consult with advisors in their departments or programs for approval of the minor, then with the Director of the Minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies (currently Dr. Jacqueline Stodnick of the Department of English). A minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies consists of six courses (18 hours total; six hours upper level) selected from approved courses, with no more than nine hours to be completed in any single discipline. Relevant topics courses may be used to fulfill the minor, with the approval of the Director of the Minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Students should consult the catalog and/or the appropriate department for prerequisites.
For information on the Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor, contact the Director at stodnick@uta.edu .