Literature Major (B.A.)
English courses emphasize the close reading of texts, the study of particular authors and genres, questions of critical theory and method, and the relationship of literary works to their historical periods and other disciplines. The department seeks not only to foster analytical reading and lucid writing but also to stimulate thought about the nature of human experience. In order to be servant leaders, students must be articulate, they must be able to think critically and analytically, and they must have a grounding in humane thought and letters to understand better the historical and philosophical contexts of today’s world.
Apart from such global rewards of studying literature, a degree in English-language literature offers intensive training in skills essential to the contemporary job market. Graduates of Seton Hall University’s English program have gone on to graduate programs and to successful careers in writing and editing, publishing, teaching, law, business and media.
In addition to the literature major, the creative writing major, and the writing major, the department also offers a literature minor, a writing minor, and a creative writing minor, each 18 credits and available to students of any major. At the graduate level, the Department of English offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) designed for present or prospective teachers of English on the secondary or college level, for students contemplating the Ph.D., for those interested in creative writing, and for those already involved in careers in publishing, business, writing or media. English majors who qualify for the Dual Degree B.A./M.A. program in English can complete the M.A. degree in one year beyond their B.A. See description below.
English Departmental Honors
English majors and creative writing majors may qualify for departmental honors by fulfilling the following criteria:
- maintain a 3.33 GPA in the major.
- take an additional six credits in advanced electives, for a total of 42 credits, to complete the English major with honors.
- receive "pass with honors" on the English major assessment portfolio.
- inclusion of senior thesis (from ENGL 5011 Senior Seminar for Literature or ENGL 5012 Senior Sem - Creative Writing) in the assessment portfolio (in addition to two revised papers, see below). Writing majors must include an additional elective paper.
English Major Portfolio Assessment
English majors and creative writing majors should begin keeping an assessment portfolio as soon as they declare their major. The assessment portfolio is to be submitted on Sharepoint in their final semester. Portfolios are reviewed by a rotating committee of Department of English faculty. The grading system is pass/fail and appears on the student’s transcript. "Pass with honors" is reserved for English departmental honors students. The assessment portfolio should include:
- two research papers reflecting the student’s best work in the English major from two of the advanced elective categories;
- a written self-assessment (criteria can be found in Sharepoint); and
- the senior seminar paper if graduating with English honors.
Writing majors graduating with English honors must include an additional elective paper.
Major Requirements
To declare an English major, students must have a 2.5 minimum GPA in ENGL 1201 Core English I and ENGL 1202 Core English II, or gain permission of the Chair of the Department of English. Core English I and II are prerequisites for all advanced English courses.
Note: ENGL 2103 American Literature I and ENGL 2104 American Literature II can be used toward the Humanities requirement of the College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum as well as the requirements of the English major.
Link to College Core requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Requirements | ||
| ENGL 2103 & ENGL 2104 | American Literature I and American Literature II | 6 |
| ENGL 2111 & ENGL 2112 | British Literature I and British Literature II | 6 |
| ENGL 2204 | Introduction to Literary Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 2205 | Literary Genres and Precedents | 3 |
| Advanced Requirements | ||
| ENGL 5011 | Senior Seminar for Literature | 3 |
| Select one course in each of five categories: | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
British (pre-1800)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 2212 | Renaissance Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3211 | Medieval Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3311 | Chaucer | 3 |
| ENGL 3312 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENGL 3417 | The Drama in Great Britain I | 3 |
| ENGL 3415 | The British Novel I | 3 |
| ENGL 3523 | Race-Gender-Empire Brit Atlant | 3 |
British (post-1800)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 3216 | Victorian Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3304 | Irish Short Story | 3 |
| ENGL 3314 | Irish Lit:Celtic Revival- Pres | 3 |
| ENGL 3318 | VA Woolf and the Bloomsbury Gr | 3 |
| ENGL 3381 | Faith Doubt 19th Cent Br Lit | 3 |
| ENGL 3416 | The British Novel II | 3 |
| ENGL 3418 | British Novel III | 3 |
| ENGL 3524 | British Gothic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3215 | Romantic Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3217 | Modern British Literature | 3 |
American
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 3319 | Representation Body Early Amer | 3 |
| ENGL 3320 | American Renaissance | 3 |
| ENGL 3321 | American Realism | 3 |
| ENGL 3322 | American Modernism | 3 |
| ENGL 3419 | The Social Novel in America | 3 |
| ENGL 3420 | Modern American Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 3425 | The City - American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3613 | Early African-Amer Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3614 | Modern African-American Lit | 3 |
| ENGL 3615 | Major Authors in Afr-Amer Lit | 3 |
| ENGL 3617 | Lit of Harlem Renaissance | 3 |
| ENGL 4408 | Spcl Topic American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3517 | The American Novel I | 3 |
| ENGL 3518 | American Novel II | 3 |
Thematic/Comparative
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 3113 | Women and Literature I | 3 |
| ENGL 3114 | Women and Literature II | 3 |
| ENGL 3115 | Literature of Adolescence | 3 |
| ENGL 3116 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3370 | Illness and Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3371 | Fantasy-Faith British Lit | 3 |
| ENGL 3426 | Literature and Nature | 3 |
| ENGL 3432 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3414 | Contemporary Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 3430 | Satire | 3 |
| ENGL 3431 | Immigr Post-Col Women Writers | 3 |
| ENGL 3516 | Contemporary Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 4412 | Sp Top Them-Comp Lit Studies I | 3 |
| ENGL 3404 | U.S. Latina/Latino Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3612 | Classical Mythology | 3 |
| ENGL 3611 | Greek-Latin Roots of English | 3 |
| ENGL 3616 | Contemporary African Lit. | 3 |
| ENGL 2618 | Africana Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3201 | City in British Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 3210 | Literature of the Americas | 3 |
Writing
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 2509 | Introduction to Fiction Wrtng | 3 |
| ENGL 2510 | Introduction to Poetry Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 2511 | Introduction to Creative Writing I | 3 |
| ENGL 2512 | Creative Writing-Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 2513 | Creative Writing-Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 2514 | Writing Workshop: Research and Analysis | 3 |
| ENGL 2515 | Writing Workshop: Creative Non-Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 2516 | Business Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 2519 | Writing Across the Disciplines | 3 |
| ENGL 3511 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 3513 | Writing for Professions | 3 |
| ENGL 3514 | Scientific and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3515 | Composition Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ENGL 3521 | Craft of Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 3522 | Craft of Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 3621 | Advanced Fiction Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3622 | Advanced Poetry Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3623 | Spiritual Writing - Nonfiction | 3 |
| ENGL 4414 | Special Topics in Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 4415 | Special Topics in Writing II | 3 |
| ENGL 4420 | Travel Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 4425 | Business Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 3620 | History of the English Lang. | 3 |
Note: Double majors in English and education should take the following courses for nine of the 15 credits in upper-level electives:
- for British pre-1800: ENGL 3312 Shakespeare
- for Thematic/Comparative: ENGL 3115 Literature of Adolescence or ENGL 3116 Children's Literature
- for Writing: ENGL 3620 History of the English Lang.
- English/education double majors are also advised to take three more credits in advanced writing as a general elective.
Successful completion of a Department of English version of a Core "Engaging the World" class will count as a literature elective as well as toward the University Core.
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