Bachelor of Arts
The English program offers courses in the study of literature, in the production of various kinds of writing, and in the analysis of language. Students who choose to major in English will take courses in all three areas, thereby encompassing both breadth and depth. The latitude offered in the distribution of the required credit hours will enable students to place their desired emphasis upon any of these three areas. English majors on the General Studies track are required to complete 40 semester hours in English coursework. English majors on the Secondary Education track are required to take 38 hours in English coursework.
In literature courses, students will pay special attention to the form and language of literary works in several genres; they will study the relationships among works written during major periods of literature; and they will explore the ways in which works of literature are related to other cultural products with which they share these periods.
In writing and language courses, students will study the structure, history, and functions of the English language. Depending upon their needs and interests, they will also learn about, and gain proficiency in, several of the major forms of writing practiced both in and outside of the university curriculum.
Successful completion of the English major will require large quantities of reading and writing; both of these activities will in turn require close, critical thinking, and reasoned assessment. The knowledge acquired and the skills developed through these activities will equip students for a variety of career paths: teaching, law, library sciences, publishing, editing, journalism, technical writing—indeed, any profession whose pursuit involves written communication and the careful reading of what others have written. More important, this knowledge and these skills will provide resources for a lifetime of reflection and productive participation in a diverse, dynamic, continually evolving culture.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| ENG-2420 | American Literature I, 1500-1865 | 4 |
| or ENG-2430 | American Literature II, 1865-Present | |
| ENG-2520 | British Literature I | 4 |
| or ENG-2530 | British Literature II | |
| ENG-2260 | Critical Approaches to Literature | 4 |
| ENG-4990 | Senior Seminar in English | 4 |
| General Studies Emphasis 1 | ||
| Internship | ||
| ENG-3940 | English Internship | 4 |
| Language Course | ||
| Select 4 semester hours of the following: | 4 | |
| Linguistics | ||
| Grammar | ||
| Stylistics | ||
| Language, Literacy, and Cognition | ||
| Advanced Writing Course | ||
| Select 4 semester hours of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Advanced Academic Writing | ||
| Selected Topics in Writing | ||
| Selected Courses | ||
| Select 12 semester hours of the following: | 12 | |
| Survey of African-American Literature | ||
| Poetry | ||
| Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature | ||
| Novel | ||
| Literature and the Environment | ||
| Fiction Writing | ||
| The Harlem Renaissance | ||
| Poetry Writing | ||
| Contemporary World Literature | ||
| Gender and Literature | ||
| Race and Literature | ||
| Selected Topic in English | ||
| Advanced Creative Writing | ||
| Creative Nonfiction | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
- 1
Select at least 12 hours at the 3000-level
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
A student who graduates from Aurora University with a baccalaureate degree will have met the following requirements:
- Completion of all requirements for an approved major (with no grades lower than “C”).
- Overall completion of at least 120 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a course may be utilized only once in application toward a degree requirement, unless otherwise noted in the academic regulations). The 120 semester hours of coursework must include:
- At least 52 semester hours completed at a senior college.
- Residency Requirement - At least 30 semester hours completed at Aurora University, including the last 24 semester hours in the degree, and including at least 18 semester hours in the major. (Portfolio assessment credit, life and vocational experience credit, off-campus experience credit, examination credit, participation credit, and block credit, shall not count toward the residency requirement).
- Upper-Division Requirement - A minimum of 30 semester hours numbered 3000 or above. Of these 30 semester hours, 15 semester hours must lie within the major and 15 semester hours must be completed at Aurora University.
- Completion of all General Education requirements (with no grades lower than “C”), as follows:
- Quantitative and Formal Reasoning competency requirement
- ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing
- IDS-1200 Discover What Matters or IDS-3040 Global Justice
- IDS-1150 First Year Experience - Not required for Transfer or AU Online students)
- Satisfactory participation in the junior-year mentoring and assessment process designed to guide students to successful completion of their degree and to encourage planning for next steps beyond graduation. (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II - Not required for ADC or AU Online students but may be designated electives for AU Online students admitted with fewer than 15 hours of transfer credit.)
- Distribution Requirements
Students will complete one approved course1 from each of the following categories:- Artistic Literacy
- Cultural Literacy
- Human Inquiry
- Scientific Inquiry
In addition to the above, ADC and Online students will also complete one approved course1 from the following category:
- Discovery and Reflection
- 1
Only courses that are approved to meet the distribution requirement can be used toward this requirement. See the list of approved courses for available options. Courses taken to meet distribution requirements are 4 semester hours apiece, with the following exceptions:
- An approved transfer course of at least 2.50 semester hours can be used to satisfy a distribution requirement.
- Courses with co-requisite laboratory components may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, provided that the student successfully complete both the three-credit-hour course and the single-credit-hour lab component.
Learning Outcomes
1. Understanding of canonical and non-canonical works of literature written in English
2. Understanding of the structures and uses of the English language
3. Compose successful expository, interpretive, argumentative, and research-based writing specific to the discipline of English
4. Understanding of the role that literary criticism and critical theory play in the understanding of literature and in the discipline of English