BA with a Major in English
Degree Requirements
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Major in English requires a minimum of 27 semester hours, as outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies. Students are encouraged to seek advising each semester from the English major advisor in LAS.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Major Requirements (minimum 27 hours) | ||
| • Core Requirements | 9 | |
| • Selective Upper-Level Writing Requirement | 3-6 | |
| • Selective Concentration Requirements a | 9-33 | |
One concentration: 9-15 hours | ||
Two concentrations: 15-24 hours | ||
Three concentrations: 21-33 hours | ||
| • English Electives b | 0-6 | |
| General Education and Electives to Reach Minimum Total Hours | 72-93 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| a | Students have the option of completing one, two, or three concentrations; they must complete at least one. |
| b | Students must complete a minimum of 27 hours, when combining the Core Requirements, Selective Upper-Level Writing Requirement, Selective Concentration Requirements, and English Electives. Students completing two or three concentrations will not need to take English Electives to reach this minimum total. Students completing one concentration typically will need to complete 3-6 hours in English Electives. |
General Education
See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements.
Major Requirements
Core Requirements
All English majors must complete the following courses with a grade of C or better.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 207 | Interpretation and Critical Analysis a | 3 |
| ENGL 208 | English Studies I: Beginnings to the 17th Century | 3 |
| ENGL 209 | English Studies II: 17th Century to Today | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
| a | ENGL 207 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement. |
Selective Upper-Level Writing Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: a | 3-6 | |
ENGL 451 | English as Public Practice | |
| Campus Writing Consultants | ||
| The Teaching of Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools b | ||
| Advanced Writing of Nonfiction Prose c | ||
| Internship in Nonfiction Writing d | ||
| Portfolio Practicum d | ||
| Senior Thesis e | ||
| Total Hours | 3-6 | |
| a | Students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies for LAS 495 to count toward this requirement. The excess hours of LAS 495 may be applied as elective credit in the major or petitioned as concentration credit. |
| b | ENGL 486 is recommended for students who wish to pursue teaching as a career path. It also fulfills a methods requirement for the BA in the Teaching of English. |
| c | ENGL 492 may satisfy either the Upper-Level Selective Writing requirement or the Nonfiction requirement of the Creative Writing concentration, but not both. |
| d | ENGL 493 and ENGL 496 may be used to fulfill either the Professional Writing concentration or the Selective Upper-Level Writing requirement. ENGL 493 must be taken for at least 3 hours to satisfy this requirement. |
| e | ENGL 497 is recommended for students who plan to pursue graduate study. |
Selective Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Complete at least one of the concentrations listed below. Students must complete at least one and can complete as many as three concentrations. a | 9-33 | |
One Concentration: 9-15 hours | ||
Two Concentrations: 15-24 hours | ||
Three Concentrations: 21-33 hours | ||
| No more than 3 hours in a given concentration may be taken at the 100 or 200 level, and at least 3 hours must be at the 400 level. b | ||
| Creative Writing and Professional Writing and Publishing concentrations have specific course requirements. | ||
| Some overlap is allowed if a student is pursuing multiple concentrations: students with two concentrations can count one course toward both concentrations; students completing three concentrations can double count two courses, but each of these courses may count toward no more than two concentrations. | ||
| Total Hours | 9-33 | |
Concentrations
- Literatures in English
- Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry, or Nonfiction)
- Film, Media, Performance, and Pop Culture
- Professional Writing and Publishing
- Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Multiethnic English Studies
- Rhetoric, Public Engagement, and Language Studies
Courses approved for each concentration are listed below. Any course not listed under a concentration may only count as an elective. In certain cases, students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to have courses and independent studies count toward a concentration. Students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to have up to one course from another department count toward the major or a concentration. Students also may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to design their own concentration.
For more information, see the catalog Course Descriptions or the Department of English website. Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog to determine if any of the courses on these lists are approved for General Education.
Literatures in English
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following, according to the guidelines listed above: | 9 | |
| Understanding Literature and Culture | ||
| Understanding Poetry | ||
| Understanding Drama | ||
| English and American Fiction | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Literature | ||
ENGL 175 | Understanding the Bible as Literature | |
| Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
| Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
ENGL 236 | Young Adult Fiction | |
| Graphic Novels | ||
ENGL 238 | Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy | |
| Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Women and Literature | ||
| Literature and Environment | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
ENGL 264 | Introduction to Native American Literatures | |
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Topics in African Literature | ||
| Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literature | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| Studies in Drama | ||
| Studies in Fiction | ||
| Medieval English Literature | ||
| Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Literature | ||
| Major Plays of Shakespeare | ||
| Milton | ||
| Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
| British Romantic Literature | ||
| Victorian Literature | ||
| Post-War British Literature: 1945-1980 | ||
ENGL 322 | Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | |
| American Literature to the 20th Century | ||
| 20th and 21st Century American Literature | ||
ENGL 329 | Literatures in English Other than English and American | |
| Studies in Literature and Popular Culture | ||
ENGL 340 | Literary Theory | |
ENGL 346 | History of Literary Criticism | |
ENGL 347 | Gender and Sexuality in Literature | |
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
ENGL 367 | Latinx Literature | |
ENGL 368 | Asian American Literature | |
ENGL 369 | Multiethnic American Literature | |
ENGL 376 | Literature and Religion | |
ENGL 378 | Special Topics in English Studies | |
ENGL 406 | Topics in Poetry and Poetic Theory | |
ENGL 407 | Topics in Fiction and Theories of Fiction | |
| Topics in Literature and Culture | ||
ENGL 410 | Topics in Old English Literature | |
| Topics in Medieval Literature | ||
ENGL 412 | Topics in Renaissance Literature | |
| Topics in Shakespeare | ||
ENGL 414 | Topics in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 415 | Topics in Romantic Literature and Culture | |
ENGL 418 | Topics in Victorian Literature | |
| Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English | ||
ENGL 423 | Topics in Literary Nonfiction Prose | |
| Topics in American Literature and Culture to the 20th Century | ||
| Topics in 20th and 21st Century American Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | ||
| Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Topics in Criticism and Theory | ||
ENGL 447 | Women's Literary Traditions | |
ENGL 458 | History of the English Language | |
| Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Topics in Latinx Literature | ||
ENGL 468 | Topics in Asian American Literature | |
| Topics in Black Literature | ||
ENGL 475 | The Bible as Literature: The Hebrew Bible | |
ENGL 476 | The Bible as Literature: The New Testament | |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry, or Nonfiction)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one category within the concentration and take both courses. Students are also required to repeat the 400-level course, for a total of 9 hours in the concentration. | 9 | |
| Poetry | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Poetry | ||
| Advanced Writing of Poetry | ||
| Fiction | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Fiction | ||
| Advanced Writing of Fiction | ||
| Nonfiction | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Nonfiction Prose | ||
| Advanced Writing of Nonfiction Prose a | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
| a | ENGL 492 also fulfills the upper-level selective writing requirement, but the same iteration of the course cannot satisfy both requirements if the student is completing one concentration only. |
Film, Media, Performance, and Pop Culture
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following, according to the guidelines listed above: | 9 | |
| Understanding Drama | ||
| Understanding Moving Image Arts | ||
| Understanding Film | ||
| Understanding Popular Genres and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Asian Film | ||
| Introduction to Film and Culture | ||
| History of Film I: 1890 to World War II | ||
| History of Film II: World War II to the Present | ||
| History of Television | ||
ENGL 236 | Young Adult Fiction | |
| Graphic Novels | ||
ENGL 238 | Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy | |
| Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| Media and Professional Writing | ||
| Studies in Drama | ||
ENGL 330 | Cultural and Media Studies | |
ENGL 331 | Studies in the Moving Image | |
| Studies in Literature and Popular Culture | ||
ENGL 340 | Literary Theory | |
ENGL 344 | Gender Theory | |
ENGL 345 | Queer Theory | |
ENGL 346 | History of Literary Criticism | |
ENGL 347 | Gender and Sexuality in Literature | |
ENGL 350 | Disability Studies | |
ENGL 376 | Literature and Religion | |
| Writing Digital and New Media | ||
ENGL 404 | Topics in Performance Studies | |
| Topics in Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | ||
| Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Criticism and Theory | ||
ENGL 449 | Women and Film | |
ENGL 450 | Topics in Disability Studies | |
| Playwriting | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Professional Writing and Publishing
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| ENGL 280 | Media and Professional Writing | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Professional Writing | ||
| Editing and Publishing | ||
| Writing Digital and New Media | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
ENGL 388 | Writing for the Health Professions | |
| Writing for Community Advocacy and Activism | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-6 | |
| Internship in Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Portfolio Practicum | ||
| Total Hours | 12-15 | |
Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Multiethnic English Studies
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following, according to the guidelines listed above. | 9 | |
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| Introduction to Asian Film | ||
| Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Women and Literature | ||
ENGL 258 | The Grammar and Style of Non-Standard Englishes in the U.S. | |
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
ENGL 264 | Introduction to Native American Literatures | |
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Topics in African Literature | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
ENGL 344 | Gender Theory | |
ENGL 345 | Queer Theory | |
ENGL 347 | Gender and Sexuality in Literature | |
ENGL 350 | Disability Studies | |
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
ENGL 367 | Latinx Literature | |
ENGL 368 | Asian American Literature | |
ENGL 369 | Multiethnic American Literature | |
| Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | ||
ENGL 447 | Women's Literary Traditions | |
ENGL 449 | Women and Film | |
ENGL 450 | Topics in Disability Studies | |
| Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Topics in Latinx Literature | ||
ENGL 468 | Topics in Asian American Literature | |
| Topics in Black Literature | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Rhetoric, Public Engagement, and Language Studies
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following, according to the guidelines listed above: | 9 | |
| Understanding Rhetoric | ||
| English Grammar and Style | ||
ENGL 253 | Environmental Rhetoric | |
ENGL 258 | The Grammar and Style of Non-Standard Englishes in the World in the U.S. | |
| Media and Professional Writing | ||
| Peer Tutoring in the Writing Center: Introduction to Theory and Practice | ||
| Studies in the Classical Tradition | ||
ENGL 330 | Cultural and Media Studies | |
ENGL 340 | Literary Theory | |
ENGL 344 | Gender Theory | |
ENGL 345 | Queer Theory | |
ENGL 346 | History of Literary Criticism | |
ENGL 350 | Disability Studies | |
ENGL 354 | Rhetorical Studies | |
ENGL 355 | Rhetoric and Public Life | |
| Argument and Persuasion | ||
| Advanced Professional Writing | ||
| Writing Digital and New Media | ||
| Writing for Community Advocacy and Activism | ||
| Topics in Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Criticism and Theory | ||
ENGL 450 | Topics in Disability Studies | |
ENGL 451 | English as Public Practice | |
ENGL 452 | The Freshwater Lab | |
ENGL 453 | The Freshwater Lab Internship Course | |
ENGL 454 | Rhetoric | |
ENGL 455 | Topics in Rhetorical Studies | |
ENGL 456 | Topics in Language and Rhetoric | |
ENGL 457 | Topics in the English Language and Linguistics | |
ENGL 458 | History of the English Language | |
| Discourse and Rhetoric | ||
| Campus Writing Consultants | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
English Electives to Complete Minimum Major Hours
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Electives | ||
| Students must complete a minimum of 27 hours toward the major. If the student is pursuing only one concentration in the major, then additional course work may be required to reach this minimum. No more than 3 hours of elective course work can be at the 100 level. Students completing multiple concentrations should reach the 27-hour minimum, in which case no additional electives are needed. | 0-6 | |
| Total Hours | 0-6 | |
Upper -Level Course Requirement
Students must take at least two courses at the 300 level or above.
U.S. Social and Cultural Diversity Distribution Requirement
Over the course of the program, all English majors must complete one course in U.S. Social and Cultural Diversity. Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog to determine if any of the courses on this list are approved for General Education.
U.S. Social and Cultural Diversity Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 118 | Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | 3 |
| ENGL 119 | Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | 3 |
| ENGL 123 | Introduction to Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 135 | Understanding Popular Genres and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 223 | Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 229 | Introduction to Asian Film | 3 |
| ENGL 245 | Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 247 | Women and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 258 | The Grammar and Style of Non-Standard Englishes in the U.S. | |
| ENGL 260 | Comparative Black Literatures | 3 |
| ENGL 261 | Reading Black Women Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 262 | Black Cultural Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 264 | Introduction to Native American Literatures | |
| ENGL 265 | The Harlem Renaissance | 3 |
| ENGL 266 | Topics in African Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 267 | Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 269 | Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | 3 |
| ENGL 295 | Latino Literary Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 322 | Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | |
| ENGL 329 | Literatures in English Other than English and American | |
| ENGL 330 | Cultural and Media Studies | |
| ENGL 335 | Studies in Literature and Popular Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 344 | Gender Study | |
| ENGL 345 | Queer Theory | |
| ENGL 347 | Gender and Sexuality in Literature | |
| ENGL 350 | Disability Studies | |
| ENGL 351 | Topics in Black Art and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 367 | Latinx Literature | |
| ENGL 368 | Asian American Literature | |
| ENGL 369 | Multiethnic American Literature | |
| ENGL 409 | Topics in Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 422 | Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English | 3 |
| ENGL 430 | Topics in Cultural and Media Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 435 | Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 443 | Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 444 | Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | 3 |
| ENGL 447 | Women's Literary Traditions | |
| ENGL 449 | Women and Film | |
| ENGL 450 | Topics in Disability Studies | |
| ENGL 466 | Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | 3 |
| ENGL 467 | Topics in Latinx Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 468 | Topics in Asian American Literature and Culture | |
| ENGL 473 | Topics in Black Literature | 3 |
Recommended Plan of Study
Courses which satisfy concentrations, distributions, and/or English electives should be chosen in consultation with an English Department advisor.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3-5 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 13-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| ENGL 207 | Interpretation and Critical Analysis | 3 |
| ENGL 1xx | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ENGL 208 | English Studies I: Beginnings to the 17th Century | 3 |
| ENGL 2xx, 3xx | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 209 | English Studies II: 17th Century to Today | 3 |
| ENGL 1xx, 2xx, 3xx | 3 | |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ENGL 2xx, 3xx | 3 | |
| ENGL 2xx, 3xx | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3 | |
| Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 2xx, 3xx, 4xx | 3 | |
| ENGL 2xx, 3xx, 4xx | 3 | |
| General Education Requirement course/Elective | 3 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ENGL 3xx, 4xx | 3 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 3xx, 4xx | 3 | |
| Electives | 11-12 | |
| Hours | 14-15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Note: One course from another department other than English may count toward the major. Students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to apply this credit.