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 Department of English degree requirements are 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 | ||
| Core Requirements | 12 | |
| Selected Concentration Requirements | 9-15 | |
| English Electives | 15 | |
| General Education and Electives to reach minimum Total Hours | 78-84 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
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.
Core Requirements
All English majors must complete the following courses with a grade of C or better.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 240 | Introduction to Literary Study and Critical Methods a | 3 |
| ENGL 241 | English Literature I: Beginnings to 1660 | 3 |
| ENGL 242 | English Literature II: 1660 to 1900 | 3 |
| ENGL 243 | American Literature: Beginnings to 1900 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| a | ENGL 240 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement. |
Upper-Level Courses
Students must take at least two courses at the 300-level or above.
Courses from Other Departments
Students may count one course from another department toward the English major. Upper-level courses in other departments may require prerequisites. For approved courses, see those listed in the concentrations.
Selected Concentration Requirements
Within the English major, students must select and complete one of the following concentrations:
- British and Anglophone Literature
- American Literature
- Media, Rhetorical, and Cultural Studies
- Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry, or Nonfiction)
- Professional Writing
A concentration consists of three or more courses, no more than one of which may be taken at the 100-level and one of which must be taken at the 400-level. For the creative writing concentration, two of the courses must be at the 400-level.
Below are the courses that qualify for each concentration. Note that for the Creative Writing and Professional Writing concentrations, the required course sequence has been specified. 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 counted toward a concentration or toward one other than those indicated below. For more information, see the catalog Course Descriptions or the Department of English website.
Select three courses from one of the following concentrations for a total of 9 hours.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| British and Anglophone Literature | ||
| Select three of the following: a | 9 | |
| English and American Poetry | ||
| English and American Drama | ||
| English and American Fiction | ||
| English and American Prose | ||
| Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
| British Literature and British Culture | ||
| Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| 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 | ||
| Modern British Literature: 1900-1945 | ||
| Post-War British Literature: 1945-1980 | ||
| British Literature: 1980-Present | ||
| Literatures in English Other than English and American | ||
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
| Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Introduction to Old English | ||
| Topics in Old English Literature | ||
| Topics in Medieval Literature | ||
| Topics in Shakespeare | ||
| Topics in Renaissance Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Romantic Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Victorian Literature | ||
| Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English | ||
| Courses from other departments that count toward this concentration: | ||
| Greek Mythology | ||
| Greek and Roman Epic Poetry | ||
| Greek Tragedy | ||
| Greek and Roman Comedy | ||
| Roman Satire and Rhetoric | ||
| African and Caribbean Francophone Literature in Translation | ||
| Minority Perspectives in the Germanic Context | ||
| Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature | ||
| Periods of Germanic Literature and Culture | ||
| Germanic Cultural Studies III: Themes | ||
| The Faust Legend | ||
| Introduction to Polish Literature | ||
| Dostoyevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Great Russian 19th-Century Novels and the European Tradition | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| American Literature | ||
| Select three of the following: a | 9 | |
| English and American Poetry | ||
| English and American Drama | ||
| English and American Fiction | ||
| English and American Prose | ||
| American Literature and American Culture | ||
| Introduction to Native American Literatures | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Literature | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| Studies in Drama | ||
| Studies in Fiction | ||
| Early American Literature: 1630 to 1790 | ||
| American Literature: 1790 to 1865 | ||
| American Literature: 1865-1900 | ||
| Modern American Literature: 1900-1945 | ||
| Post-War American Literature: 1945-1980 | ||
| Contemporary American Literature: 1980-Present | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
| Ethnic American Literature | ||
| Topics in American Literature and Culture to 1900 | ||
| Topics in American Literature and Culture, 1900-Present | ||
| Topics in Asian American Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in American Literary Nonfiction Prose | ||
| Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Topics in Native American Literatures | ||
| Topics in African-American Literature | ||
| Courses from other departments that count toward this concentration: | ||
| African and Caribbean Francophone Literature in Translation | ||
| Jewish American Literature of the 20th Century | ||
| Latin American Women Writers in Translation | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Studies in Language Policy and Cultural Identity | ||
| Bilingual/Bicultural Hispanic American Writers | ||
| Early Modern Spanish and Colonial Latin American Literature and Culture in Translation | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Media, Rhetorical, and Cultural Studies | ||
| Select three of the following: a | 9 | |
| Introduction to Film | ||
| English and American Popular Genres | ||
| Women and Literature | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Understanding the Bible as Literature | ||
| Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Film and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Moving Image Arts | ||
| Understanding Rhetoric | ||
| Basic English Grammar | ||
| History of Film I: 1890 to World War II | ||
| History of Film II: World War II to the Present | ||
| History of Television | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Studies in the Moving Image | ||
| Literature and Popular Culture | ||
| Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Literature and Religion | ||
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
| Gender Theory | ||
| Queer Theory | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Literature | ||
| Disability Studies | ||
| Literary Theory | ||
| History of Literary Criticism | ||
| Rhetorical Studies | ||
| Rhetoric and Public LIfe | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Modern English | ||
| Rhetoric | ||
| Introduction to Old English | ||
| Topics in Literature and Culture, 1900-Present | ||
| Topics in Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Performance Studies | ||
| Topics in Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Disability Studies | ||
| Topics in Criticism and Theory | ||
| Topics in Rhetorical Studies | ||
| Women's Literary Traditions | ||
| Women and Film | ||
| Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | ||
| The Bible as Literature: Hebrew Bible | ||
| The Bible as Literature: New Testament | ||
| Studies in Language and Rhetoric | ||
| Studies in Language and Cognition | ||
| Studies in the English Language and Linguistics | ||
| Courses from other departments that count toward this concentration: | ||
| Totalitarianism, Writing and Cinema | ||
| French Literature, Drama and/or Film in Translation | ||
| Topics in French and Francophone Cinema | ||
| Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the European Jewish Experience in Literature and Film. | ||
| Introduction to German Cinema | ||
| Classical German Thought from Kant to Nietzsche | ||
| Periods of Germanic Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Germanic Literatures and Cultures | ||
| Contemporary Germanic Literature | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Studies | ||
| Ancient Philosophy I: Plato and His Predecessors | ||
| Ancient Philosophy II: Aristotle and His Successors | ||
| History of Modern Philosophy I: Descartes and His Successors | ||
| History of Modern Philosophy II: Kant and His Predecessors | ||
| Nineteenth Century Philosophy | ||
| Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Plato | ||
| Aristotle | ||
| Studies in Early Modern Philosophy | ||
| Kant | ||
| Studies in Nineteenth-Century Philosophy | ||
| Gender in Latin America | ||
| Latin American/Latino Film Studies | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Latinos and Latin Americans in U.S. Public Discourse | ||
| Spanish and Latin American Culture through Literature and Film | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry, or Nonfiction) | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Two of the courses must be at the 400-level. | ||
| Fiction | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Fiction | ||
| Advanced Writing of Fiction | ||
| Poetry | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Poetry | ||
| Advanced Writing of Poetry | ||
| Nonfiction | ||
| Introduction to the Writing of Non-fiction Prose | ||
| Advanced Writing of Nonfiction Prose | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Note: Students may repeat ENGL 490, ENGL 491, or ENGL 492 in order to satisfy the nine-credit-hour requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Writing | ||
| ENGL 202 | Media and Professional Writing | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Professional Writing | ||
| Editing and Publishing | ||
| Writing Digital and New Media | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1-6 | |
| Internship in Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Portfolio Practicum | ||
| Total Hours | 10-15 | |
| a | 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. |
English Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses | ||
| Five additional courses, no more than one of which may be at the 100-level | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Distribution Requirements
In addition to the Core requirements, all English majors must take the following, distributed across their concentration and electives:
- One course in materials before 1900
- One course in materials after 1900
- One course in U.S. Social and Cultural Diversity
Courses within Each Distribution
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. Courses may be used to satisfy more than one distribution requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Materials before 1900 | ||
| Introduction to Shakespeare | ||
| Understanding the Bible as Literature | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Studies in the Classical Tradition | ||
| Medieval English Literature | ||
| Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Literature | ||
| Major Plays of Shakespeare | ||
| Milton | ||
| Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
| British Romantic Literature | ||
| Victorian Literature | ||
| Early American Literature: 1630 to 1790 | ||
| American Literature: 1790 to 1865 | ||
| American Literature: 1865-1900 | ||
| Introduction to Old English | ||
| Topics in Old English Literature | ||
| Topics in Medieval Literature | ||
| Topics in Shakespeare | ||
| Topics in Renaissance Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Romantic Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Victorian Literature | ||
| Topics in American Literature and Culture to 1900 | ||
| The Bible as Literature: Hebrew Bible | ||
| The Bible as Literature: New Testament | ||
| Courses from other departments that fulfill this requirement: | ||
| Greek Mythology | ||
| Greek and Roman Epic Poetry | ||
| Greek Tragedy | ||
| Greek and Roman Comedy | ||
| Roman Satire and Rhetoric | ||
| Classical German Thought from Kant to Nietzsche | ||
| Periods of Germanic Literature and Culture | ||
| Germanic Cultural Studies III: Themes | ||
| Contemporary Germanic Literature | ||
| The Faust Legend | ||
| Ancient Philosophy I: Plato and His Predecessors | ||
| Ancient Philosophy II: Aristotle and His Successors | ||
| History of Modern Philosophy I: Descartes and His Successors | ||
| History of Modern Philosophy II: Kant and His Predecessors | ||
| Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Plato | ||
| Aristotle | ||
| Introduction to Polish Literature | ||
| Dostoyevsky | ||
| Tolstoy | ||
| Great Russian 19th-Century Novels and the European Tradition | ||
| Early Modern Spanish and Colonial Latin American Literature and Culture in Translation | ||
| Materials after 1900 | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| Film and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Moving Image Arts | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Literature | ||
| Media and Professional Writing | ||
| History of Film I: 1890 to World War II | ||
| History of Film II: World War II to the Present | ||
| History of Television | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Studies in the Moving Image | ||
| Modern British Literature: 1900-1945 | ||
| Post-War British Literature: 1945-1980 | ||
| British Literature: 1980-Present | ||
| Modern American Literature: 1900-1945 | ||
| Post-War American Literature: 1945-1980 | ||
| Contemporary American Literature: 1980-Present | ||
| Literatures in English Other than English and American | ||
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
| Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English | ||
| Topics in American Literature and Culture, 1900-Present | ||
| Topics in Literature and Culture, 1900-Present | ||
| Women and Film | ||
| Courses from other departments that fulfill this requirement: | ||
| African and Caribbean Francophone Literature in Translation | ||
| Totalitarianism, Writing and Cinema | ||
| French Literature, Drama and/or Film in Translation | ||
| Topics in French and Francophone Cinema | ||
| Minority Perspectives in the Germanic Context | ||
| Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature | ||
| Diaspora, Exile, Genocide: Aspects of the European Jewish Experience in Literature and Film. | ||
| Introduction to German Cinema | ||
| Topics in Germanic Literatures and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Studies | ||
| Jewish American Literature of the 20th Century | ||
| Latin American Women Writers in Translation | ||
| Ethnography of Meso-America | ||
| Gender in Latin America | ||
| Latin American/Latino Film Studies | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Latinos and Latin Americans in U.S. Public Discourse | ||
| Studies in Language Policy and Cultural Identity | ||
| Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues | ||
| Bilingual/Bicultural Hispanic American Writers | ||
| Spanish and Latin American Culture through Literature and Film | ||
| U.S. Social and Cultural Diversity | ||
| English and American Popular Genres | ||
| Women and Literature | ||
| Introduction to Native American Literatures | ||
| Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910 | ||
| Introduction to African American Literature Since 1910 | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Literature | ||
| Comparative Black Literatures | ||
| Reading Black Women Writing | ||
| Black Cultural Studies | ||
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Literatures in English Other than English and American | ||
| Literature and Popular Culture | ||
| Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Literature and Religion | ||
| Topics in Black Art and Literature | ||
| Colonial and Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Ethnic American Literature | ||
| Gender Theory | ||
| Queer Theory | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Literature | ||
| Disability Studies | ||
| Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English | ||
| Topics in Literature and Culture, 1900-Present | ||
| Topics in Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Cultural and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Asian American Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature | ||
| Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Topics in Disability Studies | ||
| Women's Literary Traditions | ||
| Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States | ||
| Topics in Native American Literatures | ||
| Women and Film | ||
| Topics in African-American Literature | ||
| Topics in Popular Culture and Literature | ||
| Courses from other departments that fulfill this requirement: | ||
| Introduction to Yiddish Culture and Literature | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Studies | ||
| Jewish American Literature of the 20th Century | ||
| Latin American Women Writers in Translation | ||
| Latin American/Latino Film Studies | ||
| Latino Literary Studies | ||
| Latinos and Latin Americans in U.S. Public Discourse | ||
| Studies in Language Policy and Cultural Identity | ||
| Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues | ||
| Bilingual/Bicultural Hispanic American Writers | ||
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 1xx | 3 | |
| ENGL 240 | Introduction to Literary Study and Critical Methods | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ENGL 241 | English Literature I: Beginnings to 1660 | 3 |
| ENGL 243 | American Literature: Beginnings to 1900 | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3-5 | |
| General Education Requirement course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16-18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 242 | English Literature II: 1660 to 1900 | 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. See the course catalog for a list of approved courses.
Note: Courses that satisfy concentrations, distributions, and/or English electives should be chosen in consultation with an English Department advisor.