The Major

Any student can enroll in the English major, but students must complete the following sequence to proceed in the major: first, ENGLWRIT 112 College Writing with a grade of C or better, and second, ENGLISH 200 Intensive Literary Studies Seminar for Intended Majors with a grade of B- or better. Exceptions are students who have tested out of College Writing and Talent Advancement Program students who take College Writing and ENGLISH 200 simultaneously.

The English major requires eleven courses beyond English 112, most of which include heavy reading loads and call for skilled writing of multiple essays. Note: 100-level courses and ENGLISH 254 do not count toward the major. A typical schedule for the first semester of the English major includes ENGLISH 200 Intensive Literary Studies Seminar for Intended Majors and ENGLISH 221 Shakespeare or ENGLISH 270 American Identities.

British Literature (3 courses)
221 or 222 Shakespeare
One course in British literature before 1700, with some coverage of medieval: 201, 311, 416, or other appropriate course, subject to prior departmental approval.
One course in British literature 1700-1900: 202, 348, 349, 358 or 469, or other appropriate course subject to prior departmental approval.

American Literature (2 courses)
270 American Identities
One additional course (200-level or above)

Writing and Criticism (1 course)
300 Junior Year Writing or 419 Games Thinkers Play. (Topics for these courses change from semester to semester; students should contact the department.)

Departmental Electives (4 courses)
Additional courses to bring the total number of courses to ten. These may be chosen from courses numbered 300 or higher, or from 203, 279, or other 200-level courses with prior departmental approval.

Restrictions on acceptance of transfer credit:
The department normally accepts a maximum of three courses from other institutions, including other members of the Five College system, for the fulfillment of major requirements.

Options within the English Major
There is no requirement that students choose a particular focus for their upper-level courses, but they may choose to concentrate on one area of literature. In American literature, for example, specialized courses and work on individual authors (Melville, Dickinson, etc.) are offered. In British literature, a solid curriculum of courses is offered in the literary periods (e.g., the Romantic period, the Middle Ages, the time of Shakespeare) and individual authors (e.g., Chaucer, Dickens, Woolf).

The department also offers four areas of focus that confer Letters of Specialization: American Studies, Creative Writing, Nonfiction Writing, and Professional Writing and Technical Communication (PWTC). American Studies offers a concentration that enables students to shape an interdisciplinary course of study in American culture, combining courses in literature with courses from other disciplines, such as history, art or Afro-American studies. Creative Writing involves a series of courses, mostly in the form of workshops, that develop students’ craft in the writing of poetry, fiction or drama. Nonfiction Writing prepares students for careers in free-lance writing or publishing; it also prepares majors for graduate programs in publishing, nonfiction writing, or rhetoric and composition. PWTC provides training in professional research and editing, grant writing, software and hardware documentation, report writing, and business communications.

Majors interested in Letters of Specialization should consult the department's website for more information.

English majors are urged to consider the possibility of study abroad by taking advantage of the department’s summer program in Oxford, or be engaging in a semester or year-long program at universities in Great Britain, Ireland, and other countries.

Honors in English
The departmental honors track serves the interests of students with the most intense passion for writing and criticism.  To join the program, students must have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.200, and should arrange to meet with the English department Honors Program Director, Janis Greve, as soon as possible after becoming an English major to discuss course scheduling and writing interests. An appointment may be made in the Undergraduate Office, 252 Bartlett, (413) 545-0388, ideally at the end of the sophomore year or early in the junior year, and subsequent meetings should be arranged as the thesis year approaches. Enrolled students must complete six honors courses with a grade of B or better, two of which must be English department courses, and two of which are the Independent Studies supporting the thesis work. All honors students are required to complete either a research-based, critical thesis or a creative writing project, or to take an English department honors capstone class in either creative writing or literature.