English majors are expected to develop critical thinking skills that manifest themselves abundantly in advanced reading and writing. They are expected to learn how to identify original ideas and then to develop them into a piece of effective writing. Such interests and skills should have wide applicability in the professional world outside of the University.
Admission into the Major
Students may declare a major in English online under the Student tab of myBama. Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). If students want, they can also add a concentration (a package of specific 6 upper-level electives) in Digital, Public, and Professional Writing.
Special Opportunities
Special opportunities available in the Department of English include a senior honors thesis option, the Sigma Tau Delta honors society, internships in legal and publishing arenas and with other professional organizations, the undergraduate Writers Guild, and the English Majors and Minors Association. The department also offers a concentration and a minor in Digital, Public, and Professional Writing. In addition, the department offers a number of courses and resources for students interested in public and editing, including the department's own in-house publishing house, Red Rook Press and the journal Dew Point. Contact the department for more information.
Senior Honors Thesis Option
The English Department offers students an independent thesis option in all four of its subfields: literary studies, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, and creative writing. Students with an interest in research and research-based writing and who have completed EN 396 with a minimum grade of a B can apply to enroll in EN 499. Students who complete EN 499 with a grade of an A or A- and who meet GPA standards will be awarded departmental honors for their research-based thesis. Students who wish to write a creative thesis and be eligible through this path for departmental honors should apply to enroll in EN 398 and EN 498, respectively. Students should see the English Department website or contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing for additional information.
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society, aims to promote a mastery of written expression, to encourage worthwhile reading, and to foster a spirit of fellowship among its members. Students pursuing a major in English or English education, or pursuing a minor in English or creative writing and who have at least a 3.33 GPA for 12 hours of English and at least 3.0 cumulative GPA are eligible to apply. The society, along with the department, annually makes an award to the English major with the highest overall GPA.
Students earning the bachelor of arts (BA) degree with a major in English must complete all University, College and departmental degree requirements. These include the general education requirements, the following major requirements, all requirements for an approved minor and other sufficient credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours.
Code and Title | Hours |
1 | 9 |
| Intro Creative Writing | |
| How Language Works | |
| English Literature I | |
| Honors English Literature I |
| English Literature II | |
| Honors English Literature II |
| World Literature I | |
| Honors World Literature 1 |
| World Literature II | |
| Honors World Literature II |
| American Literature | |
| Honors American Literature |
| American Literature II | |
| Honors American Literature II |
| African American Literature I | |
| Honors African American Lit I |
| African American Literature II | |
| Honors African American Lit II |
| 3 |
| Chaucer And Medieval Literatur | |
| Sixteenth Century Literature | |
| Shakespeare | |
| Seventeenth Century Literature | |
| Milton | |
| 3 |
| American Literature To 1900 | |
| British Fiction To 1900 | |
| Major Authors 1660-1900 | |
| English Lit During Enlightenmt | |
| Romantic Literature | |
| Victorian Literature | |
| 3 |
| Intro To English Studies | |
| Fiction Writing | |
| Poetry Writing | |
| Creative Nonfiction Writing | |
| Special Topics in Applied CW | |
| Forms Of Creative Writing | |
| Advanced Expository Writing | |
| Special Topics Writing | |
| Writing Across Media | |
| Writing Center Practicum | |
| Technical Writing | |
| Intro To Linguistics | |
| Essential Grammar | |
| Legal Writing | |
| Science Writing | |
| Business Writing | |
| Book and Print Design | |
| Research and Writing Seminar | |
| 18 |
| 12 |
| 6 |
| 18 |
Total Hours | 36 |
Grade Point Average
A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. The major GPA is calculated based on all courses applicable to the major that the student has attempted at UA. Please see the Grades and Grade Points section of this catalog for an explanation of grade point average calculations.
Upper-level Residency
A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be earned on this campus.
Required Minor
This major requires the completion of a minor.
Additional Major Requirements
EN 430 English Internship can be applied to the major in English. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University and College major and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be cleared for registration each semester. College advisers are also available for additional assistance with College and University minor requirements.
Digital, Public, and Professional Writing Concentration
Code and Title | Hours |
| |
| Advanced Expository Writing | |
| Special Topics Writing | |
| Writing Across Media | |
| Writing Center Practicum | |
| Technical Writing | |
| Legal Writing | |
| Science Writing | |
| Business Writing | |
| Book and Print Design | |
| |
| Intro To Linguistics | |
| Essential Grammar | |
| |
| Intro To English Studies | |
| |
| Creative Nonfiction Writing | |
| Special Topics in Applied CW | |
| Advanced Creative Writing 1 | |
| History of the Eng Lang | |
| English Internship | |
| Capstone Course: Composition-R | |
| Capstone Course: Adv St Writin | |
Courses counted towards the Major and Professional Writing Concentration cannot also count towards the English, Creative Writing, Linguistics, or Professional Writing Minors.
The career opportunities for those majoring in English are numerous. There are various opportunities for those who would like to go for graduate work and countless opportunities in the field of teaching, from elementary up through higher education and even for teaching English abroad. An English major is also a customary route for those seeking admission to law school. It is becoming an increasingly common route for admission to business or medical schools. It has always been a favorite for those employers who value advanced reading, writing, and editing skills.
Types of Jobs Accepted
Advanced reading and writing skills have led to employment in a variety of jobs. English majors often pursue graduate work in English (Penn, UCLA, Virginia, Georgetown, Cornell, North Carolina (Chapel Hill), Florida, Texas (Austin), and Toronto). Others have pursued law degrees at institutions such as Yale, Harvard, Duke, Michigan, Virginia, and Alabama. Others have gone on to receive medical degrees from such respected institutions as UAB, University of Virginia and USA. Alumni include Rhodes scholars, Mellon fellows, Fulbright scholars, published writers of considerable distinction and achievement, and even a couple of authors of best sellers.
Jobs of Experienced Alumni
Alumni include, as might be expected, countless teachers, instructors, and professors, as well as numerous writers of distinction. Alumni also include, as might not be expected, doctors, lawyers, business executives, and people of accomplishment in all walks of life.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center