The English Major centers on the critical study and interpretation of literature, language, and culture. Students study literature and other cultural products written in English, and develop their critical and aesthetic understanding through research and writing. The curriculum includes coursework in creative writing, film, and world literatures written in or translated into English.
The English Major requires a minimum of 36 credits or 12 courses, including one course required of all students, ENGL 300: Critical Approaches to English. The 12 courses taken must include:
- At least five courses in literature;
- At least one pre-1700 course, one pre-1800 course, one pre-1900 course, and one post-1900 course;
- At least one course in three out of the following four genres: poetry, fiction, drama, film;
- At least one course in each of the following areas: international issues, ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies, class issues.
Students may choose 12-credit concentrations in Creative Writing or Film Studies, or no concentration at all.
120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
(See program guides for specific requirement details.)
On This Page
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 42 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Free Electives | 39-33 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| ENGL 300 | Critical Approaches to English | 3 |
| English Requirements by Advisement | ||
| Complete 33 credits from the list below, within the following guidelines. Individual courses may meet more than one guideline. No more than two 100-level courses can count toward the major. | 33 | |
| Literature (5 courses) | ||
Pre-1700 | ||
Pre-1800 | ||
Pre-1900 | ||
Post-1900 | ||
Any Literature | ||
| Genre Study (3 courses) | ||
| Pay significant attention to at least three of these four genres: | ||
Poetry | ||
Fiction | ||
Drama | ||
Film | ||
| Additional Guidelines | ||
International Issues - Primary focus on texts outside the American or British traditions. | ||
Ethnic Studies - At least 1/3 of the course will focus on representation of race or ethnicity. | ||
Women's/Gender Studies - At least 1/3 of the course will focus on texts by women or representation of gender. | ||
Class Issues - At least 1/3 of the course will focus on representation of class issues. | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
English Requirements by Advisement Course List
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AMSD 106 | Writing New Jersey Now | 3 |
| AMSD 220 | Foundations of American Identities and Cultures | 3 |
| AMSD 225 | Afrofuturism and Its Histories | 3 |
| AMSD 230 | American Popular Entertainment: Vaudeville, Radio, Film and TV | 3 |
| AMSD 235 | Caribbean Diasporas | 3 |
| AMSD 250 | Special Topics in American Identities and Cultures | 3 |
| AMSD 330 | American Identities and Cultures: Theories and Methods | 3 |
| AMSD 350 | Healing in America: History, Narrative, and Performance | 3 |
| AMSD 380 | Shakespeare and American Identity | 3 |
| AMSD 440 | Capstone in American Identities and Cultures | 3 |
| ENFL 208 | Introduction to the Film | 3 |
| ENFL 251 | Special Topics in Film Studies | 3 |
| ENFL 255 | Major Film Movements | 3 |
| ENFL 260 | Major Film Genres | 3 |
| ENFL 265 | Major Film Directors | 3 |
| ENFL 294 | World Film Before 1945 | 3 |
| ENFL 295 | World Film After 1945 | 3 |
| ENFL 310 | Intermediate Screenwriting | 3 |
| ENFL 356 | The Contemporary Film | 3 |
| ENFL 357 | American Film to 1945 | 3 |
| ENFL 358 | American Film 1945 to the Present | 3 |
| ENFL 365 | Gender and Sexuality in Film | 3 |
| ENFL 370 | Class, Race and Ethnicity in Film | 3 |
| ENFL 410 | Advanced Screenwriting | 3 |
| ENFL 496 | Seminar in Film | 3 |
| ENGL 210 | Myth and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 110 | Introduction to Literature: The Analytic Essay | 3 |
| ENGL 111 | Introduction to Literature: The Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL 113 | Introduction to Literature: Bestsellers and Popular Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 114 | Introduction to Literature: Utopian and Dystopian Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 116 | World Literature: The Coming of Age Theme | 3 |
| ENGL 117 | World Literature: Voices of Tradition and Challenge | 3 |
| ENGL 227 | Queer Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 228 | American Literature I: Beginnings to 1890 | 3 |
| ENGL 229 | American Literature II: 1890 to Present | 3 |
| ENGL 230 | Images of Muslim Women in Twentieth Century Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 234 | American Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 237 | Black Women Writers: US | 3 |
| ENGL 238 | Black Writers in the United States: A Survey | 3 |
| ENGL 239 | Social Protest Literature in America | 3 |
| ENGL 240 | English Literature I: Beginnings to 1660 | 3 |
| ENGL 241 | English Literature II: 1660 to Present | 3 |
| ENGL 243 | King Arthur and Arthurian Literature in Medieval England | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Special Topics in English or American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 252 | Special Topics in Comparative Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 255 | The Golden Age of Children's Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 256 | English Novel to 1900 | 3 |
| ENGL 260 | Art of Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 262 | Art of Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 263 | Art of Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 274 | Contemporary U.S. Literature of Immigration | 3 |
| ENGL 275 | Vietnam War and American Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 278 | Survey of Brazilian Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 284 | The English Language | 3 |
| ENGL 294 | Women Poets | 3 |
| ENGL 301 | The Novels of Toni Morrison | 3 |
| ENGL 305 | Young Adult Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 308 | Gender and Sexuality in Asian American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 315 | American Indian Themes | 3 |
| ENGL 316 | African, Asian and Caribbean Literature in English | 3 |
| ENGL 324 | American Poetry to 1940 | 3 |
| ENGL 325 | American Poetry: World War II to Present | 3 |
| ENGL 326 | Early American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 330 | Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 333 | Literature of American Renaissance | 3 |
| ENGL 334 | European Romanticism | 3 |
| ENGL 335 | Contemporary Irish Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 336 | American Literary Realism | 3 |
| ENGL 337 | Modern American Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 338 | Recent American Fiction 1990 to Present | 3 |
| ENGL 339 | Postwar American Fiction 1945-1990 | 3 |
| ENGL 340 | Literature of the Enlightenment Era | 3 |
| ENGL 341 | Literature of the Long Eighteenth Century | 3 |
| ENGL 342 | From Sensibility to Romanticism | 3 |
| ENGL 343 | Milton | 3 |
| ENGL 344 | Chaucer | 3 |
| ENGL 345 | Medieval English Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 346 | 19th Century English Romantic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 347 | Victorian Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 348 | Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 349 | Victorian Popular Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 350 | The Victorian Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 351 | Nineteenth-Century British Non-Fiction Prose | 3 |
| ENGL 352 | English Drama: Beginnings to 1642 | 3 |
| ENGL 353 | Shakespeare: Comedies-Histories | 3 |
| ENGL 354 | Shakespeare: Tragedies-Romances | 3 |
| ENGL 356 | Modern British Fiction 1900-1945 | 3 |
| ENGL 357 | Postwar British Fiction 1946-1990 | 3 |
| ENGL 358 | Recent British Fiction 1990-Present | 3 |
| ENGL 359 | James Joyce | 3 |
| ENGL 360 | Irish Literary Revival: 1890-1939 | 3 |
| ENGL 361 | Modern Irish Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 363 | Modern Poetry to T.S. Eliot | 3 |
| ENGL 364 | Contemporary Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 366 | African Myth and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 367 | Contemporary African Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 370 | English Independent Study I | 2-3 |
| ENGL 371 | English Independent Study II | 2-3 |
| ENGL 372 | Women Prose Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 373 | Literary Modernism | 3 |
| ENGL 374 | Contemporary European Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 375 | Modern Drama: Ibsen to O'Neill | 3 |
| ENGL 376 | Modern European Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 377 | Speculative Fiction: Fantasy | 3 |
| ENGL 378 | Science Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 381 | Comic and Satiric Tradition | 3 |
| ENGL 398 | Autobiography | 3 |
| ENGL 384 | The Grammars of English | 3 |
| ENGL 401 | Old English Language and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 444 | 17th Century English Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 455 | Restoration and 18th Century Drama | 3 |
| ENGL 492 | Seminar in Comparative Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 493 | Seminar in American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 494 | Seminar in English Literature | 3 |
| ENWR 205 | Creative Nonfiction | 3 |
| ENWR 212 | Introduction to Poetry Writing | 3 |
| ENWR 213 | Introduction to Fiction Writing | 3 |
| ENWR 215 | Beginning Drama Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 250 | Special Topics in Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENWR 301 | Cooperative Education (English) | 4-8 |
| ENWR 311 | Intermediate Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 312 | Intermediate Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 318 | Intermediate Drama Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 371 | Teaching Writing in the Public Schools | 3 |
| ENWR 385 | Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing | 3 |
| ENWR 411 | Advanced Fiction Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 412 | Advanced Poetry Workshop | 3 |
| ENWR 491 | Seminar in Creative Writing | 3 |
| JOUR 216 | History of Journalism in America | 3 |
| LNGN 220 | Structure of American English | 3 |
| LNGN 230 | Language in Society | 3 |
| LNGN 284 | History of the English Language | 3 |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Mathematics course. | 3 | |
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course. | 4 | |
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete EDFD 200 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course. | 3 | |
| Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete SASE 210 as part of the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Total Credits | 42 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses. | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3-9 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GNED 199 | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION (C2) Literature - ENGL110, ENGL 111, or ENGL 114 | 3 |
| WRIT 105 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences - ENGL 116 or ENGL 117 | 3 |
| CMST 101 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (D) Fine and Performing Arts (ENFL 208 recommended) | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (G) Computer Science | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (H) Mathematics | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (K1) Social Science – American and European History | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (K3) Social Science – Social Science Perspectives | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| World Cultures - ENGL 237, ENGL 238, ENGL 274, or ENGL 294 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (I) Natural Science Laboratory | 4 |
| World Languages 1 | 3 | World Languages 2 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives (ENGL 230 if offered) | 3 | English Major course: post-1900 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (L) Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| English Major course: pre-1900 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 300 | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION (J) Physical Education | 1 |
| English Major Course: pre-1800 | 3 | English major course: pre-1700 | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | English major course: any period, 300-level | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| English Major course: 300 or 400 level | 3 | English Major course: 300 or 400 level | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||