Bachelor of Arts in English
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Major / Minor / Faculty / Detailed Course Descriptions
The English Major (View Major Requirements)
The English major offers students an opportunity to develop and enhance reading, writing, creative, and critical abilities which prepare majors for entry into the areas of work, graduate school, and professional school.
The program offers a varied and comprehensive curriculum in literature, rhetoric, composition, language study, film, poetry, critical theory, and creative writing. This curriculum structure requires students to enroll in courses that teach them how to analyze and interpret, determine the best outcome, and convey thoughts and feelings clearly and effectively in speech and writing.
Students graduating in English from USC Upstate should be able to demonstrate the following:
- A knowledge of literary periods, movements, genres, and authors that is informed by literary criticism, theory, and linguistic analysis: demonstrating an ability to situate and interpret texts in their historical and cultural contexts and utilizing appropriate literary and linguistic theory in discussing the assigned texts.
- The ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate a variety of texts: interpreting meaning and significance based on close observations of details within and among texts.
- The ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner for a variety of audiences: writing with clarity and precision as appropriate for the given audience.
- The ability to incorporate, engage, and utilize well-planned and executed research: critically engaging the ideas of other scholars and incorporating research in writing about the assigned texts.
Students in English courses share the same guidelines for conducting research, interpreting literature, and writing about literature. These reflect the shared rules and values of the discipline or field of English Studies. The USC Upstate faculty in English prepared the following documents to explain the guidelines all students in English courses are expected to follow. In English 300, students learn about these guidelines in depth. Students are expected to be able to follow these guidelines in 300- and 400-level English literature courses:
Students who complete the English Senior Seminar will demonstrate their achievement of the four above goals through a Senior Seminar Portfolio (See Senior Seminar Portfolio Checklist for details). Students are strongly encouraged to maintain ongoing electronic and paper portfolios of work in the English major throughout their undergraduate careers. The Senior Seminar Portfolio will include the following:
- a copy of an essay from one of the core courses in major (SEGL 279, 280, 289, 290, 300 [formerly 295], or 301);
- a copy of a creative writing project, internship project, or written project from a course outside the major.
- a copy of the Senior Seminar Capstone Paper;
- a three- to five-page Reflection Essay, in which the student reflects on the program of study in English courses and the capstone experience in Senior Seminar. How well have the courses in English at USC Upstate prepared students to apply skills in analysis, research, critical thinking, and writing? After reviewing their work in the English program, students should evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in the following four areas:
- Disciplinary knowledge of literary periods, literary movements, genres, theory, and criticism;
- Textual analysis and interpretation;
- Writing skills; and
- Research skills.
NOTE: As part of the University's comprehensive curriculum revision in 2007, the English curriculum has been revised for the 2007-2008 Academic Catalog. Students should be sure to use the Major in English Student Worksheet from the catalog under which they enrolled at the University.
English degree requirements for previous academic years may be found on the academic catalog page.
The English Minor
A minor in English is also offered, requiring students to complete 18 hours of courses, with at least 12 hours of upper level English courses.
English minor degree requirements for previous academic years may be found on the academic catalog page.
Resources for Students Pursuing Degrees in English