English, BALAS
for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English
In an age when information is everywhere, the real challenge is knowing what questions to ask—and how to evaluate the answers. The English major develops precisely these capacities. Students learn to cultivate imagination, analyze texts and contexts critically, and understand how meaning shifts depending on perspective and framing. They gain facility with language as a creative and analytical tool, strengthening their ability to craft persuasive arguments and communicate with clarity, nuance, and impact.
Coursework spans eight centuries of literature and media, from novels, poems, and films to video games, digital texts, and emerging genres. Students explore topics as varied as Afrofuturism, lexicography, and linguistic change, while engaging interdisciplinary connections to history, philosophy, music, science, art, law, and technology.
Above all, studying English fosters independence of mind and a strong individual voice. Through sustained practice in reading and writing, students develop interpretive insight, creative and critical thinking, self-awareness, and sensitivity to audience. These skills empower graduates to adapt, innovate, and pursue fulfilling careers across a wide range of fields.
Undergraduate Degree Programs in English
Majors:
- English, BALAS with concentrations:
- Creative Writing, BALAS
Departmental Distinction: Students interested in graduating with distinction or high distinction are encouraged to consult the departmental honors adviser. In addition, students interested in the departmental honors program should contact the English department advising office.
for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English
- Capacity to understand and interpret multimodal texts by using a variety of methods including close reading, genre theory, and formal and rhetorical analysis.
- Capacity to understand multimodal texts in a variety of contexts, including cultural, historical, philosophical, and theoretical ones. Ability to understand texts in relation to diachronic processes, including histories of literature, genre, culture, or media.
- Ability to create clear, focused, rigorous, and well-supported arguments that demonstrate awareness of audience.
- Ability to develop research questions, to carry out research into primary and secondary sources, and to smoothly integrate these findings into student work, such as presentations and essays.
- Capacity to understand the ways in which forms of difference (including racial, ethnic, gendered, sexual) inform the production and reception of multimodal texts.
for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English