About the Major
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The English Major is very flexible and can be completed easily in four years. See the following four- and two-year plans:
- English 4 Year Plan
- English 4 Year Plan with Semester Abroad
- English 4 Year Plan with Creative Writing Option
- English 4 Year Plan with Milestones
- English 2 Year Plan
- Make Your Own English 4 Year Plan
Pre-major Requirements
- ENG 230 - Introduction to Literature: (Subtitle Required) 3 Credit Hours *
- ENG 260 - Introduction to Black Writers 3 Credit Hours *
- ENG 290 - Introduction to Women’s Literature 3 Credit Hours *
Pre-major hours: 3
*Course used towards completion of a UK Core Requirement.
Major Requirements
Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR)
- ENG 330 - Text and Context: (Subtitle Required) 3 Credit Hours
- Majors must complete this core course after completing the pre-major requirements and before going on to 400- level courses in the major.
Major Core Requirements
ENG Historical Survey Requirement: 6
Majors must take two Historical Survey courses of their choice. Historical Surveys can be taken in any combination and any order. Courses fulfilling the Historical Survey Requirement include:
- ENG 241 - Survey of British Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 242 - Survey of British Literature II 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 251 - Survey of American Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 252 - Survey of American Literature II 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 265 - Survey of African-American Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 266 - Survey of African-American Literature II 3 Credit Hours
ENG Early Period Requirement: 3
Majors must take at least one Early Period ENG course of their choice. Courses fulfilling the Early Period Requirement include:
- ENG 341 - Chaucer and His Contemporaries 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 342 - Shakespeare 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 343 - Renaissance Drama and Society 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 352 - American Literature and Cultures to 1900 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 362 - Flights to Freedom: Literature of the Great Black Migrations 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 518 - Advanced History of the English Language 3 Credit Hours
OR - LIN 518 - Adv His of English Language 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 519 - Introduction to Old English 3 Credit Hours
OR - Other Early Period subtitled courses as designated at the 300-400 level Credit(s): 3
Capstone Course: 3
- ENG 398 - Careers in English 3 Credit Hours
Major Core hours: 12
Guided Electives in the Major
From the Major Department:
Majors must take an additional eight courses in ENG (Major Electives) primarily at the 300-level and above. Of these required eight courses, two can be taken in Creative Writing, but at least six must be taken from Literature and Film courses and meet the following requirements:
- Two courses can be at the 200-level (the 2 courses taken to fulfill the Historical Survey requirement cannot be double-counted, and not ENG 209, ENG 210, or ENG 221)
- Three courses must be at the 400-level or above (not ENG 401, ENG 405, ENG 407, or ENG 425)
- The rest must be at the 300-level and above (not ENG 301 or ENG 310.) Additional Early Period courses count here.
Guided Electives in the Major Hours: 24
Total Major hours: 36
English Minor Requirements
Any one ENG Historical Survey course:
- ENG 241 - Survey of British Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 242 - Survey of British Literature II 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 251 - Survey of American Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 252 - Survey of American Literature II 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 265 - Survey of African-American Literature I 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 266 - Survey of African-American Literature II 3 Credit Hours
One core course:
- ENG 330 - Text and Context: (Subtitle Required) 3 Credit Hours
- Four more ENG courses, with a maximum of one 100-level course and a minimum of two 300+ level courses Credit(s): 12
NOTE: Students pursuing both the Minor in English and the Minor in Creative Writing may only count 3 credit hours of ENG prefix course work towards both minors.
See here for more information about the Creative Writing Minor
Departmental Honors within the English Major
Departmental Honors is available for any ENG major regardless of participation in the University Honors Program or other qualification for University Honors. Graduates who achieve Departmental Honors are awarded this distinction on their final University transcripts upon graduation. They are also honored at our Spring Awards Day.
ENG majors who meet the following requirements will be awarded Departmental Honors:
- Current ENG major with all pre-major and major requirements successfully fulfilled.
- At least 8 courses for the ENG major taken at UK (i.e., not transfer credits or course equivalencies).
- Completion of ENG 495 Major Honors Seminar with a grade of at least B.
- Major GPA of 3.75 and above.
ENG 495 Major Honors Seminar is open to ENG majors who have fulfilled the pre-major requirements, ENG 330 “Text and Context” and who have a GPA of 3.5 or above. All qualifying ENG majors are encouraged to enroll in a Major Honors Seminar in the fall or spring of their junior year, or in the fall of their senior year, to qualify for graduating with Departmental Honors in the spring of their senior year.