Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English

The Bachelor of Arts is the most flexible degree within the Department of Language and Literature. The BA is the usual choice of students who want to do graduate work in English, become college English teachers, or go into technical writing or creative writing. Many other students have used the BA as preparation for law school or careers in public relations, library science, personnel work, management, government work, or the dozens of other fields requiring a broad liberal arts education.

The degree plan for the B.A. in English allows for more elective hours than many other degrees at ACU. This allows English students to add a second major or a variety of courses that fit their career plans—courses in accounting, computer science, communications, marketing, philosophy, history, Bible or psychology, for example, or further courses in literature and writing. For details, see the ACU Catalog.

Admission Requirements

Before being admitted to the program, a student must satisfy the requirements listed under "Initial Academic Programs" in the ACU Catalog.

General Education Requirements

General education requirements (University Core and Degree Core requirements) for the BA are listed in the ACU Catalog. Note these variations:

• Variations in the University Core: Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts in English must fulfill their history requirement by taking HIST 223 (England I) or HIST 117 (Civilization I).
• Variations in the BA Degree Core: Students seeking a Bachelor of Arts in English must complete the history sequence begun in the University Core. Those who took HIST 223 (England I) must take HIST 224 (England II); those who took HIST 117 (Civilization I) must take HIST 118 (Civilization II).

Departmental Requirements: English

In addition to 12 hours of English (freshman and sophomore) listed in the University and Degree Core Requirements, an English major must take ENGL 210 (1 hour) plus 30 hours of upper-division English. This advanced work must be distributed as follows:

1. Introduction to English studies, 4 hours: ENGL 210, 311;
2. Writing and rhetoric, 3 hours: ENGL 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 329;
3. Language, 3 hours: ENGL 330, 331, 432;
4. American literature, 6 hours: ENGL 362, 363, 464;
5. General literature, 3 hours: ENGL 376, 377, 378, 470, 471;
6. British literature before 1700, 3 hours: ENGL 481, 483, 484;
7. British literature after 1700, 3 hours: ENGL 495, 496, 497;
8. Advanced English selection, 3 hours: chosen from the lists above;
9. Senior seminar, 3 hours: ENGL 499.

General Electives

To obtain a total of 128 credit hours, students majoring in English must take up to 32 hours of general electives, including a minor (recommended) and deficiency requirements in science and foreign language. Students should arrange their electives to ensure 33 semester hours of upper-division work.

ACU Catalog

Degree Plans and Sample Schedules

Course Descriptions