English Major Requirements
Complete these required courses for an English degree.
Required 120 credits (36 of which must be numbered 300 or above, and 30 of which must be from UND) including:
I. Essential Studies Requirements (see University ES listing).
II. The Following Curriculum:
Major Requirements—36 credits, 20 of which must be at the 300- or 400-level. The following courses are required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 271 | Reading and Writing about Texts | 3 |
| ENGL 272 | Introduction to Literary Criticism | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 6 | |
ENGL 301 & ENGL 302 | Survey of English Literature I and Survey of English Literature II | |
ENGL 303 & ENGL 304 | Survey of American Literature and Survey of American Literature | |
| Select one of the following courses that focus on an earlier (pre-1900) historical period (other courses may also count, depending upon content): | 3 | |
ENGL 241 | World Literature I | |
ENGL 301 | Survey of English Literature I (in addition to 303-304) | |
ENGL 303 | Survey of American Literature (in addition to 301-302) | |
ENGL 315 | Shakespeare | |
ENGL 410 | Studies in Literary Periods (when topic is appropriate; consult your adviser) | |
ENGL 415 | Seminar in Literature (when topic is appropriate; consult your adviser) | |
| Select two 400-level courses, one of which must be ENGL 415 * | ||
| Level II (two semesters) proficiency in a language other than English. | ||
- *
400-level courses require students to develop and complete significant independent research, writing, and/or professional projects.
Majors may complete the remaining English credits in any way they wish, with two stipulations:
- ENGL 423 Methods/Materials for Teaching Middle/Secondary English, the methods course for English Education majors, may not count towards the English major.
- Twenty credits of English major coursework must be at the 300/400 level.
The English Department encourages majors to take an active role in choosing courses that develop their individual interests and capacities. To help majors tailor course choices to specific interests, here are three sample plans that may help in designing a program of study beyond the major requirements:
Scenario One: You are interested in writing and publishing. Include courses from this list:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 226 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 306 | Creative Writing: Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 308 | The Art of Writing Nonfiction | 3 |
| ENGL 408 | Advanced Public and Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 413 | The Art of Writing: Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 414 | The Art of Writing: Fiction | 3 |
You may also consider pursuing a Certificate in Writing and Editing or taking any of the courses included in the Certificate:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 234 | Introduction to Writing, Editing, and Publishing | 3 |
| ENGL 334 | Practicum in Writing, Editing, and Publishing | 3 |
| ENGL 408 | Advanced Public and Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 428 | Digital Humanities | 3 |
Scenario Two : You would like to focus on linguistics (the study of language, including teaching English as a second language, computer languages, translation, etc.) Include courses from this list:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 209 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 309 | Modern Grammar | 3 |
| ENGL 370 | Language and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 418 | Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGL 419 | Teaching English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ENGL 442 | History of the English Language | 3 |
Note: Students considering graduate work in language and linguistics are urged to study more than one foreign language.
Scenario Three: You are considering attending graduate school in English, in another discipline, or law school. Include courses from this list:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 372 | Literary Theory (topics rotate and may be repeated with different topics) | 3 |
| ENGL 410 | Studies in Literary Periods (Advanced study in particular genres or periods (topics rotate and may be repeated with different topics ) | 3 |
| ENGL 415 | Seminar in Literature (topics rotate and may be repeated with different topics) | 3 |
Teacher Licensure
Through a partnership with the College of Education and Human Development, and the Department of Teaching and Learning, students may seek secondary licensure in English. The following program of study must be completed:
I. The English major (described above), including level-II proficiency (two semesters) in a foreign language , 3 hours of speech, and 3 hours of developmental reading (T&L 416 Adolescent Literacy Development). (For Middle School licensure, 6 hours of developmental reading are required, including T&L 409 Reading in the Content Areas.) ENGL 423 Methods/Materials for Teaching Middle/Secondary English does not count toward the 36-hour English major.
Students are advised to create a major in which courses that satisfy the demands of a career in secondary teaching are balanced against the broader range of courses offered by the Department.
Required in the major:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 309 | Modern Grammar | 3 |
| ENGL 359 | Young Adult Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 308 | The Art of Writing Nonfiction | 3 |
| or ENGL 408 | Advanced Public and Professional Writing | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Recommended in the major:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 209 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 301 | Survey of English Literature I | 3 |
| ENGL 302 | Survey of English Literature II | 3 |
| ENGL 303 | Survey of American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 304 | Survey of American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 315 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENGL 357 | Women Writers and Readers | 3 |
| ENGL 365 | Black American Writers | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
II. Admission to the Secondary Program, normally while taking T&L 250 Introduction to Education. (See College of Education and Human Development for admission and licensing requirements).
III. The Program in Secondary Education, to include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| T&L 319 | Integrating Diverse Needs in Educational Settings | 3 |
| T&L 339 | Educational Technology | 2 |
| T&L 345 | Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment | 3 |
| T&L 350 | Development and Education of the Adolescent | 3 |
| T&L 416 | Adolescent Literacy Development | 3 |
| ENGL 423 | Methods/Materials for Teaching Middle/Secondary English (spring only) | 3 |
| T&L 432 | Learning Environments | 3 |
| T&L 433 | Multicultural Education | 3 |
| T&L 486 | Field Experience * | 1-4 |
| T&L 487 | Student Teaching | 4-16 |
| T&L 488 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
| Total Credits | 29-44 | |
- *
taken concurrently with ENGL 423 Methods/Materials for Teaching Middle/Secondary English; 60 hours per semester
English majors seeking secondary licensure must have an adviser in both the English Department and the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Students planning to teach in Minnesota are required to take coursework in Middle Level Education; consult Teaching & Learning advisers for more information.
IV. Optional
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| T&L 386 | Field Experience | 1 |
| T&L 390 | Special Topics | 1-3 |
| Total Credits | 2-4 | |
English Major Requirements Disclaimer
The requirements on this page are pulled from UND’s academic catalog and may not reflect future terms. Updates are published annually in April.
General Education Courses
Essential Studies (ES) is UND’s program in general education. Along with your required major courses, it helps form the core of your UND undergraduate education. Your ES courses focus on essential skills employers require including communication, critical thinking and problem solving.
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