English
Department Office: 208 English Building, 608 South Wright, Urbana, (217) 333-2391
English majors at the University of Illinois take 12 courses (36 hours) from the Department of English in the study of literature, text, and culture. These courses help students develop sophisticated interpretation and composition skills through studying a wide range of cultural materials, historical periods, and literatures.
The Department of English sponsors two concentrations.
The English Concentration is organized to provide instruction in literature in English, literary theory and criticism, the English language, English education, film, cultural studies, and closely related fields. Students who major in English have many choices in planning a field of study, but the basic program is designed to accommodate students who seek to broaden their familiarity with our literature, to intensify their language skills for personal and professional reasons, and to learn more about literature's relationship to the other arts, history, philosophy, psychology, and the modern languages.
The English Teaching Concentration leads to certification to teach in Secondary School. Coursework in this concentration is largely similar to the English Concentration and based on the same core goals as the English Concentration. Students working toward earning a teaching certificate are guided toward additional coursework focused on language and composition.
The department also offers a major in Creative Writing.
Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum
Students must select one concentration.
English Concentration
E-mail: englishadvising@illinois.edu
Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minimum required major and supporting course work equates to 42 hours including a minimum of 36 hours of English Department courses. Students must complete at least 15 hours of coursework at the 300-level or above (ENGL 300, ENGL 301, and 9 more hours). Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus. All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements.
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Departmental Distinction: Students interested in graduating with distinction or high distinction are encouraged to consult the departmental honors adviser. In addition, students interested in the departmental honors program should contact the English department advising office.
Topical Streams: Course descriptions are tagged to indicate the topical streams each course is a part of. These streams are not part of any requirement; the streams exist to help student guide themselves through the major. To learn more about topical streams you may be interested in studying, visit www.english.illinois.edu/undergraduate/streams.html.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 9 | Introduction to the Study of Literature, Text, and Culture ENGL 200: Intro to the Study of Lit (prerequisite for other English courses; can be taken at the same time as a course that satisfies the Composition I requirement) |
| 6 | Textual Analysis in Action |
| 9 | Period Courses1(American, British, transatlantic, anglophone, etc.) |
6 hours: At least two courses focused on literature, text, and/or culture in two or more of the following categories: |
|
| 3 hours: One course focused on literature, text, and/or culture in the category 1800-1900 | |
| 12 | Additional Coursework1,2 At least four courses chosen from those controlled by or crosslisted with the Department of English (Business and Technical Writing, Creative Writing, and English). |
| One course1 must focus on race/ethnicity/indigeneity/post-coloniality/sexuality. This course can be used to fulfill part of the Textual Analysis, Period Courses, or Additional Coursework requirements. | |
| 6 | Supporting Coursework: |
| 42 | Total Hours3 |
- Chosen from the list maintained in the Department of English.
- Student may count 1 Independent Study course (ENGL 290, ENGL 390 or BTW 290) toward the additional coursework requirement.
- Students must complete at least 15 hours of coursework at the 300-level or above (ENGL 300, ENGL 301, and 9 more hours).
English Teaching Concentration
This concentration is designed for students preparing to teach English at the secondary level.
In order to remain in good standing in this program and be recommended for certification, candidates are required to maintain UIUC, cumulative, content area, and professional education, grade-point averages of 2.5 (A= 4.0). Candidates should consult their advisor or the Council on Teacher Education for the list of courses used to compute these grade-point averages.
E-mail: englishadvising@illinois.edu
Web address for department: www.english.illinois.edu
Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minimum required concentration and supporting course work normally equates to 78 hours: 36 hours of English Department courses, 6 hours of supporting coursework (History and Culture Coursework), and 37-38 hours of courses from the Teaching Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching. Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus. All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements. In addition students must take a speech performance course, CMN 101, or course sequence CMN 111 and 112. Completion of the CMN 111/112 sequence also satisfies the Campus Composition I requirement.
Departmental Distinction: Students interested in graduating with distinction or high distinction are encouraged to consult the departmental honors adviser. In addition, students interested in the departmental honors program should contact the English department advising office.
Prerequisites to transfer to the Teaching Concentration. In addition to EPSY 201 and EPS 201, students must also complete ENGL 200 and at least nine hours from ENGL 201, 209, 210, 255, or 256 prior to transfer into the Teaching Concentration.
NOTE: In addition to the requirements for the concentration listed below, students must complete the Teaching Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching (37-38 hours). Conferral of the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences prior to completion of the minor requires approval by petition to the LAS Student Affairs Office. While it is possible to complete this program in 8 semesters, many students may require an extra semester or two.
Topical Streams: Course descriptions are tagged to indicate the topical streams each course is a part of. These streams are not part of any requirement; the streams exist to help student guide themselves through the concentration. To learn more about topical streams you may be interested in studying, visit www.english.illinois.edu/undergraduate/streams.html
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 9 | Introduction to the Study of Literature, Text, and Culture ENGL 200: Intro to the Study of Lit (prerequisite for other English courses; can be taken at the same time as a course that satisfies the Composition I requirement) |
| 6 | Textual Analysis in Action ENGL 301: CriticalApproaches to Lit &Text ENGL 300: Writing About Lit Text & Culture (fulfills the university’s Advanced Composition requirement) |
| 9 | Period Courses1(American, British, transatlantic, anglophone, etc.) |
| 3 hours: Shakespeare | |
3 hours: A course focused on literature, text, and/or culture in one of the following categories: |
|
| 3 hours: One course focused on literature, text, and/or culture in the category 1800-1900 | |
| 9 | Language and Composition Courses |
| 3 | Additional Coursework1,2 Chosen from courses offered by the Department of English (Business and Technical Writing, Creative Writing, and English). |
| One course1 must focus on race/ethnicity/indigeneity/post-coloniality/sexuality. This course can be used to fulfill part of the Textual Analysis, Period Courses, or Additional Coursework requirements. | |
| 43-44 | Supporting Coursework: |
|
|
|
37-38 hours- Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching: |
|
|
Pre-education courses: |
|
|
EPSY 201 (prerequisite: PSYC 100) |
The professional education sequence as approved by the Council on Teacher Education: |
| 80-81 | Total Hours |
- Chosen from the list maintained in the Department of English.
- Student may count 1 Independent Study course (ENGL 290, ENGL 390 or BTW 290) toward the additional coursework requirement.
Minor in English
E-mail: englishadvising@illinois.edu
Web address for department: www.english.illinois.edu
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3 | English 200 Intro to Literary Study |
| 3 | English 301 Critical Approaches to Lit |
| 3 | One 200-level course in British literature before 1800 |
| 3 | One 200-level course in British or American literature after 1800 |
| 6 | Two additional 300- or 400-level courses in English |
| 3 | One English or Creative Writing course selected in consultation with an English Department advisor |
| 21 | Total |