English and Writing Program

Program Requirements

Central 261
541-552-6181
Diana Maltz, Chair

Professor	Associate Professor	Assistant Professor	Emeritus Faculty
Alma Rosa Alvarez	Robert Arellano	Margaret Perrow	Peggy Cheng
Edwin L. Battistella	K. Silem Mohammad		Terry L. DeHay
Bill Gholson			Sandra J. Holstein
Charlotte Hadella			Tom Nash
Diana Maltz			Cynthia Wallace
Craig Wright

The English and Writing major is part of the Department of Language, Literature, and Philosophy. Its faculty is dedicated to providing a well-rounded undergraduate education. The professors, while maintaining a commitment to multicultural and international study, believe students should receive a strong foundation in literature, language, and writing. Students select one of the five programs of study, outlined below, and conclude with a senior capstone project. Class sizes are small, allowing faculty to work closely with students. English and writing faculty also continue their own research and writing projects, always mindful of ways to enrich the classroom experience.

Internships, practica, and professional student-run publications such as West Wind Review and Cognito offer our majors the opportunity to apply the literary and writing skills they learn in class to real-world settings. Students participate in practica at local schools and businesses, write and edit at local presses, and write grants for institutional and community organizations. The program also provides excellent preparation for students wishing to apply for graduate programs in writing, literature, education, and other related professional fields. English and writing participates in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program as major and minor areas of concentration. See the Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies section for more information.

Declaring a Major in English and Writing

Declaring a major in English and writing is a two-step process. The first step is to apply for premajor status. Students may do this at any time, although is it advisable to wait until the end of the freshman year. The premajor application is available in the department office. Upon admission, students will be assigned a department faculty advisor.

The second step is to apply for major status. Before applying, students must complete departmental prerequisites (as described below), complete 75 credits, and maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA in English and writing coursework. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisor prior to turning in the major application, which requires an advisor’s signature. At this time, students also select one of the program options.

Minors

Students interested in pursuing a minor in English and writing should consult an advisor in the department and be aware of any course prerequisites. English and writing majors also pursuing a minor in the department may not use any of the same courses, excluding prerequisites and core courses, for both programs. Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA in minor coursework.

Teacher Licensing

Students who would like to teach English at the middle school or high school level in Oregon public schools must complete a bachelor’s degree in English and writing before applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at SOU. Interested students should consult the department chair for an appropriate advisor and the School of Education regarding admission requirements for the MAT program.

Students must prepare in advance to increase their chances of acceptance into this competitive program. Practica, internships, and volunteer experiences working with children in the public schools prior to application to the MAT program are required.

Program Requirements

Programs

Major

English and Writing, BA or BS

Concentration

Minor

Courses

English

Upper Division Courses
Before enrolling in upper division literature courses, English and writing majors must complete ENG 298, and nonmajors must complete the research component of the writing sequence as required by their major department. English 300 is a prerequisite for all 400-level courses. Any exceptions require instructor consent. Graduate students registering for 500-level courses require either the stated prerequisites or their equivalents.

*A combined maximum of 8 credit hours of ENG 405, 407, and 409 may be applied to the major.

Writing

Lower Division Courses
University Seminar now teaches introductory composition courses and offers a writing waiver by portfolio. For questions and registration for lower division composition classes (WR 122 or 227), please visit the University Seminar office (Central 008).

Upper Division Courses
Note: ENG 298 is a prerequisite to all upper division writing classes. WR 230, 241 and 242 are additional prerequisites for upper division fiction writing, poetry writing, and creative non-fiction writing courses. Before being admitted into 300-level Creative Writing workshops (WR 330, 341, 350), in addition to existing prerequisites, students are required to submit a writing sample of 8-10 pages in length, along with a cover letter. The writing sample and cover letter will be reviewed by a committee composed of three active Creative Writing faculty members. See the English and Writing office for more detailed information and deadlines.

*A combined maximum of 8 credit hours of WR 405, 407, and 409 may be applied to the major.

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