English Major, Literature Track

The Literature track features a core of American, English, and World literature courses from many cultures and periods that speak to the human experience and leverage those perspectives for community and vocational service. As a student in this track, expect to gain quality experience in
·    close-reading analysis and interpretation
·    well-crafted written and oral rhetoric
·    insight about diverse people, cultures, and situations
·    the human longing for the divine
·    empathy for the human condition.

Since writers learn to craft language through reading, writing is also a key component of this track.

Students prepare for graduate school (in English or another discipline) or finding a job that calls for quality interpretive reading and writing skills. Good communication, nurtured through reading narrative literature, is important to almost any discipline. The Literature track integrates well with business, theology, computer science, psychology, or law. English is respected as a helpful major for preparing students for law school and an excellent degree for writing in any business, ministry, or organization.

English Literature Track Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Analyze a text competently for its structural elements and interpretive potentials—particularly in the categories of diction, imagery, figurative language, irony, setting, character, plot, narrative point of view, and genre characteristics.
2. Demonstrate high proficiency in using the protocols of standard written North American English.
3. Use pertinent research information effectively as necessary or advantageous within written or spoken discourse.
4. Demonstrate advanced skills of integrative and independent thinking in written and verbal expression.
5. Demonstrate the ability to hold contradictory ideas in mind during discussion by calmly considering others’ perspectives, asking productive questions, articulating respectful responses, and finding ways to synthesize others’ ideas with one’s own.
6. Discuss various ways in which the Christian faith is, has been, or can be in meaningful dialogue with literary texts of any kind.
7. Demonstrate familiarity with literary periods and traditions in the broad sweep of British and American history, including knowledge of prominent authors, genres, topics, philosophical issues, literary movements, and artistic styles.
8. Apply knowledge of history, culture, human nature, and a variety of literary-theoretical perspectives to analyze texts competently for their philosophical potentials and to discuss those findings in coherent interpretive discourse.

The Literature Track for English majors consists of 33 required credits and 6 elective credits, totaling 39 English credits, 18 of which must be on the upper-division (300-400) level. ENGL 212 meets the Effective Communication requirement in the Core Curriculum.