Major in English
Students pursing the BA with a major in English must take ten courses offered by the Department. These courses must be numbered 3000 or above, of no fewer than three credits each, and completed with grades of “C” or better. (Note: the requirement is ten courses, not 30 hours.) Prerequisite to all 3000- and 4000-level courses are six hours of English or instructor permission. The three-hour general education requirement in English does not count toward the major. Students must take at least five of their English courses numbered 3000 or above at UF. The student is responsible for consulting an adviser and preparing a plan of study.
Majors in English may follow courses of study called models, which specify required and recommended courses. These provide a focus and coherence to each student’s coursework, and are designed to help create a rigorous and diverse plan of study.
Models
Model descriptions will open in a new browser window
- Advanced Writing
- African American/Africa Diaspora Studies
- American Literature
- British Literature
- Children’s Literature
- Creative Writing
- Cultural Studies
- Drama/Theater
- Feminisms, Genders, & Sexualities
- Film & Media Studies
- Medieval/Early Modern Studies
- Postcolonial Studies
- Studies in Theory
A student may also frame for him- or herself an individualized track not shown in this list, or one which spans several tracks. For example, a student might combine the British and the American tracks or the African American and that of Feminisms, Genders, and Sexualities, and so on. Such students should consult with faculty advisors.
Each semester the Department offers an extensive number of variable topic courses – LIT 4930 (Variable Topics), and other courses in British and American literature, Studies in Poetry and Drama, Film, and Women in Literature, etc. In addition, we offer ENG 4953, a Department Seminar with rotating topics, only for majors who have completed 9 upper-division hours. Though you might not be eligible for some offerings, these courses can extend the range of options available to you. It is extremely important, therefore, that you consult the department’s advisors and read the course descriptions provided each term on the department’s web pages.
Given the opportunities for individuals to shape their programs, students must take responsibility for their choices and decisions. All tracks, for example, indicate that an undergraduate focus should not lead to 10 courses from a single area – for example, not all from courses in American literature or in British literature. Graduate schools and future employers will find such a program too specialized. It is important, therefore, that you build a course of study that both concentrates coursework and provides a solid background in supporting areas. Prospective law students should also take note that, according to many law schools, the two most valuable kinds of undergraduate preparation are classes requring logical thinking and close readings of texts.
In developing individual programs, students whose grade point average is 3.5 or higher should also consider the benefits of taking part in the English Honors Program. Each semester the Department offers seminars (ENG 4936) for its Honors students. Enrollment in these courses is limited to 15 in order to promote the spirited interaction appropriate to the seminar setting. The topics of these courses vary each term and will either fulfill or complement the requirements of the tracks. Students interested in graduate study, law school, or other advanced degree programs will find the experience of the Honors Program invaluable.
For further information about the BA program, contact:
Dr. John Murchek
Program Assistant to the Undergraduate Coordinator
Department of English
University of Florida
P.O. Box 117310
Gainesville FL 32611-7310
(352) 392-6650, ext. 233
email: <murchek@ufl.edu>
