Requirements for the English Major
Concentration in English
A minimum of ten courses is required. At least seven of the ten must be English courses at the 200 or 300 level.
1. Concentrators must take two of the following courses, ideally by the end of the sophomore year:
ENG 112: Classical and Scriptural Backgrounds
ENG 113: British Literature I
ENG 114: British Literature II
ENG 115: American Literature.
2. Students may take one additional course at the 100-level, either a third survey course from the list above ( Eng 112, 113, 114, 115) or one of the following "approaches to literary study" courses:
ENG 100: Great Books
ENG 101: Maximum English
ENG 111: Introduction to Shakespeare
ENG 116: Introduction to African American Literature
ENG 117: Introduction to the Art of Film, Eng 19-: Quest courses
3. Of the seven or eight courses at the 200- or 300 level:
a. Two must be in British or American literature before 1800, and two must be in British or American literature after 1800.
b. One must be ENG 380 Research Seminar (from annual list provided by English Department), ideally taken in the junior or senior year. Eng 396, Honors Seminar, will count as a Research Seminar (for students in the Honors Program).
Research seminars will be capped at 18, and will be run as discussion or seminar-style courses. They must involve a research project and lead to the production of a substantial body of written work. Open to junior and senior English majors; others may enroll in the course with permission of the instructor.
Concentration in English: Creative Writing
The Department of English offers a Concentration in Creative Writing for students who want to explore the art of writing and refine their skills in critical reading. Students work intensively on their own imaginative writing (fiction, poetry, and play writing) in conjunction with the study of literature. Students wishing to do a Concentration in English: Creative Writing must apply to the Creative Writing advisor in the department and receive written approval to pursue this concentration.
A minimum of ten courses is required.
1. Students must take at least four courses in creative writing, as follows:
a. Two courses (8 credits) at the 100 level from among the following:
ENG 121: (Creative Writing: Fiction)
ENG 122: (Creative Writing: Poetry)
ENG 123: (Play Writing)
ENG 119: (Speculative Fiction)
b. One of the following courses:
ENG 275: (Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction)
ENG 276: (Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry)
ENG 277: (Screen Writing Workshop)
c. One of the following:
ENG 375: (Seminar in Fiction Writing)
ENG 376: (Seminar in Poetry Writing)
2. Concentrators must take two of the following courses:
ENG 112: Classical and Scriptural Backgrounds
ENG 113: British Literature I
ENG 114: British Literature II
ENG 115: American Literature
3. Concentrators must take four additional English courses at the 200 or 300 level, two of which must be in British or American literature before 1800 and two in British or American literature after 1800.
Students accepted into the Honors Program in English may write original fiction (a collection of stories or a novella), poetry, or a play to fulfill the requirements for the Honors essay. Students choosing this option must have the approval of the Creative Writing advisor in the English department.
Concentration in English: Language, Media, and
Communication
The Concentration in Language, Media, and Communication is designed to serve students who want to explore the department's multifaceted array of courses related to the forms of communication. Such courses -- in editing, rhetoric, the history of the media of arts and communication, journalism, professional writing, public speaking, debate, etc. -- may be of special interest to students who are contemplating careers in such areas as law, non-fiction writing, publishing, print journalism, or electronic journalism. The concentration, however, does not present a narrowly pre-professional curriculum; rather, it is designed to reflect the way English has come to be understood as encompassing a full array of practices from oral to electronic and to highlight the way English, in its objects of study, addresses the history, theory, and analysis of media.
A minimum of ten courses is required, at least six of which must be at the 200- or 300-level.
Students wanting to declare an English major in Language,
Media, and Communication should first get in touch with Professor
Bleich--his email is dblh@mail.rochester.edu. Our hope is that consulting
closely with an advisor specially connected to the LMC track will help
students shape a course of study that exploits the full flexibility
of the major as we've defined it.
While the requirements below offer a general template for the concentration,
majors should devise a specific course of study in close consultation
with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or designated Language, Media,
and Communication advisor, who must approve the final course of study.
1. Concentrators must take two literature courses, at least one of which must be at the 200- or 300-level.
2. Concentrators must take at least six courses from the following list, at least three of which must be in a single sub-group; this list is not comprehensive, so students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or concentration advisor for complete and updated information about applicable courses.
Journalism and Non-Fiction Writing
ENG 126: Creative Non-Fiction
ENG 130: Seminar in Writing (topical)
ENG 131: Reporting and Writing the News
ENG 132: Journalism Workshop
ENG 133: Editing Practicum
ENG 138: Journalism Case Studies
ENG 281: Literary Journalism
Rhetoric and Language
ENG 134: Public Speaking
ENG 135: Debate
ENG 136: Advanced Debate
ENG 137: Freedom of Expression
ENG 200: History of the English Language
ENG 249: Gender and Writing
ENG 286: Presidential Rhetoric
ENG 285: Advanced Writing and Peer Tutoring
ENG 284 : Orality, Language, and Literature
Media
ENG 117: Introduction to the Art of Film
ENG 118: Introduction to Media Studies
ENG 255: Silent Cinema or
ENG 256: Sound Cinema, 1929-1959 or
ENG 256: Sound Cinema, 1959-Present
ENG 263: Media Studies (can be taken more than
once with different topics)
ENG 267: Topics in Media Studies
ENG 283: Media A B C
With permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, students may count up to two pre-approved courses taught in other departments (e.g., Art & Art History, History) toward the three courses that may be distributed across any of the groups above. Students may also substitute an additional internship (ENG 394) for one of these three courses.
3. Students must take either an approved English 394: Internship in English, or English 380: Research Seminar (from annual list provided by English Department). The Honors Seminar (English 396) counts as a Research Seminar.
Sample internships. UR/English department internships: Blake Archive, Blake Quarterly, METS, Chaucer Bibliographies, UR Press, Public Relations Office, Rare Books; Rochester community internships: Democrat and Chronicle, local television/radio stations, advertising agencies, technical writing in local corporations or non-profit organizations, BOA, Writer's and Books.
4. Students must take one additional 200- or 300-level English course, from any of the above three groups.
Concentration in English: Theater
The English Department offers a special major intended to provide institutional support and recognition to students who want to invest a significant part of their undergraduate careers in theatre and theatre related courses, and to furnish such students with credentials reflecting their work in theatre.
A minimum of twelve courses (amounting to at least 48 credit hours) in English and theatre courses is required.
Student must take two of the following surveys:
ENG 112: Classical and Scriptural Backgrounds
ENG 113: Survey of British Literature I
ENG 114: Survey of British Literature II
ENG 115: Survey of American Literature
Of the remaining courses in literature and theatre, sixteen hours of credit must be in theatre production (either onstage or backstage). Each student must work on at least four productions, serving in stage management or as an assistant director for at least one. Courses eligible in this section include (Spring course numbers in parentheses):
ENG 292 (293)/294 (295): Plays in Performance: Name of Play—4 credits
ENG 296 (297): Stage Management: Fall (Spring)—4 credits
Theatre concentrators will also be required to take eight hours of credit in Theatre Method and/or Performance courses, choosing from the following (Spring course numbers in parentheses):
ENG 123: Playwriting—2 credits
ENG 170 (171)/270 (271): Technical (and Advanced Technical) Theatre—4 credits
ENG 172: Intro to Stage Lighting and Sound—4 credits
ENG 174 (175): Acting Techniques—4 credits
ENG 176 (177): Voice & Movement for the Actor—4 credits
ENG 180: Directing—4 credits
ENG 252: Theatre in England—4 credits
ENG 360 Special Projects: Theatre—4 credits
Finally, Theatre concentrators must take sixteen hours of credit in literary study courses in British or American literature, two of which must be in literature before 1800, and two courses in dramatic literature.
Additionally, students taking an Internship in Theatre (ENG 394), undertaking an Independent Study (ENG 391) whose subject is Theatre or Dramatic Research, or enrolled in a standard Research Course (ENG 380) or Honors Thesis (ENG 398) with a Dramatic Literature/Theatrical focus might also have those classes count towards the Theatre Concentration. Similarly, Study Abroad options in London and Bath (if allied to dramatic or theatrical work) might count towards a this Concentration. Other courses relating to drama and/or theatre, in the English Department may, from time to time, be valid additions to this list, too. See the Director of Undergraduate Studies for details.
In cases where some courses are unavailable, students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for possible substitutions.
For further information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Artistic Director of the Theatre Program.
tudents interested in declaring an English major or minor may pursue it with the