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Program Overview

The English major gives students an overview of the major cultural trends in British, American, and World literature. Students develop sophisticated reading, writing, and research skills, preparing them for graduate study in traditional academic programs as well as professional programs such as law or medicine, when combined with the appropriate classes. Students acquire the intellectual tools to analyze texts within their historical, cultural, and critical contexts, as well as to communicate effectively in writing to a variety of audiences for various purposes. The program design also facilitates double majors.

Program Outcomes

The English major has four outcomes. Course requirements are organized under their primary outcome, though many courses deliver more than one outcome. For example, the Survey courses under the first outcome deliver information about texts, contexts and criticism as their primary focus, but students will also perform the reading, interpretation, analysis, and evaluation required by the second outcome.

Graduates with the English major should be able to:

Identify a wide range of literary texts and periods, including historical and contemporary works by British, American, and World authors, works by female authors, and works by authors of color across several genres.
Engage in metacognition and critical thinking as he or she reads, interprets, analyzes, and evaluates individual works, taking into account the relationships among the text, context, critical context, and subtext.
Conduct research (electronic and nonelectronic) for the purpose of exploring, documenting, evaluating, and publishing conclusions orally and in writing.
Communicate effectively to a variety of audiences and in a variety of modes.

Admission

Students must gain general admission to the University of Charleston. A visit to the campus to meet with Admissions personnel and program faculty is strongly encouraged.

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