English Majors' Handbook

The English Majors' Handbook contains everything you need to know about majoring in English at WCU. In addition to detailed advising sheets and course listings for all degrees and tracks, the handbook offers useful information on minors, internships, graduation requirements, career opportunities, and the many special experiences available to you as an English major.

Degree Programs

The English Department offers two undergraduate degrees:

• The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
  This degree focuses on the study of language; reading, analysis, and critical interpretation; intensive instruction in writing; English, American, and World literatures; and literary, rhetorical, and critical theory. The B.A. also requires students to study a foreign language through the 202 level. View B.A. Learning Outcomes.
• The Bachelor of Science in English Education (B.S.Ed.)
  This degree, accredited by NCATE, prepares students to become certified middle- and high-school English teachers. Students must complete content-related and pedagogical courses and satisfy degree requirements from the English Department and the Department of Professional and Secondary Education, as well as certification requirements from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. View B.S.Ed. Learning Outcomes.

Tracks

Within each of the above two degree programs, students choose one of the following two tracks, depending on their interests:

• Literatures Track
  This track provides focused, in-depth study of literary and cultural texts across a diverse range of genres, historical periods, and cultural traditions; it also offers intensive instruction in critical writing.
• Writings Track
  This track emphasizes both the theory and practice of writing, providing students with in-depth knowledge and training in nonfiction argument, technical writing, journalism, creative writing, writing for electronic media, and more.

While each track has its own specific courses and requirements, the English major as a whole ensures cohesion by requiring all students to complete a common Core sequence, take at least two "crossover" courses in their non-primary track, and choose from a shared pool of ENG 400 research seminars.

Course Offerings

The English Department offers a wide range of courses in Literature, Rhetoric & Composition, Creative Writing, and more. We maintain small class sizes that enable dynamic discussions, meaningful teacher-student interaction, and extensive feedback on student writing.

• English Core Courses
  The English Core introduces our majors to the key theoretical concepts and critical practices in English Studies and prepares them for our diverse array of intermediate-level courses.
• ENG 400 Seminars
  All majors take ENG 400 Research Seminars as they near the end of their undergraduate careers. These variable-topics seminars are capped at 14 students per section.
• Undergraduate Catalog
  The WCU Undergraduate Catalog provides a comprehensive listing of all English courses and course descriptions.
• Search Schedule of Classes
  Students should consult the English Majors' Handbook to select the courses they need each semester, then cross-reference those choices with the online Schedule of Classes.

English Minors

The English Department offers seven Minor programs that enable English majors and students from other disciplines to explore an academic area in depth without adding a second Major. These 18-credit programs expose students to skills and knowledge from a range of fields within the discipline of English Studies.

• African/African American Literature Minor
• Business and Technical Writing Minor
• Creative Writing Minor
• Film Criticism Minor
• Journalism Minor
• Linguistics Minor
• Literature Minor

Advising

All students at WCU are assigned an academic advisor to help guide them through their undergraduate careers. As an English major, you'll meet with your advisor at least once per semester to evaluate your academic status, plan your schedule for the following term, have your enrollment hold lifted, and discuss any other issues relevant to your academic career. Read More.

Internships

The English Department encourages all of its B.A. majors to pursue internships. The advantages are numerous: internships enable you to apply your reading and writing skills to real workplace situations, make informed decisions about your career plans, and build valuable contacts. Our students have completed an exciting array of internships—in journalism, publishing, broadcasting, marketing, public relations, social media, and more—both on and off campus. Read More.

General Education

The English Department plays a major role in WCU's General Education curriculum, most notably by serving as the university's primary resource for the teaching of writing. Our rigorous First Year Writing Program empowers thousands of students each year to become more sophisticated wielders of the written word. In addition, we offer dozens of courses that fulfill Gen Ed foundational and distributive requirements. Read More.

Transfer FAQs

Are you seeking transfer credit for an English course that you took at a previous school? Or are you seeking permission to take future English courses elsewhere while you remain a student at WCU? If either of these scenarios applies to you, please consult our list of transfer students' Frequently Asked Questions.