Literature is a treasury of our cultural heritage and an expressive human creation embodying both beauty and knowledge. Close examination of literature improves our thought and our use of language, enhances our understanding of past and present, and provides insight into our interior lives. So, too, does the practice of accurate and carefully crafted writing. Consequently, the English major at St. Mary's is designed so that students will read a broad historical and cultural range of literatures and develop a variety of writing skills. and clear, precise communication. The English major also provides the basis by which students can enrich their lives through an ongoing contact with stimulating authors, evocative language, and significant ideas. By graduation, a student majoring in English should:

 

 

Read and write clearly, effectively, and perceptively;

Be familiar with the basic historical and cultural background of literature written in English, including influential historical events, ideas, literary movements, genres, authors, and texts;

Understand how language is used in a range of literary texts;

Make connections among literary texts within and across historical periods, national literatures, cultural groups, and formal categories; and

Appreciate how literature and writing are vital to living a full and meaningful life.

 

  To achieve these goals, the English program begins with three required literature-in-history courses, as well as 200-level elective writing courses. In the Literature in History classes, students encounter influential writers, works, and ideas, which provide necessary background knowledge for further study of writing and literature. At the 300-level, students define their individual course of study by taking "Methods of Literary Study" and more specialized literature and writing classes.During their senior year, students make use of the knowledge and skills learned in previous courses by choosing to do a St. Mary’s Project or by taking additional advanced coursework. Within this overall framework, faculty advisers help each student select courses that will best meet his or her interests, needs, and goals.

With its stress on clarity of thought and expression, and its focus on choices within the program, the English major provides an excel- lent foundation for a meaningful liberal arts education as well as a strong preparation for a variety of careers that require analytic rigor and clear, precise communication. The English major also provides the basis by which students can enrich their lives through an ongoing contact with stimulating authors, evocative language, and significant ideas. 		 

 

The English major requires a minimum of forty-four credit hours of course work, consisting of a twenty-four hour core and twenty hours of electives.

NB: Students who entered the College before 2006 should consult their first-year catalogue to determine their requirements.

  

 

The core (twenty-four credit hours)

The core consists of (a) three courses that examine literature historically within English-speaking communities, (b) a course in methodologies of literary studies, and (c) either a St. Mary's Project or a 4-credit 400-level ENGL course, plus an additional 4 upper-division semester-hours in ENGL not used to satisfy any other requirement for the major.

(a) ENGL 281: Literature in History I: The Beginnings through the Renaissance
(a) ENGL 282: Literature in History II: The Rise of Anglo-American Literature, 1700-1900
(a) ENGL 283: Literature in History III: Twentieth-Century Voices

(a) ENGL 304: Methods of Literary Study

(c) ENGL 4xx + 3/4xx: Electives
(c) ENGL 493/494: St. Mary's Project

With the exception of the St. Mary's Project, which earns eight credits, each of these is a four-credit class. Each of these courses will be offered every term.

Electives in the major (at least twenty credit hours, of which twleve must be at the upper level)

Additional course work may be selected from the following offerings. Course content and focus will vary; the subject matter for the semester will be announced in the Schedule of Classes prior to registration. Any of these courses may be repeated for credit provided the content is significantly different.

ENGL 106: Introduction to Literature
ENGL 201: Advanced Composition
ENGL 230: Literary Topics
ENGL 235: Topics in Literature and Culture
ENGL 270: Creative Writing
ENGL 350: Studies in Language: Historical, Linguistic, and Rhetorical Contexts
ENGL 355: Studies in British Literature
ENGL 365: Studies in American Literature
ENGL 380: Studies in World Literature
ENGL 390: Topics in Literature
ENGL 395: Topics in Writing
ENGL 400: Studies in Genre
ENGL 410 Studies in Authors
ENGL 420: Studies in Theory
ENGL 430: Special Topics in Literature

Each of these courses earns four credits, and most will be offered at least once a term.

Elective course work in the major may also include:

Up to four credit hours of:
Upper-division literature courses in a foreign language;
Guided Readings (ENGL 297, 397, 497) (1-2 credits);
Independent Study ( ENGL 299, 399, 499) (1-4 credits); or
Off-Campus Internships (ENGL 398, 498) (Internships may be taken for 4-16 credits, but only four credits will be counted towards the English major).