Bachelor of Arts in Literary Studies
Lacey, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 46,856 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
In this program, we examine literature as a living process intimately connected with the complex problems of its place, culture, community, and history through courses in writing, rhetoric, and literary theory.
English/Literary Studies - what’s the difference?
“English,” the traditional name for both the Department and the Major, comes from a time when the body of knowledge was rooted in the British and American canon of “great books.” Although we are still the “English Department,” we have changed our major’s name to “Literary Studies,” to emphasize the form (literature) over the language (English). We teach British, American, Anglophone, and World Literature in translation to prepare our students for a globalized world with a constantly developing media dimension.
Minor Program
Writing
Writing at Saint Martin's is seen as critical to the quest for truth and improvement of the human condition. Whether writing poetry, policy, or a blog or business report, the ability to write clearly in a number of styles prepares students for the range of writing requirements that their spiritual lives and careers will inevitably demand.
Phase I: Introduction to Literary Studies
Choose one:
- Literary studies
- Literary foundations
Phase II: Literary Histories
Choose two:
- British literature I
- British literature II
- American literature
Phase III: Upper Division Literary Courses
- Comparative literature or Literature in the medieval world
- Literature, race, and ethnicity, or Gender and sexuality in literature
- Literary theory and criticism
Choose 12 additional credits of electives from ENG 302 to ENG 395
Phase IV: Capstone
- English seminar
- Write an essay that supports an interpretive thesis that is clearly supported.
- Demonstrate proficiency with a broad array of literary traditions.
- Be knowledgeable of standard writing and research conventions.
- Broaden their knowledge base, strengthen their language skills, and cultivate an understanding of the human condition that draws on the human element of the literary and written arts.
The need for people who can analyze complex systems, assess resources, identify problems, and construct lucid prose marks perhaps the most emphatic interconnection between Literary Studies and the professional world. Whatever you do for a living, being able to write well and think critically will be important skills. A major in literary studies is excellent preparation for:
- Jobs that require skills in communication, research, analysis, and public relations
- Continued professional studies at the graduate level (e.g., business, law, medicine, public administration, library studies)
- Specialized employment in education, journalism, publishing, creative arts, and libraries