Electives, Free and Otherwise

The English major requires seven courses beyond the core. Some of these, of course, must be Advanced Seminars, and at least one must be the Junior Research Seminar (English 4950-4998).  

Your concentration will determine the number of free electives that you need. Courses listed as free electives may only be counted once towards the Major.

For the General Curriculum, then, the formula is pretty simple. You must take six core courses, one Junior Research Seminar, four Advanced Seminars, and a number of free electives that will bring your total of separate and distinct courses to 13 credits. For Majors with Concentrations, the formula is different, and students should discuss with their advisors the number of free electives that they will need. Because the requirements are different for Creative Writing and Cinema Studies, it's best to look to the specific requirements of your particular track of the major.

If you have questions, visit your Faculty Advisor, the Undergraduate Chair, or the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Courses Outside of English

With the approval of your Faculty Advisor (or the Undergraduate Chair or Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies) you may count up to two courses outside of English towards the major. Courses in Linguistics and in Foreign Literatures not in English always count; in the case of Foreign Literatures, however, your courses must be 5th-semester proficiency or higher.

Beyond these courses it will depend on whether you have chosen a Concentration. For example, a student who has chosen to concentrate in Medieval and Renaissance Literature may count a course in Renaissance Art History toward the English Major. Similarly, a Literature, Journalism, and Print Culture concentrator may count a number of media and communications courses. To see which outside courses count in a given concentration, see the List of Concentrations.