Contents
Catalog Links

English

Professor Sam Overstreet, Chair, Division of Languages and Literature and Coordinator

The English Major is recommended for a variety of careers. The skills emphasized in organized thinking, writing, and research prepare the student not only for teaching and for the many branches of editing and publishing but also for other professions such as law, librarianship, and the ministry. These same skills are in demand in business and industry, where leadership positions go to those who can think logically and express themselves clearly.

Students successfully completing the program of study will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

  1. Familiarity with major authors and works from all the major periods of Western literature.
  2. Knowledge of Western literary history and the continuity of its traditions.
  3. Knowledge of various schools of literary criticism.
  4. Knowledge of literary terminology.
  5. Knowledge of the history of the English language and of basic linguistic principles.
  6. Awareness of literary style and its development in various periods.

Skills

  1. Ability to read with discernment—to analyze and interpret form, structure, and style in expository writing and in various genres of literature.
  2. Ability to write with clarity, conciseness, appropriate organization, and a level of usage and style suitable for the intended audience.
  3. Ability to carry on independent research, using both paper and electronic sources.
  4. Ability to show confident and articulate oral expression.