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The English Major also has opportunities in Penn State Study Abroad Program.
Click on the above link for more information
The English major consists of twelve courses (36 credits), seven of which are either prescribed or must be drawn from a particular group of courses. These are briefly explained below. The other five are additional English courses that can be completed in a variety of ways, as long as three are at the 300-400 level.
The checklist below displays the 36-credit English major requirements. The required twelve courses do not necessarily have to be taken in the order in which they appear on the checklist.
• English 200 --examines the questions we ask of all literary works. Some students feel better prepared for this course after they have taken one or two literature classes.
• English 221 --examines how literary themes and forms evolved during the one thousand years of English literature before 1798. This course provides an understanding of how literature changes and adapts to new historical circumstances.
• English 261, 262, 263, 265, OR 268 --explores readings in the different forms or genres: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and drama. What questions do we ask of certain forms? What does each do best? Choose one from this group.
• English 222, 231, 232, 235, OR 240 --these courses examine British and/or American literature written in a specific historical period. Again, choose one from this group.
• English 300-400 level pre-1800 and post-1800 --you must select a course in both of these categories (see p. 49 for a list of possible courses). The pre-1800 courses study British literature only. The post-1800 courses include both British and American literatures.
• English 487W, Senior Seminar --Taken during your seventh or eighth semester, each Senior Seminar section has a maximum enrollment of 15 students to foster intense and invigorating discussion. Seminar topics or themes have included Elizabethan love poetry, autobiographical writings, Victorian detective fiction, and Fitzgerald and Hemingway, to name just a few. Please note : English 487W is offered during Fall and Spring semesters only; it is not offered during the Summer Session.
The five English additional courses (fifteen credits) can be taken in one of two ways. You can take a variety of courses that appeal to you but are not necessarily related, or you can focus your electives in a defined emphasis or in a personalized program of study
ENGLISH MAJOR CHECKLIST
To complete the B.A. in English, a student must complete twelve 3-credit courses. Eighteen credits must be at the 400 level, and no more than six may be at the 001-199 level. English 004, 005, 015, 030, and 202 cannot be used to satisfy major requirements. English 487W cannot be used to satisfy lines 5-11.
- Methods and Perspectives: English 200
- Traditions A: English 221
- Forms: English 261, 262, 263, 265 or 268
- Traditions B: English 222, 231, 232, 235, or 240
* * * * * * * *
- 300-400 level English, pre-1800 (see approved list)
- 300-400 level English, post-1800 (see approved list)
- 300-400 level English
- 300-400 level English
- 300-400 level English
- English, any level
- English, any level
- English 487W (senior seminar) or English 310H (senior honors essay)*
If you are completing an emphasis within the English major, most courses will be used on lines 7-11 on this checklist.
With the approval of the director of Undergraduate Studies, you may substitute up to six credits at the same course level offered in other units. These credits may not be double counted with major and General Education requirements.
*All major courses must be completed with at least a grade of C or better.
ENGLISH ADVISING CENTER
140 Burrowes Building
Penn State is a huge place, and sometimes it is easy to feel you are just another face in the crowd. The wide variety of opportunities available and the vast selection of courses from which to choose is wonderful, but they can also seem overwhelming at times. The English Advising Center is here to help you feel more at home, to clarify requirements and choices, and to empower you to take charge of your education and to take full advantage of the many opportunities at PSU.
Two advisers assist our five hundred English & American Studies majors:
Tracey Melnick and Janet Lyon
To make an appointment to meet with Tracey Melnick, schedule a time online at: http://www.la.psu.edu/advising-appt/
To make an appointment to meet with Janet Lyon, contact the Undergraduate Office at 814-863-0258.
Plan to meet with your adviser at least once a semester to discuss course scheduling for the next semester(s), to review your audit, and to learn about special programs, readings, or presentations that the department, college, or university has scheduled. Your adviser is also an excellent person to provide or guide you towards information about internships and externships, planning your schedule to accommodate study abroad or post-graduate plans, and to discuss career goals.
Everyone goes through periods where they feel overburdened or stressed out or inexplicably "blue." If you are having a difficult semester, for any reason, please meet with your adviser. Often, just talking about what's going on can help you clarify things or put them in perspective. Your adviser may also be able to suggest some strategies for coping and can also put you in touch with other people and resources who can help you.
To make an appointment to meet with your adviser, call the Undergraduate English Office at 863-0258, or stop in at 103 Burrowes. Advising hours are posted each semester on the door of 103 Burrowes.
And remember, the final responsibility for fulfilling major, college, and university requirements is yours. Students who self-advise run the risk of discovering at graduation time that they have not met all requirements. Don't let this happen to you. The Advising Center operates as a service for all English and American Studies Majors. It's here for you. Don't hesitate to visit!
Important Information
If you want information about what is necessary to fulfill graduation requirements, see your adviser .
See your mentor if you are interested in questions such as:
- What can you do with a degree in English?
- What courses should someone like you take?
- What are the various fields within the discipline of English
- Why is the program organized as it is?
- What is the value of a literary education
THE HONORS PROGRAM IN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN STUDIES
Professor in Charge :
Janet Lyon
37
Burrowes Building
jwl12@psu.edu
The Honors Program in English provides the opportunity for superior students to broaden and deepen their literary understanding through seminars and individual study. Students take three Honors Seminars and write a Senior Honors Thesis under faculty supervision. Names of candidates for the Honors Program are submitted by Department of English faculty.
Students who have a GPA of 3.7 or better at the end of their fourth semester or later and who also have a GPA of A- or better in English courses other than English 015, 030, or 202 are eligible to apply for membership in the Honors Program.
This program consists of twelve credits of Honors work in English to be arranged in the following manner: nine credits of English 300M: Honors Course in English (the equivalent of a 400-level course) and three credits of English 310H: Honors Thesis in English. All 300M and 310H courses fulfill 400-level distribution requirements. The program does not require a student to take more credits than designated for the Major or Minor in English; it merely asks that twelve of those required credits be earned within Honors courses. Undergraduates can fulfill the requirements for Honors in conjunction with any other emphasis (such as Creative Writing) offered by the Department.
A 3.7 GPA is normally required at the time one starts the program, and a minimum of 3.5 must be achieved for each subsequent semester.
For more information, interested students should contact the Honors Director.
Students can fulfill the requirements for Honors in the following way:
5) Senior Honors Thesis: 310H
8a) English 300M
8b) English 300M
8c) English 300M
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The Emphases include Creative Writing , African-American Literature , Rhetoric , Publishing , and the Self-Designed Emphasis , each of which is described and illustrated below. To apply for an emphasis, see your adviser and fill out the Declaration of Emphasis form available in rooms 103 Burrowes. Please note: An emphasis is not identified on your diploma or on your transcript: however, you are issued a certificate that attests to your successful completion of your emphasis. EMPHASIS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE Professor in Charge : From the sorrow songs of the plantation to the exuberant expressions of the Harlem Renaissance, from the Black Arts movement of the '60s to today's postmodern experimentalists, the literature of African Americans forms a rich and vital tradition. Be a part of this exciting new direction in the English department's curriculum and learn more about the literary achievement of African Americans. Come to 103 Burrowes to schedule an appointment with an advisor to discuss how an emphasis in African American literature will fit into your program and to learn more about how it will enrich your undergraduate studies. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 15 credit EMPHASIS: Required core courses (6 credits): ENGL 235 - African American Oral Folk Tradition ENGL 469 - Slavery and the Literary Imagination Remaining courses (9 CREDITS) : Six credits must be at the 300-400 level. Three credits may be taken in another department, with English Department approval. Select 9 credits from: ENGL 139 - Black American Literature ENGL 431 - Black American Writers ENGL 461 - The Vernacular Roots of African-American Literature ENGL 462 - Reading Black, Reading Feminist ENGL 463 - African American Autobiography ENGL 466 - African American Novel I ENGL 467 - African American Novel II ENGL 468 - African American Poetry In addition, the English Department offers several "varying content" courses (such as English 400), which may count for the emphasis, depending upon the particular course content in a specific semester. Professor in Charge : The Creative Writing Emphasis blends the practical and the ideal. It can help to make you more marketable by strengthening your writing and critical thinking skills--assets employers value. And it gives you the space and challenge to explore and develop your creative talent. With the CREATIVE Writing Emphasis you can: • Explore equally the different forms of creative writing: fiction, poetry and nonfiction • Focus primarily on fiction or poetry or creative nonfiction • Develop a specific, marketable focus in fact-based writing, choosing from courses in biography, science, exposition, technical writing, and editing. The Creative Writing Emphasis won't "make" you a published writer or "get" you a job, but it will hone your skills in both practical and creative forms by giving you instruction and intensive practice in writing. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 15 CREDIT EMPHASIS: You must take at least 6 in one genre, at least 3 in a second genre, and a total of 9 credits at the 300 or 400 level. Fiction: ENGL 212, 412, 422 Poetry: ENGL 213, 413, 423 Nonfiction: ENGL 215, 414, 416, 418, 421, 425 A Creative Writing Emphasis in Nonfiction must include ENGL 415 *ENGL 417 (Editorial Process) and THEA 440 (Playwriting) may be used towards emphasis, although they won't count as genre courses. ENGL 50 (Introduction to Creative Writing) ENGL 281 (TV Script Writing) and COMM 260 (News Writing and Reporting) cannot be counted towards the emphasis, but they are excellent supplemental courses. **These courses may be taken twice for credit: 412, 413, 415, 418, 422, 423, and 425. ***Admission to 413 requires 213 as a prerequisite, submission of a portfolio, and departmental permission (details and application on page 38).Professor in Charge : Many English majors want to work in a publishing house, and many Penn Staters are now successful in this line of work. The following group of courses constitutes excellent preparation for such a career. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 15 CREDIT EMPHASIS: Prescribed Courses (9 credits): ENGL 100 - English Language Analysis ENGL 417 - Editorial Process ENGL 495 - Internship Additional Courses (6 credits) : Select one from: ENGL 215 - Introduction to Article Writing ENGL 297A - Web Based Research Journal ENGL 421 - Advanced Expository Writing Select one from: ENGL 414 - Biographical Writing, ENGL 415 - Advanced Non-Fiction Writing ENGL 416 - Science Writing ENGL 418 - Advanced technical Writing and Editing ENGL 420 - Writing for the Web ENGL 421 - Advanced Expository Writing ENGL 470 - Rhetorical Theory and Practice ENGL 471 - Rhetorical Traditions ENGL 472 - Current Theories of Writing and Reading ENGL 473 - Rhetorical Approaches to Discourse ENGL 474 - Issues in Rhetoric and Composition * ENGL 215 is a prerequisite for 415. ** ENGL 421 may fulfill either line 2 or line 4 in the emphasisProfessor in Charge : If you're aiming to work in management, law, politics, publishing, or education, your success will depend on how effectively you can analyze written texts and communicate in writing. By taking an emphasis in Rhetoric, you will not only study some of the hottest approaches to written communication and the latest research on getting across to readers, but you'll also learn arts of persuasion that date back to Ancient Greece and Rome. An emphasis in rhetoric will prepare you to: • Recognize techniques of argument in a variety of texts--historical and modern, literary and everyday • Engage in ethical debates: does good rhetoric create good citizens? Who are "good" rhetors? • Study why some writing situations contribute to accidents and lawsuits • Find out how writing and reading skills develop from childhood through adulthood • Sharpen the skills you'll need in professional practice REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 15 CREDIT EMPHASIS: Prescribed Courses (3 credits): ENGL 200 - Introduction to Critical Reading Additional Courses (12 credits)*: ENGL 470 - Rhetorical Theory and Practice ENGL 471 - Rhetorical Traditions ENGL 472 - Current Theories of Reading & Writing ENGL 473 - Rhetorical Approaches to Discourse ENGL 474 - Issues in Rhetoric and Composition * These courses may be taken twice for credit, as long as the specific topic has changed. Concentrate on whatever aspect of rhetorical studies interests you most--and follow-up your interests with a relevant course in another department. For example, if you are interested in governmental policies, take a related course in speech communications, philosophy, wildlife management, or history. Three credits may be taken in another department, with English Department approval.In Charge : You may design your own emphasis in a variety of areas. As with all emphases, at least 9 credits must be at the 300-400 level. English 495: Writing Internship (3-6 credits) is offered to qualified students interested in writing, editing, or public relations careers. Few experiences are as valuable in helping you choose a career path and/or secure your first job. English interns learn what it is actually like to write or edit professionally and complete the internship with a portfolio of published work and potential sources of recommendations for future jobs. English Internships fall into three general categories: on-campus public relations offices, news organizations, and public service organizations. They require about ten hours per week at the assigned site plus completion of various academic assignments. Application deadlines are generally October 15 for Spring semester and March 1 for Fall semester. The English Internship may be taken for three to six credits, only three of which may be applied towards the English Major and towards the Creative Writing Emphasis. The Publications Emphasis requires three credits of English 495, while six credits may be applied towards the Technical Writing Minor. Program Prerequisites: Internship Coordinator: For more information, please follow this link: www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/e/m/emj2/ LIBERAL ARTS & OTHER INTERNSHIPS Internships (1-12 credits) are also available through the College of Liberal Arts Internship Office. For information go to 136 Sparks or call 865-2545. For information on additional competitive internships, please see the English Major Career Manual or Career Services in 412 Boucke. THE AMERICAN STUDIES MAJOR IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE! AMERICAN STUDIES American studies is an interdisciplinary major that examines American culture in both its contemporary and historical contexts. American studies courses typically cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries in order to bring several scholarly perspectives to bear on issues in American culture. In addition, American studies classes explore their subjects from multiple perspectives, analyzing both high and popular culture, national and regional issues, mainstream and marginalized voices. American studies majors go on to careers in fields such as business, law, college and secondary teaching, government, journalism, medicine, and museum and archive work. For example, recent graduates have attended law school at Duke University and at The College of William and Mary (among others) and have entered graduate programs in American studies, history, and English. Others now direct historical sites and administer historical societies. In addition, recent American studies majors (and minors) have won competitive internships at the Art Institute of Chicago, Colonial Williamsburg, the Winterthur Museum, the Daniel Boone Homestead, and the Pennsylvania Heritage Affairs Commission. The American Studies Major As American studies majors, students design individualized programs of study in consultation with a faculty director. Majors combine 9 credits of core classes in American studies with 24 credits of supporting courses tailored to their specific needs and interests. The flexibility of the American studies major enables students to complete their degrees while pursuing their intellectual interests in disciplines as diverse as anthropology, art, architecture, African American studies, business, communications, culture and technology, film, folklore, history, literature, material culture and restoration, photography, political science, popular culture, sociology, and women's studies. Common to every major's course of study is the focus on American culture and the attempt to understand how national culture comes to be conceptualized, embodied in material culture, written, and rewritten. American Studies Major Checklist To complete the B.A. in American Studies, a student must complete eleven 3-credit courses (33 credits). There are three core courses (9 credits) required for all American Studies majors. The remaining 24 credits must be distributed in three of four fields: American Literature, American History, American Humanities (art, philosophy, religion, etc.), and Social Sciences. These credits must be taken within the following guidelines:
To ensure that you have completed twelve credits at the 400-level in the areas above, please copy the four 400-level courses below: __________ __________ __________ __________ *All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. This worksheet is an unofficial record of your progress. Courses Approved for American Studies American Literature : American History : American Humanities: Art, Philosophy, and Religion : American Social Sciences :
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