BA in English
Naperville, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 42,866 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* tuition fee
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Why pursue an English degree at North Central College?
The English department encourages and develops students’ potential as readers and writers, creators, and critics. With a shared goal of practicing and refining close-reading skills, together students and faculty explore the varied and changing worlds of fiction, essays, poetry, drama, film, and language itself. Students in English —thus solidly based in literature, writing, and language, cross borders of geography, history, and genre, creating and responding — on paper and on-screen -- to a variety of texts in verbal and visual modes. With the added experience in the department’s literary and humor magazines, college newspaper, focused independent studies, internships, and honor society, English students are well prepared for graduate work in many fields and for careers in business, teaching, and law.
You can also:
- Earn an optional upper-level concentration in writing or literature.
- Work toward your teaching license by also majoring in secondary education.
- Gain practical experience in student-run publications (newspaper, humor magazine, journal of creative writing).
- Join the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society and participate in nationwide undergraduate conferences and local social and service activities.
- Combine English with other majors, such as political science or business, to prepare for graduate or law school or business careers.
- Conduct independent research requiring travel or special resources, and present your results at local and national academic conferences with the support of a Richter Grant.
Curriculum
English Education, BA
Major Requirements
- ENGL 124 - Young Adult Fiction
- ENGL 200 - Gateway: Introduction to English
- ENGL 204 - Literature and Culture of the Long 18th Century
- ENGL 214 - Graphic Narratives
- ENGL 222 - Global Literature/Postcolonial Literature
- ENGL 272 - English Grammar, Usage, and Style
- ENGL 274 - English Language Arts
- ENGL 302 - Shakespeare and His Contemporaries
- ENGL 312 - Multimedia Authoring
- ENGL 332 - Multicultural American Literature
- ENGL 404 - The Novel Across Time
- ENGL 492 - Capstone Seminar in English
Second Major
English Education majors must also complete a major in Secondary Education or Education Studies. Students seeking teacher licensure must complete the Secondary Education major.
Additional Requirements for the BA Degree
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language.
Writing, BA
The English Writing Major is a comprehensive plan of study offering a diverse range of courses. Students may seek proficiencies across five distinct genres: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, or rhetoric. By carefully calibrating coursework from 100-levels through a senior capstone writing project, students will be well-prepared for a variety of professional opportunities. Writing majors participate in either the College literary magazine, 30 North, the humor magazine, The Kindling, or the College newspaper, The Chronicle, gaining leadership as editors and practical new media skills. Internships are encouraged for real-world experience.
Writing majors find work in publishing, the law, corporate and non-profit settings, teaching, the arts, and many other fields that seek persons trained to ask powerful questions, research and organize complex information, and synthesize that information with careful attention to detail. A B.A. in English Writing fosters a citizen-critic concerned for what is ethical, inclusive, and humane in public and private spheres.
Career Opportunities
A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work globally to solve problems and lead.
Internships
Current students and recent graduates in English have secured internships in:
- Journalism
- Technology
- Podcasting
- Social Media
- Non-profits
- Literary magazines
- Digital Media
- Television Production
- Media Relations
- Marketing
- Grant Writing
Recent graduates in English include:
- Director of marketing and communications, American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, Chicago
- Art gallery owner, Arnould Gallery, Marblehead, MA
- Assistant professor of English with an emphasis on digital literacy, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
- High school teacher at East Aurora High School
- Administrator for The Center for Cultural Exchange
- Lawyer at Raymond G. Wigell, Ltd.
- Senior Associate Defense Attorney
- Director of Development, TriCity Family Services
- Associate Director of Writing Center and Lecturer, University of Kansas
- Advocacy Assistant, Prairie State Legal Services
- Principal, Brand Partner at Intention
- Global Manager, Content and Marketing Campaigns, Videojet
- Managing editor for John Wiley and Sons Publishers
- Youth Librarian, Glen Ellyn Public Library
- Associate Editor, Neighborhoods.com
- Senior Entertainment Relations Officer, Oxfam America
- International Services Coordinator, UIC
Admissions
English Language Requirements
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