English, Writing Concentration, B.A.

Department of English  
615-898-2576
Elvira Casal, program coordinator
E.Casal@mtsu.edu

A major in English with a concentration in Writing consists of a minimum of 39 upper-division hours.

1. Students should take the required ENGL 3000  as soon as possible after declaring an English major or completing freshman and sophomore General Education requirements for English. The other core courses should be distributed throughout each student’s remaining time at the university. It is not recommended to take all three in one semester.
2. In addition to the four core courses (ENGL 3000 , ENGL 3010 , ENGL 3020 , and ENGL 3030 ) that all English majors must take, Writing concentration students must take a grammar/language course (ENGL 3570 , ENGL 4510 , ENGL 4520 , ENGL 4530 , or ENGL 4570 ) and a genre course (ENGL 3350 , ENGL 3450 , ENGL 3825 , ENGL 4425 , ENGL 4470 , ENGL 4910 , ENGL 4920  or ENGL 4930 , or ENGL 4940 ). Appropriate alternate courses may be approved by the English advisor.
3. Students will also choose three upper-division writing courses (9 hours) that reflect their interests. A student may choose to emphasize one type of writing or take courses from the entire English 3600-4600 sequence (excluding ENGL 3605 ).
4. The Writing concentration student must also take four additional upper-division courses (12 hours) from areas that have not been covered already by the genre, grammar, or writing requirements. One course must be chosen from four of the five following areas: I, II, III, VII, and VIII.
5. Including the concentration requirements, courses must represent at least six of the seven areas of English studies.
   1. British Literature I: Courses numbered 3100 or 4100 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on British literature before the Restoration)
   2. British Literature II: Courses numbered 3200 or 4200 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on British literature after the Restoration)
   3. American Literature: Courses numbered 3300 or 4300 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on American literature)
   4. International Literature and Intellectual Backgrounds: Courses numbered 3400 or 4400 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on world literature, or such courses outside the department as HUM 3950  and WGST 4209 )
   5. Grammar and Language: Courses numbered 3500 or 4500
   6. Writing: Courses numbered 3600 or 4600
   7. Gender and Cultural Studies : Courses numbered 3700 or 4700 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on gender or cultural studies, or such courses outside the department as FREN 3130  and WGST courses focusing on literature)
   8. Film and Popular Literature: Courses numbered 3800 or 4800 (or a 3900/4900 special topics course focusing on popular literature or with a substantial film component)
6. Courses from the Special Topics 3900/4900 number sequence get credit in different categories depending on the topic.
7.  When taught by an English faculty member, certain interdisciplinary Honors seminars (UH 3500 and 4600) may be substituted, with approval, in one of the above groups.
8. Students who wish to pursue a license to teach English in grades 7-12 should carefully follow the major requirements outlined in English, Secondary English Teacher Licensure Concentration, B.A.  Students interested in the “classic” major without concentration should consult the description of the English, B.A.  Students interested in other concentrations should consult English, Cultural Studies Concentration, B.A.  or English, Literary Studies Concentration, B.A.  
9. Students may not apply more than twelve (12) hours of upper-division distance learning (web-based, correspondence, videoconferencing, or other format) without special permission. No more than three (3) of these hours may be taken outside MTSU.
10. ENGL 1010 , ENGL 1020 , ENGL 2020 ,  ENGL 2030 , or other lower-division English courses may not be counted as part of the hours required for the English major.

Majors are expected to consult a member of the English faculty each semester regarding the selection and arrangement of electives. Recommended minors for English majors include Foreign Language, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Theatre, Film Studies, Writing, and Women’s and Gender Studies, but students may choose a minor either from those listed under the B.A. requirements or from the interdisciplinary minors. (See Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors  for more information.)

Beginning with Fall 2012, English majors are instructed to keep the English 3000 essay and two other essays from different upper-division classes for submission in the senior writing portfolio. ENGL 4999  (senior writing portfolio) will be required of all English majors graduating under the 2012-13 or later catalogs.