Effective Fall 2023
Exclusions:Students who elect a major in English may not also elect minors in English or English-Creative Writing.
Advising
Students are encouraged to discuss their academic program and related concerns with an English department advisor. Appointments are scheduled on the English Department's website under academic advising. For questions of immediate concern or general questions about the major, students may speak with the Undergraduate Administrator by phoning 734.764.6330 or by coming to 3187 Angell Hall.
Grade Policies
All courses counted toward the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Prerequisites
There is no prerequisite course for declaring the English major. We recommend that students begin with a 200-level Foundations & Methods course. Students should schedule an appointment with an English advisor to declare the major.
Requirements
Students in the General Program must successfully complete 27 credits in ENGLISH courses. Students must take a total of two courses (6 credits) from each of the following three categories (Foundations & Methods, Regions, Time) with no option to “double-count” any courses:
1. FOUNDATIONS & METHODS (two courses, 6 credits total)
- one 200-level course from the approved list (3 credits)
- one 300- or 400-level course (3 credits)
2. REGIONS (two 300- or 400-level courses, 6 credits total)
Students must take one course (3 credits) from both of the following subcategories:
- the Americas, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland;
- Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands.
3. TIME (two 300- or 400-level courses, 6 credits total)
Students must take one course (3 credits) from two of the following three subcategories:
- Medieval and Early Modern
- 18th and 19th Centuries
- Modern and Contemporary
4. ELECTIVES
The remaining 9 credits must be completed with electives. The department will offer in any one term a considerable range of courses designed to meet these requirements and electives. A list of which courses meet a given requirement will be available each year online at https://lsa.umich.edu/english/undergraduate/english-major.html or from an English department advisor.
Approved 200-level courses:
ENGLISH 201: Readings in U.S. Literatures: "American" and Other Fictions
ENGLISH 203: Intro to Rhetoric
ENGLISH 215: Great Women Writers
ENGLISH 216: Intro to Disability Studies
ENGLISH 221: Literature Outside the Classroom
ENGLISH 230: Intro to Short Story and Novel
ENGLISH 232: Intro to Visual Culture
ENGLISH 235: Intro to Autobiography
ENGLISH 240: Poetry for Non-majors
ENGLISH 242: Interdisciplinary Studies in English
ENGLISH 245: Intro to Drama and Theatre
ENGLISH 250: Intro to Language Studies
ENGLISH 258: Bible as Literature
ENGLISH 260: Intro to British Literature
ENGLISH 267: Shakespeare and his World
ENGLISH 270: Intro to American Lit
ENGLISH 274: Intro to Afro-American Lit
ENGLISH 275: Intro World Lit in English
ENGLISH 280: Intro to Digital Cultures
ENGLISH 282: Native American Literature
ENGLISH 285: Intro to 20th C Lit
ENGLISH 290: Topics in Lang & Lit
ENGLISH 292: Themes in Lang & Lit (mini-course)
ENGLISH 293: Great Works of Lit (mini-course)
Constraints
- A total of 6 credits of 200-level coursework can count toward the major. Because students must take one 200-level Foundations & Methods course to fulfill the Foundations & Methods requirement, they can count one additional 200-level course towards the major. That second 200-level course can either satisfy the Time or Regions requirement or count as an elective.
- A total of three 300/400-level creative/expository writing courses (no more than 9 credits) can count toward the major. Students may use up to two approved 300/400-level creative/expository writing courses (no more than 6 credits) to fulfill the Foundations & Methods, Time, or Regions requirements. Students may use up to two 300/400-level creative/expository writing courses (no more than 6 credits) as electives. 300-level courses that satisfy the Foundations & Methods, Time, or Regions requirements will be listed on the English Requirements page: https://lsa.umich.edu/english/undergraduate/CourseRequirem.html
- A maximum of six upper level Independent Study credits may be used to count toward English elective credits. Independent study credits cannot be used toward the following requirements: Foundations and Methods, Regions, and Time.
- With written prior approval by the undergraduate administrator, courses elected in other departments or programs may on occasion be used as part of a plan for the major.
Other Department Policies
Upper-Level Writing Requirement
Majors in English may meet this requirement by taking ENGLISH 325, 398, 425, 428, or 496. For those in the Honors and Creative Writing Programs, the writing requirement is met within their curriculum, which culminates in the supervised composition of the senior thesis.
Creative Writing Courses
Students interested in the department's offerings in creative writing should begin with ENGLISH 223, an introduction to the reading and writing of modern poetry and prose fiction and to the workshop method of critiquing student writing. ENGLISH 223 is a prerequisite to ENGLISH 323: Creative Writing in Fiction and 324: Creative Writing in Poetry. Students may take ENGLISH 323 or ENGLISH 324 as a prerequisite to take ENGLISH 423: Advanced Creative Writing in Fiction and ENGLISH 425: Advanced Creative Writing in Poetry. Students must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C- or better.
Residency
Students must take at least 18 credits of U-M English department classes for the major. The additional 12 credits may be transfer credits, though only one transfer course may count towards the core requirements.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ENGLISH subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Capstone Program in Research
Joining the English Department's Capstone Program in Research means becoming a part of a small, intensely committed group of teachers and students all working toward achieving excellence in the related disciplines of reading, understanding, and writing about texts. Capstone Program in Research courses and the program at large place a premium on discussion, on sustained elaboration of ideas inside and outside the classroom, on conceiving of projects in complex and engaging ways, on learning to do research, and on presenting the fruits of that research in expressive, lucid prose.
Students interested in the program should apply, if possible, during the winter term of their sophomore year, or during the fall term of their junior year at the latest. The application consists of a cover sheet; a transcript; a 500-word statement of purpose; and a writing sample. Applications are due at the end of the seventh week of each term. Transfer students may apply to the program on a rolling basis, and are highly encouraged to take ENGLISH 397 regardless of whether this is taken during their senior year. For the Capstone Program in Research, if students meet both LSA honors (3.4) and departmental (3.5) GPA requirements at the time of application, the department will declare the honors sub plan. Students who do not meet these requirements will still be able to complete the thesis but will not be conferred an honors designation.
- Students take a course in literary theory, usually ENGLISH 390 or 490, preferably during their junior year. For students enrolled in the Capstone Program in Research, English 390 or English 490 may also satisfy the 300- or 400-level Foundations & Methods requirement. This instance is the only “double-counting” allowed in the new major.
- Students take a seminar in research methods (ENGLISH 397). It is recommended that this be done during the winter term of the student's junior year.
- Students write a thesis of approximately sixty pages in length during the senior year - a project that is designed to be the single most important, most meaningful piece of work students undertake as English majors at the University. Students write most of their thesis in a required year-long course, "Research and Thesis Writing" (ENGLISH 495/496). Students are guided throughout much of their senior year by a faculty advisor chosen early in that year. The completed thesis is due in mid-March of the senior year.
- During graduation weekend, students will participate in a Symposium, at which students make brief presentations of their theses to interested faculty, friends, and family.
- Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Capstone Program in Creative Writing
English majors who wish to specialize in the writing of poetry or prose fiction may, in the winter term of their junior year, apply to the Capstone Program in Creative Writing, which is an optional path to a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students in the program take the creative writing workshops (223, 323/324, 423/424), and, in their last term, compile a major manuscript of poetry or prose fiction while working closely with the creative-writing faculty in a tutorial (ENGLISH 428). For the Capstone Program in Creative Writing, if students meet both LSA honors (3.4) and departmental (3.5) GPA requirements at the time of application, the department will declare the honors sub plan. Students who do not meet these requirements will still be able to complete the thesis but will not be conferred an honors designation.
- The program is small and highly selective; however, students not enrolled in the program may still pursue their interest in creative writing by applying to the appropriate upper-level workshops.
- Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the major.
- Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Teaching Certificate
English majors in any of the programs above may also apply to be granted a teaching certificate. Students in the General Program must elect, in addition to the pattern of courses there prescribed, ENGLISH 305 and ENGLISH 405 in addition to the courses required for their program.
The general requirements for a teaching certificate are described elsewhere in this Bulletin, and are available from the School of Education Teacher Education Office, 1228 School of Education Building. Application to the certificate program itself must be made through the School of Education. The deadline is mid January for the following academic term. Please check their website: www.soe.umich.edu/.
English (Major) (Fall 2022 - Summer 2023)
Effective Fall 2022
Exclusions:Students who elect a major in English may not also elect minors in English or English-Creative Writing.
Advising
Students are encouraged to discuss their academic program and related concerns with an English department advisor. Appointments are scheduled on the English Department's website under academic advising. For questions of immediate concern or general questions about the major, students may speak with the Undergraduate Administrator by phoning 734.764.6330 or by coming to 3187 Angell Hall.
Peer Advising Program
The English Undergraduate Office offers Peer Advising hours where students can come in and ask questions about the various programs, and declare their major while getting a student’s perspective on what it’s like to be an English major. Check on the website or in the main office for their advising hours.
Grade Policies
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the major requirements.
Prerequisites
ENGLISH 298: Introduction to Literary Studies
Requirements
The Department of English Language and Literature offers three main routes toward the major, the General Program, the Creative Writing Program, and Honors.
The General Program
Students in the General Program must successfully complete 30 credits in ENGLISH courses. A maximum of six credits of coursework at the 200 level from the approved list of courses may be counted toward the 30 credits required for the major. 200 level courses cannot be used to satisfy the core requirements of the major listed below. These courses must include at a minimum:
- two courses on literature written primarily before 1830, at least one of which must be on literature written primarily before 1642
- one course on literature taken prior to 1900
- one course in American literature
- one poetry course
- one course designated "Identity and Difference"
The department will offer in any one term a considerable range of courses designed to meet these requirements. A list of which courses meet a given requirement will be available each year in the English Undergraduate Office, online at www.lsa.umich.edu, or from an English department advisor.
Approved 200-level courses:
- ENGLISH 201: Readings in U.S. Literatures: "American" and Other Fictions
- ENGLISH 203: Intro to Rhetoric
- ENGLISH 215: Great Women Writers
- ENGLISH 216: Intro to Disability Studies
- ENGLISH 221: Literature Outside the Classroom
- ENGLISH 230: Intro to Short Story and Novel
- ENGLISH 232: Intro to Visual Culture
- ENGLISH 235: Intro to Autobiography
- ENGLISH 240: Poetry for Non-majors
- ENGLISH 242: Interdisciplinary Studies in English
- ENGLISH 245: Intro to Drama and Theatre
- ENGLISH 250: Intro to Language Studies
- ENGLISH 258: Bible as Literature
- ENGLISH 260: Intro to British Literature
- ENGLISH 267: Shakespeare and his World
- ENGLISH 270: Intro to American Lit
- ENGLISH 274: Intro to Afro-American Lit
- ENGLISH 275: Intro World Lit in English
- ENGLISH 280: Intro to Digital Cultures
- ENGLISH 282: Native American Literature
- ENGLISH 285: Intro to 20th C Lit
- ENGLISH 290: Topics in Lang & Lit
- ENGLISH 292: Themes in Lang & Lit (mini-course)
- ENGLISH 293: Great Works of Lit (mini-course)
Students considering the major in English should elect ENGLISH 298 during the sophomore year. Then, while fulfilling the requirements for the major, they may elect such a pattern of courses as will provide the course of study they find most helpful and satisfying.
The Creative Writing Program
Students interested in the department's offerings in creative writing should begin with ENGLISH 223, an introduction to the reading and writing of modern poetry and prose fiction and to the workshop method of critiquing student writing. ENGLISH 223 is a prerequisite to ENGLISH 323: Advanced Creative Writing in Fiction and 324: Advanced Creative Writing in Poetry, but admission into ENGLISH 323 and 324 is based on a portfolio submission. There is a "permission of instructor" restriction on these courses. At the advanced level students may elect (with the instructor's permission) the advanced fiction workshop (ENGLISH 423) or the advanced poetry workshop (ENGLISH 424).
English majors who wish to specialize in the writing of poetry or prose fiction may, in the winter term of their junior year, apply to the Creative Writing Submajor, which is an optional path to a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students in the program take the creative writing workshops described above in sequence, and, in their last term, compile a major manuscript of poetry or prose fiction while working closely with the creative-writing faculty in a tutorial reserved for submajors (ENGLISH 428).
The program is small and highly selective; however, students not enrolled in the submajor may still pursue their interest in creative writing by applying to the appropriate upper-level workshops.
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the requirements for the major.
Constraints
- Majors should note that no more than two courses in expository or creative writing may be counted toward the minimum 30 credits at the upper level required for the major, although students may elect any number of such courses, subject to availability of spaces and to College limits on total elections of courses in any one department.
- No more than six upper-level credits of Independent Study may count towards the major.
- With written prior approval by the undergraduate administrator, courses elected in other departments or programs may on occasion be used as part of a plan for the major.
- Independent study projects cannot be used to meet Department program requirements.
Other Department Policies
Upper-Level Writing Requirement
Majors in English may meet this requirement by taking ENGLISH 325, 398, 425, 428, or 496. A published list of English- approved courses can be found in 3187 Angell Hall. For those in the Honors and Creative Writing Programs, the writing requirement is met within their curriculum, which culminates in the supervised composition of the senior thesis.
Residency
Students must take at least 18 credits of U-M English department classes for the major. The additional 12 credits may be transfer credits, though only one transfer course may count towards the core requirements.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ENGLISH subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Honors: The General Program
Joining the English Department's Honors Program means becoming a part of a small, intensely committed group of teachers and students all working toward achieving excellence in the related disciplines of reading, understanding, and writing about texts. Honors courses and the program at large place a premium on discussion, on sustained elaboration of ideas inside and outside the classroom, on conceiving of projects in complex and engaging ways, on learning to do research, and on presenting the fruits of that research in expressive, lucid prose.
Students interested in the Honors Program should apply for admission as soon as possible after the beginning of their sophomore year. Since students generally have not decided to pursue Honors before they have completed the Sophomore prerequisites for the English major (ENGLISH 298), almost all applicants for admission to Honors come in the winter term of the sophomore year or the fall term of the junior year. Applications are due at the end of the seventh week of each term. Though the program occasionally accepts a few late applicants (i.e., students applying in the winter term of their junior year), admission is more difficult to achieve if students apply late, and students' chances for success in the program are greatest if, before the first term of your senior year, you have taken at least one theory course (preferably ENGLISH 390 or 490) and begun thinking about a possible focus for their thesis. The application consists of a cover sheet; a transcript; a 500-word statement of purpose; and a writing sample. Students must also be maintaining a 3.5 GPA or better in the major.
- Honors students take a course in literary theory, usually ENGLISH 390 or 490. It is recommended that this be done during the student's junior year.
- Honors students take a seminar in research methods (ENGLISH 397). It is recommended that this be done during the winter term of the student's junior year.
- Honors students write a thesis of approximately sixty pages in length during the senior year - a project that is designed to be the single most important, most meaningful piece of work students undertake as English majors at the University. Students write most of their thesis in a required year-long course, "Research and Thesis Writing" (ENGLISH 495/496). Students are guided throughout much of their senior year by a faculty advisor chosen early in that year. The completed thesis is due in mid-March of the senior year.
- During graduation weekend, Honors students will participate in an Honors Symposium, at which students make brief presentations of their theses to interested faculty, friends, and family.
Honors: Creative Writing
Those students who have earned at least a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply for Creative Writing Honors after they have been accepted to the submajor. Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Teaching Certificate
English majors in any of the programs above may also apply to be granted a teaching certificate. Students in the General Program must elect, in addition to the pattern of courses there prescribed, a course in composition (normally SWC 300 or 430) and a course in English language (ENGLISH 305, 308, or 406). Honors candidates must elect ENGLISH 305 in addition to the courses required for their program.
The general requirements for a teaching certificate are described elsewhere in this Bulletin, and are available from the School of Education Teacher Education Office, 1228 School of Education Building. A brochure summarizing these requirements is available in the English Office. Application to the certificate program itself must be made through the School of Education. The deadline is January 15 for the following academic term. Please check their website: www.soe.umich.edu/.
English (Major) (Winter 2018 - Summer 2022)
Effective Winter 2018
Exclusions:Students who elect a major in English may not also elect minors in English or English-Creative Writing.
Advising
Students are encouraged to discuss their academic program and related concerns with an English department advisor. Appointments are scheduled on the English Department's website under academic advising. For questions of immediate concern or general questions about the major, students may speak with the Undergraduate Administrator by phoning 734.764.6330 or by coming to 3187 Angell Hall.
Peer Advising Program
The English Undergraduate Office offers Peer Advising hours where students can come in and ask questions about the various programs, and declare their major while getting a student’s perspective on what it’s like to be an English major. Check on the website or in the main office for their advising hours.
Grade Policies
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the major requirements.
Prerequisites
ENGLISH 298: Introduction to Literary Studies
Requirements
The Department of English Language and Literature offers three main routes toward the major, the General Program, the Creative Writing Program, and Honors.
The General Program
Students in the General Program must successfully complete 30 credits in ENGLISH courses. A maximum of six credits of coursework at the 200 level from the approved list of courses may be counted toward the 30 credits required for the major. 200 level courses cannot be used to satisfy the core requirements of the major listed below. These courses must include at a minimum:
- two courses on literature written primarily before 1830, at least one of which must be on literature written primarily before 1642
- one course on literature taken prior to 1900
- one course in American literature
- one poetry course
- one course designated "Identity and Difference"
The department will offer in any one term a considerable range of courses designed to meet these requirements. A list of which courses meet a given requirement will be available each year in the English Undergraduate Office, online or from an English department advisor.
Approved 200-level courses:
- ENGLISH 201: Readings in U.S. Literatures: "American" and Other Fictions
- ENGLISH 203: Intro to Rhetoric
- ENGLISH 215: Great Women Writers
- ENGLISH 216: Intro to Disability Studies
- ENGLISH 221: Literature Outside the Classroom
- ENGLISH 230: Intro to Short Story and Novel
- ENGLISH 232: Intro to Visual Culture
- ENGLISH 235: Intro to Autobiography
- ENGLISH 240: Poetry for Non-majors
- ENGLISH 242: Interdisciplinary Studies in English
- ENGLISH 245: Intro to Drama and Theatre
- ENGLISH 250: Intro to Language Studies
- ENGLISH 258: Bible as Literature
- ENGLISH 260: Intro to British Literature
- ENGLISH 267: Shakespeare and his World
- ENGLISH 270: Intro to American Lit
- ENGLISH 274: Intro to Afro-American Lit
- ENGLISH 275: Intro World Lit in English
- ENGLISH 280: Intro to Digital Cultures
- ENGLISH 282: Native American Literature
- ENGLISH 285: Intro to 20th C Lit
- ENGLISH 290: Topics in Lang & Lit
- ENGLISH 292: Themes in Lang & Lit (mini-course)
- ENGLISH 293: Great Works of Lit (mini-course)
Students considering the major in English should elect ENGLISH 298 during the sophomore year. Then, while fulfilling the requirements for the major, they may elect such a pattern of courses as will provide the course of study they find most helpful and satisfying.
The Creative Writing Program
Students interested in the department's offerings in creative writing should begin with ENGLISH 223, an introduction to the reading and writing of modern poetry and prose fiction and to the workshop method of critiquing student writing. ENGLISH 223 is a prerequisite to ENGLISH 323: Advanced Creative Writing in Fiction and 324: Advanced Creative Writing in Poetry, but admission into ENGLISH 323 and 324 is based on a portfolio submission. There is a "permission of instructor" restriction on these courses. At the advanced level students may elect (with the instructor's permission) the advanced fiction workshop (ENGLISH 423) or the advanced poetry workshop (ENGLISH 424).
English majors who wish to specialize in the writing of poetry or prose fiction may, in the winter term of their junior year, apply to the Creative Writing Submajor, which is an optional path to a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students in the program take the creative writing workshops described above in sequence, and, in their last term, compile a major manuscript of poetry or prose fiction while working closely with the creative-writing faculty in a tutorial reserved for submajors (ENGLISH 428).
The program is small and highly selective; however, students not enrolled in the submajor may still pursue their interest in creative writing by applying to the appropriate upper-level workshops.
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the requirements for the major.
Constraints
- Majors should note that no more than two courses in expository or creative writing may be counted toward the minimum 30 credits at the upper level required for the major, although students may elect any number of such courses, subject to availability of spaces and to College limits on total elections of courses in any one department.
- No more than six upper-level credits of Independent Study may count towards the major.
- With written prior approval by the undergraduate administrator, courses elected in other departments or programs may on occasion be used as part of a plan for the major.
- Independent study projects cannot be used to meet Department program requirements.
Other Department Policies
Upper-Level Writing Requirement
Majors in English may meet this requirement by taking ENGLISH 325, 398, 425, 428, or 496. A published list of English- approved courses can be found in 3187 Angell Hall. For those in the Honors and Creative Writing Programs, the writing requirement is met within their curriculum, which culminates in the supervised composition of the senior thesis.
Residency
Students must take at least 18 credits of U-M English department classes for the major. The additional 12 credits may be transfer credits, though only one transfer course may count towards the core requirements.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ENGLISH subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Honors: The General Program
Joining the English Department's Honors Program means becoming a part of a small, intensely committed group of teachers and students all working toward achieving excellence in the related disciplines of reading, understanding, and writing about texts. Honors courses and the program at large place a premium on discussion, on sustained elaboration of ideas inside and outside the classroom, on conceiving of projects in complex and engaging ways, on learning to do research, and on presenting the fruits of that research in expressive, lucid prose.
Students interested in the Honors Program should apply for admission as soon as possible after the beginning of their sophomore year. Since students generally have not decided to pursue Honors before they have completed the Sophomore prerequisites for the English major (ENGLISH 298), almost all applicants for admission to Honors come in the winter term of the sophomore year or the fall term of the junior year. Applications are due at the end of the seventh week of each term. Though the program occasionally accepts a few late applicants (i.e., students applying in the winter term of their junior year), admission is more difficult to achieve if students apply late, and students' chances for success in the program are greatest if, before the first term of your senior year, you have taken at least one theory course (preferably ENGLISH 390 or 490) and begun thinking about a possible focus for their thesis. The application consists of a cover sheet; a transcript; a 500-word statement of purpose; and a writing sample. Students must also be maintaining a 3.5 GPA or better in the major.
- Honors students take a course in literary theory, usually ENGLISH 390 or 490. It is recommended that this be done during the student's junior year.
- Two courses from ENGLISH 397 (or 497), 450 or 451.
- Honors students write a thesis of approximately sixty pages in length during the senior year - a project that is designed to be the single most important, most meaningful piece of work students undertake as English majors at the University. Students write most of their thesis in a required year-long course, "Research and Thesis Writing" (ENGLISH 495/496). Students are guided throughout much of their senior year by a faculty advisor chosen early in that year. The completed thesis is due in mid-March of the senior year.
- During graduation weekend, Honors students will participate in an Honors Symposium, at which students make brief presentations of their theses to interested faculty, friends, and family.
Honors: Creative Writing
Those students who have earned at least a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply for Creative Writing Honors after they have been accepted to the submajor. Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Teaching Certificate
English majors in any of the programs above may also apply to be granted a teaching certificate. Students in the General Program must elect, in addition to the pattern of courses there prescribed, a course in composition (normally SWC 300 or 430) and a course in English language (ENGLISH 305, 308, or 406). Honors candidates must elect ENGLISH 305 in addition to the courses required for their program.
The general requirements for a teaching certificate are described elsewhere in this Bulletin, and are available from the School of Education Teacher Education Office, 1228 School of Education Building. A brochure summarizing these requirements is available in the English Office. Application to the certificate program itself must be made through the School of Education. The deadline is January 15 for the following academic term. Please check their website: www.soe.umich.edu/.
English (Major) (Fall 2017)
Effective Fall 2017
Exclusions:Students who elect a major in English may not also elect a minor in English.
Advising
Students are encouraged to discuss their academic program and related concerns with an English department advisor. Appointments are scheduled on the English Department's website under academic advising. For questions of immediate concern or general questions about the major, students may speak with the Undergraduate Administrator by phoning 734.764.6330 or by coming to 3187 Angell Hall.
Peer Advising Program
The English Undergraduate Office offers Peer Advising hours where students can come in and ask questions about the various programs, and declare their major while getting a student’s perspective on what it’s like to be an English major. Check on the website or in the main office for their advising hours.
Grade Policies
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the major requirements.
Prerequisites
ENGLISH 298: Introduction to Literary Studies
Requirements
The Department of English Language and Literature offers three main routes toward the major:
The General Program
Students in the General Program must successfully complete 30 credits in ENGLISH courses. A maximum of six credits of coursework at the 200 level from the approved list of courses may be counted toward the 30 credits required for the major. 200 level courses cannot be used to satisfy the core requirements of the major listed below. These courses must include at a minimum:
- two courses on literature written primarily before 1830, at least one of which must be on literature written primarily before 1642
- one course on literature taken prior to 1900
- one course in American literature
- one poetry course
- one course designated "Identity and Difference"
The department will offer in any one term a considerable range of courses designed to meet these requirements. A list of which courses meet a given requirement will be available each year in the English Undergraduate Office, online at www.lsa.umich.edu, or from an English department advisor.
Approved 200-level courses:
- ENGLISH 203: Intro to Rhetoric
- ENGLISH 201: Readings in U.S. Literatures: "American" and Other Fictions
- ENGLISH 215: Great Women Writers
- ENGLISH 216: Intro to Disability Studies
- ENGLISH 221: Literature Outside the Classroom
- ENGLISH 232: Intro to Visual Culture
- ENGLISH 235: Intro to Autobiography
- ENGLISH 240: Poetry for Non-majors
- ENGLISH 242: Interdisciplinary Studies in English
- ENGLISH 245: Intro to Drama and Theatre
- ENGLISH 250: Intro to Language Studies
- ENGLISH 258: Bible as Literature
- ENGLISH 260: Intro to British Literature
- ENGLISH 267: Shakespeare and his World
- ENGLISH 270: Intro to American Lit
- ENGLISH 274: Intro to Afro-American Lit
- ENGLISH 275: Intro World Lit in English
- ENGLISH 280: Intro to Digital Cultures
- ENGLISH 282: Native American Literature
- ENGLISH 285: Intro to 20th C Lit
- ENGLISH 290: Topics in Lang & Lit
- ENGLISH 292: Themes in Lang & Lit (mini-course)
- ENGLISH 293: Great Works of Lit (mini-course)
Students considering the major in English should elect ENGLISH 298 during the sophomore year. Then, while fulfilling the requirements for the major, they may elect such a pattern of courses as will provide the course of study they find most helpful and satisfying.
The Creative Writing Program
Students interested in the department's offerings in creative writing should begin with ENGLISH 223, an introduction to the reading and writing of modern poetry and prose fiction and to the workshop method of critiquing student writing. ENGLISH 223 is a prerequisite to ENGLISH 323: Advanced Creative Writing in Fiction and 324: Advanced Creative Writing in Poetry, but admission into ENGLISH 323 and 324 is based on a portfolio submission. There is a "permission of instructor" restriction on these courses. At the advanced level students may elect (with the instructor's permission) the advanced fiction workshop (ENGLISH 423) or the advanced poetry workshop (ENGLISH 424).
English majors who wish to specialize in the writing of poetry or prose fiction may, in the winter term of their junior year, apply to the Creative Writing Submajor, which is an optional path to a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students in the program take the creative writing workshops described above in sequence, and, in their last term, compile a major manuscript of poetry or prose fiction while working closely with the creative-writing faculty in a tutorial reserved for submajors (ENGLISH 428).
The program is small and highly selective; however, students not enrolled in the submajor may still pursue their interest in creative writing by applying to the appropriate upper-level workshops.
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the requirements for the major.
Constraints
Majors should note that no more than two courses in expository or creative writing may be counted toward the minimum 30 credits at the upper level required for the major, although students may elect any number of such courses, subject to availability of spaces and to College limits on total elections of courses in any one department. Also, no more than six upper-level credits of Independent Study may count towards the major. With written prior approval by the undergraduate administrator, courses elected in other departments or programs may on occasion be used as part of a plan for the major. Independent study projects cannot be used to meet Department program requirements.
Other Department Policies
Upper-Level Writing Requirement
Majors in English may meet this requirement by taking ENGLISH 325, 398, 425, 428, or 496. A published list of English- approved courses can be found in 3187 Angell Hall. For those in the Honors and Creative Writing Programs, the writing requirement is met within their curriculum, which culminates in the supervised composition of the senior thesis.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ENGLISH subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.Honors
Honors: The General Program
Joining the English Department's Honors Program means becoming a part of a small, intensely committed group of teachers and students all working toward achieving excellence in the related disciplines of reading, understanding, and writing about texts. Honors courses and the program at large place a premium on discussion, on sustained elaboration of ideas inside and outside the classroom, on conceiving of projects in complex and engaging ways, on learning to do research, and on presenting the fruits of that research in expressive, lucid prose.
Students interested in the Honors Program should apply for admission as soon as possible after the beginning of their sophomore year. Since students generally have not decided to pursue Honors before they have completed the Sophomore prerequisites for the English major (ENGLISH 298), almost all applicants for admission to Honors come in the winter term of the sophomore year or the fall term of the junior year. Applications are due at the end of the seventh week of each term. Though the program occasionally accepts a few late applicants (i.e., students applying in the winter term of their junior year), admission is more difficult to achieve if students apply late, and students' chances for success in the program are greatest if, before the first term of your senior year, you have taken at least one theory course (preferably ENGLISH 390 or 490) and begun thinking about a possible focus for their thesis. The application consists of a cover sheet; a transcript; a 500-word statement of purpose; and a writing sample. Students must also be maintaining a 3.5 GPA or better in the major.
- Honors students take a course in literary theory, usually ENGLISH 390 or 490. It is recommended that this be done during the student's junior year.
- Two courses from ENGLISH 397 (or 497), 450 or 451.
- Honors students write a thesis of approximately sixty pages in length during the senior year - a project that is designed to be the single most important, most meaningful piece of work students undertake as English majors at the University. Students write most of their thesis in a required year-long course, "Research and Thesis Writing" (ENGLISH 495/496). Students are guided throughout much of their senior year by a faculty advisor chosen early in that year. The completed thesis is due in mid-March of the senior year.
- During graduation weekend, Honors students will participate in an Honors Symposium, at which students make brief presentations of their theses to interested faculty, friends, and family.
Honors: Creative Writing
Those students who have earned at least a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply for Creative Writing Honors after they have been accepted to the submajor. Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Teaching Certificate
English majors in any of the programs above may also apply to be granted a teaching certificate. Students in the General Program must elect, in addition to the pattern of courses there prescribed, a course in composition (normally SWC 300 or 430) and a course in English language (ENGLISH 305, 308, or 406). Honors candidates must elect ENGLISH 305 in addition to the courses required for their program.
The general requirements for a teaching certificate are described elsewhere in this Bulletin, and are available from the School of Education Teacher Education Office, 1228 School of Education Building. A brochure summarizing these requirements is available in the English Office. Application to the certificate program itself must be made through the School of Education. The deadline is January 15 for the following academic term. Please check their website: www.soe.umich.edu/.
English (Major) (Winter 2016 - Summer 2017)
Effective Winter 2016
Advising
Students are encouraged to discuss their academic program and related concerns with an English department advisor. Appointments are scheduled on the English Department's website under academic advising. For questions of immediate concern or general questions about the major, students may speak with the Undergraduate Administrator by phoning 734.764.6330 or by coming to 3187 Angell Hall.
Peer Advising Program
The English Undergraduate Office offers Peer Advising hours where students can come in and ask questions about the various programs, and declare their major while getting a student’s perspective on what it’s like to be an English major. Check on the website or in the main office for their advising hours.
Grade Policies
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the major requirements.
Prerequisites
ENGLISH 298
Requirements
The Department of English Language and Literature offers three main routes toward the major:
The General Program
Students in the General Program must successfully complete 30 credits in ENGLISH courses. A maximum of six credits of coursework at the 200 level from the approved list of courses may be counted toward the 30 credits required for the major. 200 level courses cannot be used to satisfy the core requirements of the major listed below. These courses must include at a minimum:
- two courses on literature written primarily before 1830, at least one of which must be on literature written primarily before 1642
- one course on literature taken prior to 1900
- one course in American literature
- one poetry course
- one course designated "Identity and Difference"
The department will offer in any one term a considerable range of courses designed to meet these requirements. A list of which courses meet a given requirement will be available each year in the English Undergraduate Office, online at www.lsa.umich.edu, or from an English department advisor.
Approved 200-level courses:
- ENGLISH 200: Intro to Rhetoric
- ENGLISH 215: Great Women Writers
- ENGLISH 216: Intro to Disability Studies
- ENGLISH 221: Literature Outside the Classroom
- ENGLISH 232: Intro to Visual Culture
- ENGLISH 235: Intro to Autobiography
- ENGLISH 240: Poetry for Non-majors
- ENGLISH 242: Interdisciplinary Studies in English
- ENGLISH 245: Intro to Drama and Theatre
- ENGLISH 250: Intro to Language Studies
- ENGLISH 258: Bible as Literature
- ENGLISH 260: Intro to British Literature
- ENGLISH 267: Shakespeare and his World
- ENGLISH 270: Intro to American Lit
- ENGLISH 274: Intro to Afro-American Lit
- ENGLISH 275: Intro World Lit in English
- ENGLISH 280: Intro to Digital Cultures
- ENGLISH 282: Native American Literature
- ENGLISH 285: Intro to 20th C Lit
- ENGLISH 290: Topics in Lang & Lit
- ENGLISH 292: Themes in Lang & Lit (mini-course)
- ENGLISH 293: Great Works of Lit (mini-course)
Students considering the major in English should elect ENGLISH 298 during the sophomore year. Then, while fulfilling the requirements for the major, they may elect such a pattern of courses as will provide the course of study they find most helpful and satisfying. Students are strongly encouraged to choose an optional area of specialization and take three upper- level courses within the submajor. A full list of areas of specialization is available in the English Undergraduate office, online, or from a department advisor. Please refer to the Handbook for English Majors for more information on how to design specific paths of study.
The Creative Writing Program
Students interested in the department's offerings in creative writing should begin with ENGLISH 223, an introduction to the reading and writing of modern poetry and prose fiction and to the workshop method of critiquing student writing. ENGLISH 223 is a prerequisite to ENGLISH 323: Advanced Creative Writing in Fiction and 324: Advanced Creative Writing in Poetry, but admission into ENGLISH 323 and 324 is based on a portfolio submission. There is a "permission of instructor" restriction on these courses. At the advanced level students may elect (with the instructor's permission) the advanced fiction workshop (ENGLISH 423) or the advanced poetry workshop (ENGLISH 424).
English majors who wish to specialize in the writing of poetry or prose fiction may, in the winter term of their junior year, apply to the Creative Writing Submajor, which is an optional path to a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students in the program take the creative writing workshops described above in sequence, and, in their last term, compile a major manuscript of poetry or prose fiction while working closely with the creative-writing faculty in a tutorial reserved for submajors (ENGLISH 428).
The program is small and highly selective; however, students not enrolled in the submajor may still pursue their interest in creative writing by applying to the appropriate upper-level workshops.
Students must complete a course with a grade of C- or better to have it count toward the requirements for the major.
Constraints
Majors should note that no more than two courses in expository or creative writing may be counted toward the minimum 30 credits at the upper level required for the major, although students may elect any number of such courses, subject to availability of spaces and to College limits on total elections of courses in any one department. Also, no more than six upper-level credits of Independent Study may count towards the major. With written prior approval by the undergraduate administrator, courses elected in other departments or programs may on occasion be used as part of a plan for the major. Independent study projects cannot be used to meet Department program requirements.
Other Department Policies
Upper-Level Writing Requirement
Majors in English may meet this requirement by taking ENGLISH 325, 398, 425, 428, or 496. A published list of English- approved courses can be found in 3187 Angell Hall. For those in the Honors and Creative Writing Programs, the writing requirement is met within their curriculum, which culminates in the supervised composition of the senior thesis.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ENGLISH subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.Honors
Honors: The General Program
Joining the English Department's Honors Program means becoming a part of a small, intensely committed group of teachers and students all working toward achieving excellence in the related disciplines of reading, understanding, and writing about texts. Honors courses and the program at large place a premium on discussion, on sustained elaboration of ideas inside and outside the classroom, on conceiving of projects in complex and engaging ways, on learning to do research, and on presenting the fruits of that research in expressive, lucid prose.
Students interested in the Honors Program should apply for admission as soon as possible after the beginning of their sophomore year. Since students generally have not decided to pursue Honors before they have completed the Sophomore prerequisites for the English major (ENGLISH 298), almost all applicants for admission to Honors come in the winter term of the sophomore year or the fall term of the junior year. Applications are due at the end of the seventh week of each term. Though the program occasionally accepts a few late applicants (i.e., students applying in the winter term of their junior year), admission is more difficult to achieve if students apply late, and students' chances for success in the program are greatest if, before the first term of your senior year, you have taken at least one theory course (preferably ENGLISH 390 or 490) and begun thinking about a possible focus for their thesis. The application consists of a cover sheet; a transcript; a 500-word statement of purpose; and a writing sample. Students must also be maintaining a 3.5 GPA or better in the major.
- Honors students take a course in literary theory, usually ENGLISH 390 or 490. It is recommended that this be done during the student's junior year.
- Two courses from ENGLISH 397 (or 497), 450 or 451.
- Honors students write a thesis of approximately sixty pages in length during the senior year - a project that is designed to be the single most important, most meaningful piece of work students undertake as English majors at the University. Students write most of their thesis in a required year-long course, "Research and Thesis Writing" (ENGLISH 495/496). Students are guided throughout much of their senior year by a faculty advisor chosen early in that year. The completed thesis is due in mid-March of the senior year.
- During graduation weekend, Honors students will participate in an Honors Symposium, at which students make brief presentations of their theses to interested faculty, friends, and family.
Honors: Creative Writing
Those students who have earned at least a 3.5 GPA in the major may apply for Creative Writing Honors after they have been accepted to the submajor. Honors will be awarded, as warranted, on the basis of the thesis.
Teaching Certificate
English majors in any of the programs above may also apply to be granted a teaching certificate. Students in the General Program must elect, in addition to the pattern of courses there prescribed, a course in composition (normally SWC 300 or 430) and a course in English language (ENGLISH 305, 308, or 406). Honors candidates must elect ENGLISH 305 in addition to the courses required for their program.
The general requirements for a teaching certificate are described elsewhere in this Bulletin, and are available from the School of Education Teacher Education Office, 1228 School of Education Building. A brochure summarizing these requirements is available in the English Office. Application to the certificate program itself must be made through the School of Education. The deadline is January 15 for the following academic term. Please check their website: www.soe.umich.edu/.
