Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English

4-Year Degree Plan (Sample)

About the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English

The English major prepares students for a variety of careers that demand expertise in analyzing texts, thinking critically, and writing for a diverse audience. These include, among others, print and electronic journalism, teaching, law, public relations, marketing, technical writing, librarianship, and information management.

Academic Advising

College policy on advising requires that students meet with their academic advisors at least once each year, and in some departments, prior to each semester’s to enrollment. Advising holds are placed on all College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) students prior to advance registration and are released following advising appointments. Students with a declared major are advised in their academic units. To determine who the advisor is and how to contact them, see Onestart.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise designated.

Students receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree must complete 120 total credit hours including:

• The IU South Bend campuswide general-education curriculum (33-39 cr.)
• The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts additional requirements (14-23 cr.)
• Major concentration and elective requirements.
• The Required Minor (15-18 cr.) taken in any campus school or interdisciplinary program.
• A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.

In addition, major and minor requirements must be completed with a grade of C– or higher.

All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise designated.

Major Requirements (30 cr.)

• ENG-L 202 Literary Interpretation
• ENG-L 371 Critical Practices

Select two of the following:

• ENG-E 301 Literatures in English to 1600
• ENG-E 302 Literatures in English 1600–1800
• ENG-E 303 Literatures in English 1800–1900
• ENG-E 304 Literatures in English 1900–Present

Select one of the following:

• ENG-L 350 Early American Writing and Culture to 1800
• ENG-L 351 American Literature 1800-1865
• ENG-L 352 American Literature 1865-1914
• ENG-L 354 American Literature 1914-1960

Note | The American literature course must be taken in a different historical period than the two literatures in English courses

Select one of the following:

• ENG-L 450 Seminar: British and American Authors
• ENG-L 460 Seminar: Literary Form, Mode, and Theme

Note | The senior seminar shall not be taken until all or almost all other major courses have been completed. ENG-L 371 must be taken before or concurrently with senior seminar.

Concentration in Literature Requirements

• 200-level or higher English major course (3 cr.)
• 300-level or higher literature courses (9 cr.)

Concentration in Writing Requirements

• 300-level or higher writing courses (6 cr.)
• 200-level or higher writing course (3 cr.)
• 200-level or higher English major course (3 cr.)

The following journalism courses are offered by communication studies in the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts and can count toward an English major. See communication studies for these offerings.

• JOUR-J 200 Reporting, Writing, and Editing I
• JOUR-J 341 Newspaper Reporting

The department recommends that students who plan to continue in a graduate degree program take several hours of world languages, because master’s and doctoral degree programs in English, as well as in many other areas, commonly require one or two world languages