The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English consists of a minimum 39 credits as distributed below. The major offers two tracks: (1) Literature and (2) Communication and Technology. These tracks share a common core of two courses and the same elective and diversity requirements.
Major: Communication & Technology Track
Click here for the UMBC English Majors Communication & Technology Track Advising Checklist.
Click for the ENGL Pathways for the Communications & Technology Track.
The Communication and Technology Track offers courses in written and spoken communications, with particular emphasis on the critical analysis of media and technology. Students in the track will be prepared for careers in such fields as communication, law, journalism, publishing, business, and public relations.
NOTE: Students who declared their English Major before September 1, 2011 may complete either the old or the new major requirements, but must choose which requirements they will follow and submit a signed curriculum selection form to their advisors by September 1. Students who declare their English Major after September 1, 2011 must complete the new major requirements listed below.
Common Core (6 Credits) ENGL 300 Communication and Technology: Analysis of Texts and Contexts ENGL 301 Analysis of Literary LanguageNOTE: Whenever possible students should take these introductory courses as soon as they declare the English major and before proceeding on to more advanced coursework. ENGL 300 should be taken before ENGL 324 and ENGL 301 before ENGL 302.
Electives (12 Credits)These electives must be English courses at the 300 or 400 level, although students may, with their advisor’s permission, include one 200-level course as part of this requirement. Students in either track may use creative writing courses to satisfy elective requirements.
DiversityAll English majors must take one course that addresses issues of diversity relating to experiences of race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, ability or other markers of identity. ENGL 364: Perspectives on Women in Literature and ENGL 369: Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Literature fulfill the diversity requirement, as do other courses when so identified in the schedule of classes.
Communication & Technology Track Courses (21 Credits)ENGL 324 Theories of Communication and Technology (Recommended Preparation: ENGL 300)
One course from each of the following categories:
- Professional/Technical Communication: ENGL 326, ENGL 379, ENGL 394
- Rhetoric/Composition: ENGL 330, ENGL 386, ENGL 391, ENGL 392
- Media Literacies: ENGL 342, ENGL 344, ENGL 385, ENGL 387
- Journalism and Creative Nonfiction: ENGL 303, ENGL 380, ENGL 382, ENGL 383
Students also require:
- Two 400-level Communication and Technology courses
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Major: Literature Track
Click here for the UMBC English Majors Literature Track Advising Checklist
Click here for the ENGL Pathways for the Literature Track.
The Literature Track provides a comprehensive overview of English and American literature, with strong emphasis on the development of student writing skills. Students in the track will be prepared for careers in such fields as education, business, law, journalism, publishing and public relations.
NOTE: Students who declared their English Major before September 1, 2011 may complete either the old or the new major requirements, but must choose which requirements they will follow and submit a signed curriculum selection form to their advisors by September 1. Students who declare their English Major after September 1, 2011 must complete the new major requirements listed below.
Common Core Courses (6 Credits)ENGL 300 Communication and Technology: Analysis of Texts and Contexts
ENGL 301 Analysis of Literary Language
NOTE: Whenever possible students should take these introductory courses as soon as they declare the English major and before proceeding on to more advanced coursework. ENGL 300 should be taken before ENGL 324 and ENGL 301 before ENGL 302.
Electives (12 Credits)These electives must be English courses at the 300 or 400 level, although students may, with their advisor’s permission, include one 200-level course as part of this requirement. Students in either track may use creative writing courses to satisfy elective requirements.
DiversityAll English majors must take one course that addresses issues of diversity relating to experiences of race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, ability or other markers of identity. ENGL 364: Perspectives on Women in Literature and ENGL 369: Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Literature fulfill the diversity requirement, as do other courses when so identified in the schedule of classes.
Literature Track Courses (21 Credits)ENGL 302 Literary Methodologies and Research – (Recommended Preparation: ENGL 301)
One 300- or 400-level course from four of the five historical periods. These courses need not be taken in chronological order, and they may be taken concurrently with any other major courses:
- Medieval and Early Modern
- Restoration to Romantic
- Victorian and Modern
- American Literature to the Civil War
- American Literature from the Civil War to the Present
Students also require:
- Two 400-level Literature courses
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Program Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, all English majors should be able to:
- Demonstrate skills in critical thinking, reading, speaking, and writing, including the ability to analyze texts, to synthesize ideas, and to reflect on these activities.
- Discuss key ideas derived from texts, generate interpretations, and acknowledge alternate points of view.
- Write in a variety of genres in ways appropriate to various audiences.
- Develop research questions and formulate supported arguments with the use of sources that the student locates, evaluates, and integrates, effectively using accepted academic documentation styles.
- Demonstrate basic skills in literary analysis and the study of communication and give examples of key texts in each area.
- Engage in inquiry beyond the classroom environment, resulting from experiences working individually or in small groups with faculty and other students or with student publications and internships.
Up graduation, students in the Literature Track of the major should be able to:
- Identify key currents in British, American, and world literatures in English within their historical contexts.
- Employ key concepts in literary theory and methodology.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of poetry, drama, and narrative prose from different periods.
Upon graduation, students in the Communication and Technology Track of the major should be able to:
- Employ key theories of communication and their practice.
- Define and compare key communicative media, such as print-based, digital, visual, and multi-modal.
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The information above is also accessible through
the UMBC English Majors Requirements document.
