English - B.A. Download to print

The Bachelor of Arts in English allows students to focus on topics of personal interest while developing a broad background in English studies. All students take core classes, surveying English and American literatures and approaches to literary study. They also choose from a wide variety of elective courses in three areas (historical; writing and language studies; and genre, cultural studies and literary theory) and complete a capstone senior seminar. English majors can participate in the English Club and Sigma Tau Delta and earn various scholarships and awards.

This program prepares students for careers in professional writing, editing, publishing, public relations, and teaching, as well as for graduate and professional studies in language, literature, education, law, and communications.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Authors, writers and editors held about 244,400 jobs, in 2012. Writers and authors held about 124,100 jobs, and editors held about 115,300 jobs. About 70 percent of writers and authors were self-employed, while 12 percent of editors were self-employed.

Among the 30 percent of salaried writers and authors, about half work in the professional, scientific, and technical services and in publishing (except Internet) industries. These industries include advertising, public relations and related services, and newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers, respectively. Other salaried writers and authors work in broadcasting, professional and social organizations, and the motion picture and video industries.

While 48 percent of salaried editors worked in the publishing, except Internet industry (half of those for newspapers), a large number of editors were also employed in other industries. Business, professional and social organizations, information services, and educational institutions employed editors to work on their publications or Web content.

Jobs are somewhat concentrated in major media and entertainment markets—Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC—but improved communications and Internet capabilities allow writers to work from almost anywhere. Many prefer to work outside these cities and travel regularly to meet with publishers and clients and to do research or conduct interviews in person. As a result, job location is less of a requirement for many writing or editing positions than it once was.

General Admissions for Freshman Students: Admission Requirements at the Kent Campus: The freshman admission policy at the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon the following: cumulative grade point average, ACT and/or SAT scores, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends.

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago. For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.

For more information about admission criteria for transfer, transitioning and former students, please visit the admissions website.

Minimum 120 total credit hours and 42 upper-division credit hours. Minimum 2.000 overall GPA and 2.000 major GPA.

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate achievement of specialized knowledge/skills in three distribution categories: 1) Historical Courses, 2) Genre, Cultural, and Literary Theory Studies, and 3) Writing and Language Studies. The major includes required courses 1) in two historic periods, 2) a continuation of genre, cultural and literary theory courses, and 3) courses in both writing AND language studies. In addition, ENG 24001 Introduction to Literary Studies provides broad-based knowledge and literacy skills focused on literary study.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of research tools and methods in the field of English Studies, including a course at the sophomore level to introduce students to research tools of the discipline (ENG 24001 Introduction to Literary Study).
3. Demonstrate reading skills that emphasize careful, analytical, and critical thought are taught throughout the curriculum.
4. Demonstrate ability to produce literary and non-literary texts with attention to academic conventions regarding format, documentation, style, etc.
5. Demonstrate ability to read and understand a variety of critical theories and apply these to the study of literature.
6. Demonstrate ability to write, with a special emphasis on interpretive and evaluative writing about texts in a variety of critical formats.
7. Demonstrate the ability to complete a long written project (5000-7000 words) in Senior Seminar. Demonstrating the application of appropriate critical approaches, the mastery of basic literary research methods, and an awareness of rhetorical context and discourse functions.

Capstone Senior Seminar