Academics / English Undergraduate Program / English Major and Minor

English Major and Minor

About the Major

  • 39 Credit Hours
  • Versatile - course offerings in Creative Writing, Literature, and Film
  • Flexible - combine with another major or minor
     

The English Major is very flexible and can be completed easily in 4 years. See the following four and two year plans:

 

I. Pre-major Requirements: 6-9 Credit Hours

  • WRD/CIS 110-111  Composition and Communication I-II (UK Core Requirement): 6 hours
  • or
  • WRD/CIS 112  Accelerated Composition and Communication (UK Core Requirement): 3 hours

Plus one of the following:

  • ENG 230: Introduction to Literature (UK Core, Inquiry in the Humanities): 3 hours
  • ENG 260: Introduction to Black Writers (UK Core, Inquiry in the Humanities): 3 hours
  • ENG 290: Introduction to Women's Literature (UK Core, Inquiry in the Humanities): 3 hours

II. Major Requirements: 39-42 Credit Hours

1. Historical Surveys

Choose 2 of the following for 6 Credit Hours:

  • ENG 241: Survey of British Literature I
  • ENG 242: Survey of British Literature II
  • ENG 251: Survey of American Literature I
  • ENG 252: Survey of American Literature II
  • ENG 265: Survey of African-American Literature I
  • ENG 266: Survey of African-American Literature II

2. ENG 330 Text and Context: (Satisfies GCCR Requirement): 3 hours

3. ENG Early Period Requirement

Choose one of the following for 3 credit hours (counts toward 7 required ENG electives)

  • ENG 241 Survey of British Literature I
  • ENG 251 Survey of American Literature I
  • ENG 341 Chaucer and His Contemporaries
  • ENG 342 Shakespeare
  • ENG 343 Renaissance Drama and Society
  • ENG 518 History of the English Language
  • ENG 519 Introduction to Old English
  • Other Early Period subtitled courses as designated at the 300-400 level

4. Diversity Requirement

Choose one of the following for 3 credit hours (counts toward 7 required ENG electives)

  • ENG 168, 260, 265, 266, 361, 362, 368, 369, 370, 460G, 470G, 490G

5. Seven ENG Electives, mostly 300-level and above, for 21 credit hours. Of these seven courses:

  • Two courses must be 400-level ENG courses, one of which must be above ENG 425;
  • Two courses maximum may be counted from additional Historical Surveys not used to fulfill the Historical Survey requirement;
  • Two courses maximum may be counted from among ENG 207, ENG 221, ENG 230, ENG 260, ENG 280, and ENG 290.

6. Additional Electives Outside the ENG Department (part of ENG major requirement)

  • For the B.A.: 3 courses in allied programs: A&S, AAAS, AIS, ANT, APP, CHI, CLA, EDC, EDU, EPE, FR, GER, GWS, HJS, HIS, HMN, HON, ITA, JOU, JPN, LAS, LIN, MAS, MCLLC, PHI, PS, RUS, SPA, SOC, ST, WRD.
  • For the B.S.: 3 additional courses applicable in the natural, physical, mathematical, and computational sciences.

English Minor

The minor consists of a total of 18 hours, of which at least 9 hours must be at or above the 300 level. The hours are to be distributed as follows:

  • Any ENG Historical Survey course: 3 hours
  • ENG 330 Text and Context: 3 hours
  • Four more ENG courses, with minimum of two 300+ level courses: 12 hours.

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, in order to qualify for graduating with Departmental Honors in the Spring of their senior year.