Department of English

English Major Options - Prior to Fall 2005

English Major Options - Fall 2005 and later

Options for completing Honors in the Major

Certificate available

General English Literature Major

Completion of this major requires a minimum of 31 credits earned in at least 10 intermediate or advanced courses. All students must take English 215, 216 and 217 and must complete one of these courses in the four credit format. The fourth credit is a writing-intensive workshop focusing on drafts and revisions of papers required by the course. All other core courses are taken for 3 credits. Click on the outline of course requirements to see which courses fulfill each of the requirements in the major. The requirements and courses are distributed as follows:

English Major with an Emphasis in Creative Writing

Students with a particular interest in creative writing (see also the Creative Writing section on this website) can choose to earn an English major with an emphasis on creative writing. These students combine a background in literature with a concentration of courses in writing fiction or poetry.

The English Major with an Emphasis on Creative Writing requires a minimum of 31 credits earned in at least 10 intermediate or advanced courses. All students are required to take English 215, 216 and 217 and must also complete one of these courses in the four credit format. The fourth credit is a writing-intensive workshop focusing on drafts and revisions of papers required by the course. Click on the outline of course requirements to see which courses fulfil each of the requirements in the major. The requirements and courses are distributed as follows:

The prerequisites for English 300-307 vary. Please consult the Timetable. Students who have taken no prior creative writing workshops, or find the courses to be closed, should apply for admission by submitting a writing sample (5-10 pp. of prose, 3-5 pp. of poetry) to the Program Coordinator on the last Monday of classes in the semester prior to that in which the student wishes to be enrolled.

Upon completion of three 300-level workshops, an English Major may register for English 695 (Directed Thesis) and graduation with a Creative Writing Emphasis in the major.

English Major with an Emphasis in Language and Linguistics

A major emphasis on language and linguistics is available to students who wish to combine a background in literature with a concentration of courses in the history and structure of the English language. In this option students who seek to emphasize language and linguistics in their major curriculum take the core English major curriculum and then select additional courses from the language and linguistics offerings, including Old English, Middle English.

Completion of this major requires a minimum of 31 credits earned in at least 10 intermediate or advanced courses. All students must take English 215, 216 and 217 and must also take one of these courses in the four credit format. The fourth credit is a writing-intensive workshop focusing on drafts and revisions of papers required by the course. All other core courses are taken for 3 credits. This emphasis allows students to select one of two options to complete their curriculum, either the Historical Emphasis or the English Linguistics Emphasis. Click on the outline of course requirements to see which courses fulfil each of the requirements in the major. The requirements and courses are distributed as follows:

English Literature Major with Honors

Students wishing to earn honors in the major should consult the adviser regarding the honors requirements and application procedure. To earn honors in the major a minimum of 31 credits in the curriculum is required. In general, honors students are encouraged to enroll in courses offered for honors credit whenever possible, but should note that they are required to take at least one non-honors course in the curriculum for honors credit. Click on the outline of course requirements to see which courses fulfil each of the requirements in the major. The following are required:

Creative Writing Emphasis with Honors

Students who wish to earn honors in the major with an emphasis in Creative Writing should consult the adviser regarding the honors requirements and application procedure. Click on the outline of course requirements to see which courses fulfil each of the requirements in the major. To earn honors in the creative writing major the following courses are required:

Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language

A Certificate in TESOL is offered to undergraduate, graduate or Special students (who have completed an undergraduate degree) who wish to teach English as a foreign or second language, normally in positions abroad. The student must: complete a 21-credit program of prescribed upper-division courses, including a practicum, with a minimum GPA of 3.25; have satisfactorily completed at least four college-level terms (or the equivalent) of a modern foreign language, including its spoken form (if a native speaker of English); and demonstrate the ability to speak and write English at a level commensurate with the role of language model.

This certificate records a course of study at UW-Madison; it is not necessarily equivalent to professional certification by other bodies, such as the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

See the Program in English as a Second Language website for further details.

(rev. 10/2005)


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