Contact
Katherine Kidd, Director of Undergraduate Studies
kakidd@syr.edu
401 Hall of Languages
Faculty
Mona Awad, Crystal Bartolovich, Dorri Beam, Chanelle Benz, Chris Brunt, Dympna Callaghan, Jonathan Dee, Susan Edmunds, Vanessa Evans, Carol Fadda, Chris Forster, Ken Frieden, Mike Goode, Matt Grzecki, Roger Hallas, Chris Hanson, Sarah Harwell, Brooks Haxton, Mary Karr, Christopher Kennedy, Katherine Kidd, Coran Klaver, Delali Kumavie, Ethan Madarieta, Patricia Moody, Patricia Roylance, George Saunders, Will Scheibel, Stephanie Shirilan, Bruce Smith, Dana Spiotta, Scott Manning Stevens, Harvey Teres, Tony Tiongson, Silvio Torres-Saillant
Program Description
The Department of English offers programs in textual and cultural studies, with special emphasis on literary history, criticism, and theory. Courses deal with such problems as the nature and implications of reading and interpretation, the production of meaning in language and culture, and the nature of literary and media forms. The curriculum also allows students to take courses in creative writing.
Students who wish to major in English and Textual Studies should consult the English Studies Coordinator to be assigned an appropriate advisor, who helps plan the course of study.
Some students majoring in English and Textual Studies may wish to pursue a concentration in Film and Screen Studies.
Students majoring in English and Textual Studies may wish to apply for a dual enrollment with another school or college within the University, such as the School of Information Studies, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, or the School of Education. Those interested in certification to teach English should see “English Education (Dual), BA” in the School of Education’s Academic Offerings. Students must have departmental approval to become candidates for honors or distinction in English and Textual Studies. For more information, see the website at english.syr.edu.
Major Requirements
To qualify for a B.A. degree in English and Textual Studies, students complete a total of 30 credits of coursework. Please note that ENG 105 Introduction to Creative Writing and ENG 107 Living Writers and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits do not count toward the lower division credit requirements for an English and Textual Studies major. Students must attain a grade of C- or better in order to count a course toward their major credits. These credits include:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ENG 242 | Reading and Interpretation | 3 |
| 3 |
| British Literature, Beginnings to 1789 | |
| British Literature, 1789 to Present | |
| Topics in British Literature | |
| American Literature, Beginnings to 1865 | |
| American Literature, 1865 to Present | |
| Topics in U.S. Literature | |
| Introduction to Shakespeare | |
| Introduction to the Novel | |
| Science Fiction | |
| Reading the Environment | |
| Narratives of Culture:Introduction to Issues of Critical Reading | |
| Reading Popular Culture | |
| Interpretation of New Media | |
| Interpretation of Poetry | |
| Interpretation of Drama | |
| Interpretation of Fiction | |
| Interpretation of Film | |
| Interpretation of Nonfiction | |
| Interpretation of Games | |
| Hip Hop and Ya Don't Stop: Issues, Debates, and Controversies | |
| Children's Literature | |
| American Cinema, from Beginnings to Present | |
| World Cinema, Beginnings to Present | |
| The Literature of War and Peace | |
| World Literature, Beginnings to 1000 | |
| World Literature, 1000 to Present | |
| Class and Literary Texts | |
| Race and Literary Texts | |
| Ethnicity and Literary Texts | |
| Gender and Literary Texts | |
| Introduction to Asian American Literature | |
| Introduction to Latina/o/x Literature | |
| Arab American Literature and Culture | |
| |
| 24 |
| |
| |
| Total Credits | 30 |
Advanced Critical Writing
Courses fulfilling the “Advanced Critical Writing” requirement have titles beginning with “Advanced Critical Writing”:
Before 1900
Courses fulfilling the “before 1900” requirement have titles that end in the phrase “Before 1900”:
Race, Empire, and Culture
Courses fulfilling the “Race, Empire, and Culture” requirement have titles that include the word “Race”:
Two remaining “elective” courses
Two remaining “elective” courses may be chosen from any upper division critical courses, or from among upper division creative writing courses, or one upper division Literature in Translation course (LIT) or one approved upper division Writing Program course (WRT). Of the two electives, only one may come from outside the department.
Dually Enrolled in the School of Education
Students dually enrolled in the School of Education include the following among the 24 credits of upper-division courses:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ENG 325 | History and Varieties of English | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Advanced Writing Studio: Civic Writing | |
| Advanced Writing Studio: Research and Writing | |
| Advanced Writing Studio: Professional Writing | |
| Studies in Composition, Rhetoric and Literacy | |
Distinction
Outstanding junior ETS majors will be invited to participate in the Distinction Program, enabling them to earn the designation “Distinction in English and Textual Studies” with their degree. The Distinction Program requires students to demonstrate outstanding academic accomplishment by maintaining a 3.4 overall GPA and a 3.6 within the major, enroll in and complete a graduate-level English course during their senior year, and successfully complete a senior thesis project (which will include enrolling in the 1-credit Thesis Research Practicum in the fall and the 2-credit Thesis Workshop in the spring semester of their senior year). The “Distinction” designation will be granted upon graduation.
Pursuing a Concentration in Film and Screen Studies
Students pursuing a concentration in Film and Screen Studies within the ETS major must meet the 100-level requirement by taking ENG 146 Interpretation of New Media, ENG 154 Interpretation of Film, ENG 156 Interpretation of Games, ENG 170 American Cinema, from Beginnings to Present, or ENG 171 World Cinema, Beginnings to Present. Three of the six upper division critical courses taken must focus on film and screen studies (as indicated by the terms “Film,” “Cinema,” “Media,” “Screen” and/or "Game Studies" in the section title). One of the two major “elective” courses must be an upper division film or screen studies course, either from English or an approved course from another department.
College of Arts and Sciences Requirements
For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.
Dual Enrollments:
Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.
*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.
Undergraduate University Requirements
The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.
