English (Major)

English majors choose careers in any field valuing the ability to read, write, and analyze with intelligence and subtlety. Many of our majors find careers in law, business, education, publishing, journalism, marketing, politics, and medicine, as well as myriad other fields. An increasing number of English majors go into service projects and programs such as Teach for America. 

A major in English consists of 10 courses or 30 credit hours.

7 of the courses must include:

  • ENGL 30101 Introduction to Literary Studies (gateway course)
  • Two Cultures courses (one must have REI designation)*
  • One Methods, Forms, and Genres course
  • Three Histories of Literature courses (two must be before 1800)

The remaining 3 courses can be any course within the English Department at the 30xxx level or above.

*

REI courses foreground issues of race, ethnicity, or indigeneity

Creative Writing Concentration

Students wishing to major in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing must take a total of 10 courses or 30 credit hours.

These must include at least 4 Creative Writing courses, and at least 5 literature courses, specifically:

  • ENGL 30101 Introduction to Literary Studies (gateway course)
  • Two Cultures courses (one must have a REI designation.)*
  • Two Histories of Literature courses (one must be before 1800)

The four required Creative Writing courses should include:

  • No more than one 20xxx-level course
  • One 40xxx-level advanced course
  • Two different genres (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction)

The remaining course can be any course within the English Department at the 30XXX level or above.

English Major Honors Concentration

In the English Honors Concentration, select majors create programs tailored to their own particular interest. A faculty mentor guides each of these students through this intensive experience. The main feature of the concentration is writing an honors thesis consisting of a work of literary scholarship.

Eligibility: During the junior year, students are invited to apply to the Honors Concentration after being identified in one of two ways: achieving a GPA of 3.78 or higher in three or more English classes, or 3.6 or higher with a faculty nomination. Invited students declare their interest in the Honors Concentration by completing a Statement of Purpose, a 300-word statement describing what the student intends to focus on during the time in the Honors Concentration.

Requirements: The requirements for the Honors Concentration are slightly different from the prior listing of English major requirements. In the fall of senior year, the student enrolls in Honors Colloquium (ENGL 53001) which counts for one of the ten courses of the English major; in the spring of senior year, the student enrolls in Honors Thesis (ENGL 52999)  to complete the writing of the thesis. The thesis will consist of an essay of 6000-9000 words including notes but not the Works Cited. Ordinarily, the thesis addresses a literary topic or question, situates its analysis in relation to the existing criticism, and formulates an independtly conceived argument about this topic or question. The model is the scholarly article.

English Major Honors Concentration in Creative Writing

Students in Creative Writing Honors complete a thesis consisting of a work of creative writing and a reflection on the process of producing it.

Eligibility: During the junior year, students are invited to apply to the Honors Concentration after being identified in one of two ways: achieving a GPA of 3.78 or higher in three or more English courses, or 3.6 or higher with a faculty nomination. Invited students declare their interest by completing a 300- word Statement of Purpose describing the project the student intends to complete.

Requirements: Students must complete all of the requirements for the Creative Writing Concentration. In the fall of their senior year, students take the Creative Writing Honors Colloquium (ENGL 53002); in the spring of the senior year, the student enrolls in ENGL 52999, Creative Writing Honors Thesis, to complete the writing of the thesis. The thesis will consist of a critical essay on the writing project (10–15 pages), approximately 40 pages of prose (e.g., a section of a novel or a selection of short stories) or 20 pages of poetry, and a Works Cited.

For more information on English major requirements, go to english.nd.edu.