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2018-2019 Academic Catalog | English (B.A.) – CAS

English (B.A.)

 

Faculty

Dr. Bill Beverly, Associate Professor of English (program chair)
Ms. Wendy Bilen, Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Rewa Burnham, Assistant Professor of English
Dr. Elizabeth Child, Professor of English
The English program is also supported by a dedicated team of instructional specialist.

Description

The English Program provides students with opportunities to study literature in English and to develop facility in original writing, including academic, professional, and creative writing. Our courses are contemporary and challenging: they embrace Trinity's interdisciplinary curriculum and focus on gender, race, and ethnicity. Students study the traditional canon of literary works as well as ideas and texts that have challenged the canon's centrality. Our courses are particularly attentive to literature by and about women, and to literature written in English by members of diverse cultures in the United States and internationally.

The core of courses required for the English major provide an understanding of literary genres, of themes and movements, and of major figures. Consistent with Trinity's mission, the English Program stresses the development of the ability to analyze, criticize, and synthesize the structures and ideas encountered in texts; the viewing of literature as the reflection of diverse cultures; and the understanding of literature as a sociological and political event and as a commentary on human values, particularly values related to justice, gender, and race.

The skills and insights developed in English courses are highly prized in the professional and scholarly worlds. English students develop the ability to conceive, write, and present nuanced arguments and analyses; they research and think critically; their ability to think empathetically and interdisciplinary make them into conscientious, creative communicators and leaders.

Through research projects and seminar participation, students develop the ability to reason, write, and speak persuasively. Through creative writing electives and practicum experience, students combine studio art training with hands-on project administration. The Program's faculty members, all practicing researchers and writers, encourage English majors to view and develop themselves as independent researchers.

The English Program supports both a major and a minor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Major Requirements

To fulfill the requirements of the B.A. in English, students must complete 42 hours of required coursework in the following areas:

General Education Literature Requirement 3 credits
Major British or U.S. Authors Survey Requirement 9 credits
Major Figures Requirement 6 credits
Major Genres and Movements Study 3 credits
Literary and Critical Theory 3 credits
Internship 3 credits
English Electives 12 credits
Senior Colloquium 3 credits

General Education Literature Requirement (3 credits)

Choose any class that satisfies the English knowledge and inquiry requirement in the first year of the major. Any one of the following will fulfill this requirement:

ENGL 150
ENGL 220
ENGL 267
ENGL 271
ENGL 280
ENGL 283
ENGL 284
ENGL 285
ENGL 310

Major British and U.S. Authors Requirement (9 credits)

THREE of the following courses, which examine the work of writers whose ideas and achievements have shaped and are shaping literature in English. 

ENGL 211
ENGL 212
ENGL 214
ENGL 215

Major Figures Study (6 credits)

TWO courses at the 300-level or above specifically devoted to the work of one author or a limited set of authors. Please note that ENGL 389 is a pre-requisite for courses numbered at 305 and above.  Sample courses include:

ENGL 325
ENGL 434
ENGL 435
ENGL 451
ENGL 470
ENGL 471
ENGL 476


Major Genres and Movements Study (3 credits)

ONE course that uses genre or literary period as a category of analysis. Please note that ENGL 389 is a pre-requisite for courses numbered 305 and above.   Sample courses include:

ENGL 273
ENGL 282
ENGL 283
ENGL 284
ENGL 285
ENGL 310
ENGL 341
ENGL 363
ENGL 365


Literary and Critical Theory (3 credits)

ENGL 389

Students must take this course before progressing to courses numbered 305 and higher in English.

English Electives (12 credits)

FOUR additional English courses at the 200-level or higher, two of which must be at the 300-level or higher.

Internship (3 credits)
ENGL 491

Offers majors the opportunity to translate the knowledge and skills gained through the study of literature into workplace settings.

Senior Colloquium (3 credits)

ENGL 499

In the Senior Colloquium, English majors write the senior comprehensive paper.  Pre-requisite: ENGL 389; senior status.

Minor Requirements

General Education Literature Requirement (3 credits)

Choose any class that satisfies the English knowledge and inquiry requirement in the first year of the major. Any one of the following will fulfill this requirement:

ENGL 150
ENGL 220
ENGL 267
ENGL 271
ENGL 280
ENGL 283
ENGL 284
ENGL 285
ENGL 310

Major British and U.S. Authors Requirement (9 credits)

THREE of the following courses, which examine the work of writers whose ideas and achievements have shaped and are shaping literature in English. 

ENGL 211
ENGL 212
ENGL 214
ENGL 215

Major Figures Requirement (3 credits)

ONE course at the 300-level or above specifically devoted to the work of one author or a limited set of authors (see above).

Electives (6 credits)

TWO additional courses in the English Program at the 200-level or above.

Program Policies

Advanced Placement:
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences who earn a score of a 4 or a 5 on the AP examination in English Language & Composition may waive out of ENGL 107. CAS students who earn a score or a 4 or a 5 on the AP examination in English Literature & Composition may waive the CAS Gen Ed requirement for literature.

CLEP Policy:
Students interested in receiving credit for CLEP examinations should contact the Program Chair.

Grades in Major and Minor Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major or minor in English.

Pass/No Pass:
The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted in courses to be applied for the major or minor in English.[/catalog-courses]

Senior Assessment:
All majors are required to take ENGL 499 for which students write an independent supervised comprehensive and scholarly research paper.

Study Abroad:
Students are encouraged to plan their studies to allow for the possibility of study abroad.

TELL Policy:
Students with substantial experiential learning are encouraged to apply for TELL credit in English.

Transfer Credits:
Students may apply transfer credit in English toward the major and minor in English if the transferred courses parallel courses required for the major or minor. Transfer students who elect an English major must complete a minimum of 12 credits in English major courses at Trinity, of which three must be in ENGL 499. Similarly, transfer students who elect an English minor must complete a minimum of 6 credits in English courses at Trinity.

Course Descriptions

ENGL 107
ENGL 150
ENGL 170
ENGL 198
ENGL 200
ENGL 201
ENGL 202
ENGL 208
ENGL 209
ENGL 211
ENGL 212
ENGL 214
ENGL 215
ENGL 220
ENGL 267
ENGL 270
ENGL 271
ENGL 273
ENGL 275
ENGL 280
ENGL 282
ENGL 283
ENGL 284
ENGL 285
ENGL 299
ENGL 301
ENGL 302
ENGL 304
ENGL 310
ENGL 325
ENGL 332
ENGL 341
ENGL 348
ENGL 363
ENGL 364
ENGL 365
ENGL 366
ENGL 368
ENGL 371
ENGL 372
ENGL 373
ENGL 374
ENGL 377
ENGL 378
ENGL 379
ENGL 380
ENGL 389
ENGL 399
ENGL 434
ENGL 435
ENGL 451
ENGL 470
ENGL 471
ENGL 475
ENGL 476
ENGL 491
ENGL 492
ENGL 498
ENGL 499

Trinity reserves the right to change, without prior notice, any policy or procedure, tuition or fee, curricular requirements, or any other information found on this web site or in its printed materials.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@trinitydc.edu.

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