Students choose to major in English and Creative Writing because they love to read and write and want to explore the processes by which language constructs the world in which they live. These programs build on these passions by developing the skills of attentive reading, thoughtful analysis, graceful writing, and original creative productions.

The analytical tools developed in the English major illuminate both literary texts and the societies in which they are produced. Our majors study the American, British, and Anglophone traditions, just as they learn to interpret women’s writing, the poetics of the blues, and literary technologies from Gutenberg to digital.

The creative writing major offers students the option to focus on their own creative process and development towards life-long artistic involvement while sharpening their overall writing skills for all walks of life.

By encouraging students to apply their interpretive and writing skills in multiple contexts, both the English and Creative Writing majors prepare students to enter a wide variety of careers, to succeed in graduate or professional study, and to become engaged global citizens.

Requirements for a Major in English

Students majoring in English must complete forty credits, comprising seven required ENGL courses, plus three elective courses.

Required English courses:

• One ENGL course numbered between 220 and 260;
• ENGL-290W and 301W;
• at least three 300-level colloquia, including one focusing on literature before 1800 and one focusing on literature after 1800 (ENGL-301 may count as a colloquium);
• ENGL-440W or 492W.
• Elective courses may include any of the following: all ENGL or ENCW courses; EAS-224; FS-101, 250, 251, 252, 253, 305; IDS-290; LAS-215; MCS-207, 208; THEA-300W, 301W.

One DN or GN course offered in ENGL/ENCW is required in addition to the college’s DN/GN core requirement. Majors are encouraged to fulfill both requirements within the major.

English majors can fulfill both the capstone requirement and the requirement for an oral presentation in the major by taking ENGL-440W or 492W.

Requirements for Minor in English

A minor concentration in English consists of ENGL-290W and at least four additional courses in English. ENGL-301W is strongly recommended. One ENCW course may be counted toward the minor.

Requirements for a Major in Creative Writing

Students majoring in Creative Writing must complete forty-two credits, comprising six required courses, plus four elective courses.

Required courses:

• ENCW-290W;
• Five other ENCW courses. Students must select courses from at least two genres, at least two of which must be at the 300-level or above. Two courses from MCS-206, 207 or 208 or THEA- 210 may substitute for one of these courses;
• at least three ENGL courses numbered 220 or above, including one focusing on literature before 1800 and one focusing on literature after 1800;
• ENCW 420W Senior Portfolio or ENCW 492W;
• At least two credits in MCS-009 (Grizzly) or ENCW-016 (Lantern) or ENCW-201

One non-ENGL elective from the following list may replace one ENGL course: EAS-224; FS-101, 250, 251, 252, 253, 305; IDS-290; LAS-215; THEA-300W, 301W.

One DN or GN course offered in ENGL/ENCW is required in addition to the college’s DN/GN core requirement.

ENCW majors can fulfill both the capstone requirement and the requirement for an oral presentation in the major by taking ENCW-420W or 492W.

For students completing a major in one field and a minor in the other, three courses may count toward both the major field and the minor field.

Requirements for Minor in Creative Writing

A minor concentration in Creative Writing consists of at least twenty-two credits.

ENCW-290W is required. ENCW-420 is strongly recommended. Participation in Ursinus’s writing community by serving as a staff member on either the Grizzly or the Lantern is also required, demonstrated by either ENCW-201 or by two credits in ENCW-016 or MCS-009–016.

Other courses for the minor may include any ENCW or ENGL courses; MCS-207, 208; THEA-210; or IDS-290. Fourteen credits toward the minor must be in ENCW.

Teacher Certification

Students seeking teaching certification in English for grades 7-12 must fulfill all departmental requirements for an English major. Their courses should include literary genres, themes, and histories. In addition, students working toward certification must take the following courses: ENGL-214; and either MCS-205, or any FS course. Students are strongly recommended to take either ENGL-220 or a 300-level colloquium on Shakespeare. It is also strongly recommended that the candidate participate in student journalism or theater activities. Students and their advisers should consult the Ursinus College Education Department.