English

Program Requirements

Charlotte Hadella, Program Chair

Central 261

541-552-6181

Professor	Associate Professor	Emeritus Faculty
Alma Rosa Alvarez	Margaret Perrow	Peggy Cheng
Edwin L. Battistella		Terry L. DeHay
Bill Gholson		Sandra J. Holstein
Charlotte Hadella		Tom Nash
Diana Maltz

English faculty are 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. Class sizes are small, allowing faculty to work closely with students and the major concludes with a senior capstone project requiring independent study guided by a faculty mentor.

The English major offers a wide range of courses in literature, English education, linguistics, rhetoric, and writing. All of our courses focus on the delights and difficulties of reading, writing, and interpreting texts of various types. The English major is flexible to match student needs. Professors in the program partner with you to create a plan that will best meet your goals whether you intend to teach, attend graduate school, edit or write for nonprofits, or pursue a career in any field that requires strong critical thinking and communication skills.

Declaring a Major in English

Declaring a major in English 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 program office. Upon admission, students will be assigned a program faculty advisor.

The second step is to apply for major status. Before applying, students must complete program 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 should consult an advisor in the program and be aware of any course prerequisites. English and writing majors also pursuing a minor in the program 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 before applying for admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at SOU. Interested students should consult the program 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, BA

Minor

English Minor

Courses

English

Upper Division Courses

Before enrolling in upper division literature courses, English majors must complete ENG 298, and nonmajors must complete the research component of the writing sequence as required by their major program. ENG 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).

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

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