English

Stephen Severn, Chair

Albakry, Arroyo, Barnett, Beard, Bhadury, Blackwell, Brantley, Branum-Thrash, Brewer, Brown, Burleson, Carpenter, Castelo, Denson, Detweiler, Donnelly, Dubek, Dudak, Evans, Fant, Gaitely, Hall, Harris-Aber, Helford, Henderson, Hennessy, Hernandez, Hollings, Hudson, Hutcheson, Jackson, J. Kates, R. Kates, Knox, Kostkowska, Lawrence, Lee, Levine, Licciardi, Lutz, Lynn, Mackin, Marchant, Matthews, McCain, McCluskey, McInturff,  Mitchell, Moonshower, Myatt, Neth, Otto, Pantiledes, Phillips, Ragan, Reed, Renfroe, Reynolds, Shapiro, Sherman, Swenson, Therrien, Tormey, Tyner, Vorhees, Weedman, West, White, Whittemore, Wilson

Courses in the Department of English meet the general education needs of all students through the development of verbal and written communication skills and the appreciation of literature.

The department offers the following undergraduate major programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree: The traditional English major, the English major with concentrations in Writing, Literature and Culture, Literary Studies, English Language Linguistics, Creative Writing, and Secondary English Teacher Licensure. A Bachelor of Science is also offered in English and in English with concentrations in Secondary English Teacher Licensure, Creative Writing, and English Language Linguistic.

The non-teaching, traditional English program is designed to give students a well-rounded background in the study of the English language and its literature. The concentrations allow students to pursue special career and/or intellectual interests.

The concentration in English Language Linguistics is designed to provide a cross-disciplinary survey of how linguistics is examined in the disciplines of anthropology, English, psychology, communication disorders, classical and modern languages and philosophy. The concentration aims to develop in-depth expertise in theoretical and applied linguistics culminating in directed research in linguistics.

The main goal of the Literature and Culture concentration is to provide students with the opportunity to examine culture through the study of texts within an interdisciplinary framework. Students may choose a general cultural studies curriculum or they may specialize within the concentration by choosing courses in an area such as women in literature, popular culture and film, folklore, world literature, children’s literature, multicultural literature, etc. The course of study is designed to help students broaden their understanding of the relationship between culture and literature.

The Literary Studies concentration is designed to provide students with the opportunity to take a greater number of advanced courses in literature and to focus on their interests within specific areas of English studies. Students may choose to emphasize a period, an author, or a genre or they may choose to increase their general knowledge of the field. Many students choose the Literary Studies concentration as a preparation for graduate or professional school.

The Creative Writing concentration will engage students in the study of contemporary writing/writers and initiate them into the field. While pursuing this concentration will be directly beneficial to students wishing to pursue careers as writers or teachers of writing, the study of creative writing provides skills that apply to any field, such as the mastery of language and the ability to craft a story.

The Secondary English Teacher Licensure concentration is for students who wish to teach English in grades 7-12. English department courses in this concentration are chosen to provide students with a strong background in the subject they will be teaching. Students pursuing this curriculum along with the requirements of the licensure program will be prepared to teach 7-12 English in the state of Tennessee.

The Writing concentration gives students who are interested in developing themselves as writers the opportunity to do so while pursuing a major in English. Students may choose a general writing curriculum or they may specialize within the concentration by choosing courses in one area such as creative or professional writing.

Students in the English program have gone on to careers in editing, teaching, public relations, management, public service, and many other areas that value clarity of expression and logical thinking. In addition, many students have gone on to graduate programs, law school, and other professional education.

All students in the English Department are assigned a faculty advisor upon declaration of an English major. Students should meet with their advisors for guidance in planning their schedules and fulfilling all requirements. Those intending to get a professional license to teach English must consult with their advisors early in their university careers in order to ensure completion of the degree in a timely fashion. The University does not recommend anyone for licensure in English who has not satisfied requirements set by the College of Education for post baccalaureate endorsement.

The English Department participates in interdisciplinary majors and minors in African American Studies; American Culture; Classical Studies; Early Modern European Studies; Environment and Human Society; Film Studies; Global Studies; Great Books; Jewish and Holocaust Studies; Linguistic Studies; Media, History, and Culture; Medieval Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; Native American Studies; Russian Studies; Southern Studies; Twentieth-Century European Studies; Women’s and Gender Studies; and Writing. Interdisciplinary minors are open to all students in the University. (See Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors section for more information.)

Before beginning the junior year, students should fill out an upper-division form with an advisor and file it with the graduation coordinator for Liberal Arts. For 3000- and 4000-level courses, there is normally a prerequisite of 9 semester hours of English with a grade of C- or better.

General Requirements

Students must pass ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 in sequence before taking ENGL 2020 or ENGL 2030 or HUM 2610. A minimum grade of C- in ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020 is required to meet degree requirements.

On the basis of ACT or SAT scores, MTSU will place students in the appropriate English course or require further testing. Students without ACT or SAT scores are required to take a placement test. (See University Studies for more information.)

Students whose native language is not English are required to take a placement test and may be required to enroll in ENGL 1008 or ENGL 1009 for ESL students before being allowed to enroll in ENGL 1010.

Some students are eligible for advanced standing credit to meet True Blue Core English requirements. (See Advanced Standing for more information.)

Successful completion of  ENGL 1008, ENGL 1009, ENGL 1010, and ENGL 1020 requires a grade of C- or better.

All students will complete the required 9 semester hours of English by passing the following courses in the sequence in which they are listed.

1. ENGL 1010
2. ENGL 1020
3. ENGL 2020 or ENGL 2030

Teacher Licensure

Students seeking a license to teach in secondary schools (grades 7-12) must complete (1) a major in the subject they intend to teach; (2) a minor (see Academic Policies and Procedures) or any interdisciplinary minor (see Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors); and (3) the Secondary Education Minor. NOTE: The B.S. in English with a Secondary English Teacher Licensure concentration does not require a second minor.

Honors College

The Department of English offers the following courses in Honors:

ENGL 1010 (Fall Semester)
ENGL 1020 (Fall and Spring Semester)
ENGL 2020 (Fall and Spring Semester)
ENGL 2030 (Fall and Spring Semester)

Graduate Study

The Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees are offered in English. Requirements for these degrees and a list of the courses offered for graduate credit are published in the Graduate Catalog.