Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Ross 1284
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: www.unco.edu/hss/english
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of four parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- Required Minor Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The English major is excellent preparation for any profession or occupation that stresses language usage, such as writing and teaching-related fields. Graduates of this program will be prepared to enter a variety of professional and graduate level programs, including law, theology, medicine (with appropriate science and mathematics preparation), library science, communications, media and business.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- Only two courses included in the Liberal Arts Curriculum may count for elective credit.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 Credits
Written Communication — 6 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
It is strongly recommended that English Liberal Arts majors select ENG 206 and ENG 236 in order to satisfy LAC requirements within 31 credits.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 45 credits
Required Major Credits — 15 credits
| ENG 195 | Introduction to the Discipline of English | 3 |
| ENG 218 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 219 | Language and Society | 3 |
| ENG 295 | Approaches to Literary and Cultural Analysis | 3 |
| ENG 301 | Writing as a Job | 3 |
| ENG 345 | Literary Theory and Criticism | 3 |
Elective Major Credits — 15 credits
200-300 Level Electives: choose five courses, including one from each category and at least three from Categories A and B.
Category A (British Literature)
| ENG 380 | Medieval Literature | 3 |
| ENG 381 | Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENG 382 | Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature | 3 |
| ENG 383 | Romanticism | 3 |
| ENG 384 | Victorian Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENG 385 | Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Literature | 3 |
Category B (American Literature)
| ENG 370 | Colonial American Literature, 1492-1800 | 3 |
| ENG 371 | Antebellum American Literature, 1800-1865 | 3 |
| ENG 372 | American Realism and the Making of America | 3 |
| ENG 373 | American Modernism and the Crisis of Representation | 3 |
| ENG 374 | American Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
| ENG 376 | Multiethnic Literatures of the Americas | 3 |
Category C (World Literature)
| ENG 205 | World Folklore and Fairy TalesLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 206 | Regional MythologiesLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 262 | Masterpieces of World LiteratureLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 263 | Western World Literature ILAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 264 | Western World Literature IILAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 325 | Studies in Fantasy and Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 375 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
Professionalization Module — 9 credits
Choose three of the following courses:
Upper-Level Electives — 6 credits
3 credits from any 300 or 400 level ENG, FILM, or HUM courses and
3 credits from one of the courses below:
| ENG 400 | Special Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| ENG 441 | Colloquium in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 495 | Advanced Cultural Studies | 3 |
The LAC course ENG 323 does not count as an upper-level elective in the English Liberal Arts major.
3. Required Minor — 18 credits
4. University-Wide Credits — 26 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 26 credits, depending on the minor's credit requirements.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Accelerated (4+1) English Liberal Arts B.A. and English M.A.
Motivated and high-achieving students may seek to complete the requirements for the B.A. and M.A. in English in five years. To obtain both degrees, students must complete all the requirements for the B.A. described in the Undergraduate Catalog (120 credit hours) and all of the requirements for the standard M.A. described in the Graduate Catalog (30 credit hours). However, the accelerated B.A./M.A. program involves 9 credit hours that are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs, so the total number of credit hours to complete the accelerated Master’s program is 141. Completing the requirements for both degrees is made possible by taking the 9 double-counted B.A./M.A. credits in the Senior year (paid for at the undergraduate tuition rate) and 6 graduate-level credits (online at the graduate-level tuition rate) in the summer following the Senior year and completion of the undergraduate program. Students remain eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate; any Graduate School aid is not available until students are admitted as a Graduate student.
Due to its necessarily streamlined path of progression, admission to the Accelerated B.A. and M.A. in English occurs in the fall semester only. Students interested in transferring into the accelerated program must:
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to take graduate-level courses as a Senior.
- Meet with the English M.A. Director of Graduate Studies in the fall semester of the Junior year and apply during the spring semester of the Junior year (following the same procedure and meeting the same requirements as other M.A. applicants). Full admission is dependent on completing the B.A. requirements in the senior year while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. The program application will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School with signatures of the program advisor indicating the approval of graduate course transfer.
- Complete ENG 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies in the fall semester of their Senior year, followed by two 500-level elective courses in the spring semester of that year. These are the 9 credits that are double counted within the accelerated program only.
- Fulfill all requirements as outlined in the two-year M.A. in English.
- Students must apply for completion of their undergraduate degree the semester before completing their undergraduate degree (i.e., in the fall semester of their Senior year). To apply, students must be registered for all remaining courses in their final undergraduate semester (the spring semester of their Senior Year).
Outline for degree completion of the Accelerated B.A. and M.A. in English Liberal Arts
Meet with faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and apply for the program in the fall semester, Junior Year.
Fall Semester, Senior year
- ENG 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies (3 credits) [double-counted]
Spring Semester, Senior year
- Two ENG 500-599 courses (6 credits) [double-counted]
Note: Because students are required to register for their six 500-level spring credits while they are still Undergraduate students, they must complete the Petition to Count Work Toward the Next Higher Degree form with the Graduate School.
Summer after Senior year
- One ENG 500-699 courses (3 credits) - online
Note: Because students are required to register for the six summer credits while they are still undergraduate students, they must call the Office of the Registrar no later than the drop period for the summer semester to change their registration to graduate level.
Fall Semester, fifth year
- Three ENG 500-699 courses (9 credits)
Spring Semester, fifth year
- ENG 601 Advanced Theory and Research Methods (3 credits)
- Two 500-699 ENG-coded courses (6 credits)
- MA comprehensive examination
30 Credits
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 123 | College Research PaperLAW2 | 3 |
| ENG 206 | Regional MythologiesLAA2LAIS | 3 |
| ENG 236 | Ethnic American LiteratureLAA2LAMS | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ENG 123 | College Research PaperLAW2 | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 323 | Advanced ArgumentLAW3 | 3 |
| ENG 195 | Introduction to the Discipline of English | 3 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | LAC Natural and Physical Sciences without LabLAS1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 2 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| ENG 218 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 219 | Language and Society | 3 |
| ENG 295 | Approaches to Literary and Cultural Analysis | 3 |
| | Category A (British Literature) | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | LAC Natural and Physical Sciences with LabLAS1LASL | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| ENG 301 | Writing as a Job | 3 |
| | Category B (American Literature) | 3 |
| | Category C (World Literature) | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | LAC MathematicsLAX1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 3 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| ENG 345 | Literary Theory and Criticism | 3 |
| | Category A (British Literature) | 3 |
| | or | |
| | Category B (American Literature) | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| | Category A (British Literature) | 3 |
| | or | |
| | Category B (American Literature) | 3 |
| | or | |
| | Category C (World Literature) | 3 |
| | Professionalization Module Elective | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 4 – 29 credits
Fall Semester
| | Professionalization Module Elective | 3 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | or | |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ENG 400 | Special Topics in Literary and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 441 | Colloquium in Literature | 3 |
| | or | |
| ENG 495 | Advanced Cultural Studies | 3 |
| | Professionalization Module Elective | 3 |
| | Minor Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 2 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |