Welcome to the Literature Minor! Our program enables you to explore Comparative Literary Studies and English, American, and World literatures in depth. In addition to gaining knowledge of diverse literary and cultural traditions, you'll develop valuable skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking. You'll also attain greater cultural literacy and develop a wider perspective on the world.

Why Minor in Literature?

• Nurture Your Interest in Literature.

The Literature Minor gives students from all majors and disciplines at WCU the opportunity to explore and deepen their passion for literature in all of its complex forms—poems, novels, plays, short stories, essays, slave narratives, nonfiction essays, and more.

• Diversify Your Perspective on the World.

If you're interested in learning about the world's many diverse cultures—African, Asian, European, Latin American, and more—the Literature Minor can help you. Analyzing texts from a variety of cultural traditions enables you to examine your own preconceptions and empathize with people whose lives, experiences, and perspectives are different from your own.

• Enhance Your Career Prospects.

In today's diverse and globalized workplace, employers are always looking for graduates with the multicultural skills and sensibilities that our minor provides. Moreover, the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that you hone in the Literature Minor will make you more attractive to employers in any field in which clear writing and intelligent communication are valued.

• Enrich Your Major.

The Literature Minor can be combined with any major at WCU (with the exception of the Literatures Minor of the English Major). Whether you're majoring in English or fields such as History, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Nutrition, Communications, Women's & Gender Studies, or others, you'll find that the critical study of literature can enrich and inform your major in profound ways.

Learning Outcomes

Students in the Literature Minor will:

• Broaden and deepen their understanding of literary expression from a diverse array of historical and cultural contexts.
• Develop skills in close reading, critical interpretation, and the application of literary theory to a multitude of literary works.
• Broaden their appreciation of how literary narratives from diverse histories and cultures often explore shared themes and motifs.
• Study trends within various genres of literary expression that reflect the ever-expanding scope of literary studies.

Courses

Like most minors at WCU, the Literature Minor requires students to take six courses, or 18 credits, in order to complete the program. The Literature Minor allows students to take full advantage of the English Department's flexible and extensive course offerings, as the department runs dozens of classes each semester that count toward both the minor's required and elective credits.  View the complete list of required and elective courses for the Literature Minor.