Bachelor of Arts in English

Rutgers University-Newark boasts one of the country's most respected English Departments, with an target="_blank">-External.

Students with interest in literature and writing can study English and American literature, exploring within specialized periods such as the Renaissance or the 19th Century or concentrate on genre courses in fiction, poetry, or drama, or single author courses such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Joyce.

Students choosing to study world literature in translation can take courses in African, Caribbean, and Asian literature in English. Our department offers courses that intersect with Women's and Gender Studies, LGBT Studies, Film Studies, and African-American and African History. There are also opportunities to learn creative writing (prose and poetry), business writing, and writing for the Internet and computers.

The English major invites students to choose courses from a wide array of English, American, and Anglophone literature. Courses appear under 350 (English) and 352 (American). The major consists of 12 courses of 36 credits. In compiling these credits, students may include two 200-level courses, and they may include two creative writing courses.

There are two required courses:

21:350:308 Foundations of Literary Study (3)

21:350:321 Survey of English Literature (3)

In choosing their other courses, students need to meet the following breadth requirements:

A pre-1800 course

A pre-1900 course

A post-1900 course

An author(s) course

A 400-level seminar

The 400-level seminar, intended as a capstone experience, may simultaneously satisfy one of the other requirements.

After declaring the major, students should meet with an adviser each semester to discuss their course selections.