Bachelor of Arts in English
Angola, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Deep dive into language and literature
Whether you want to write that winning business proposal or a doctoral thesis on what the canoe in The Pearl symbolizes, the Bachelor of Arts with a major in English at Trine University can prepare you for a career in writing or literature.
The experience: Real-world writing, intensive analysis
In the Bachelor of Arts with a major in English, you get solid theoretical preparation and learn how to use it in hands-on situations.
In literature and creative writing courses, you will read intensely and discuss literature at a deep, analytical level. Those skills are applied across courses in poetry, fiction, drama, film, video games, and graphic novels to develop a portfolio of original work that will make you competitive for graduate school or provide you with a professional portfolio to find your dream job.
While taking coursework in English, you will practice what you learn in class and by working for Trine's literary journal, Inscriptions, by writing for the department, and by promoting departmental events like the Humanities Symposia. If you are interested in graduate study or teaching, you also can work in the university's Writing Center tutoring fellow students.
The degree: Write like a pro, read like a prof
Practical, hands-on courses prepare you to do the writing businesses need: effective websites, well-designed technical documents, convincing proposals, and more. More traditional literature courses provide you with excellent training for graduate school and the skills of close reading, analysis, and argumentation that are essential in a world dominated by electronic text.
Curriculum
The Bachelor of Arts with a major in English curriculum requires the completion of 120 hours of course work. The average course load is 15 hours based on eight semesters.
General Education – 42 hours:
Written Communication - 6 hrs.
- ENG 143 College Composition
- HUM 203 Humanities Seminar
Oral Communication – 3 hrs.
- SP 203 Effective Speaking
Social Science and Humanities – 12 hrs.
*must include 2 courses each from Social Science and Humanities and be on the grid.
- ENG 153 Introduction to Literature
- ENG 363 The English Language
- PSY 113 Principles of Psychology
- Additional course from Social Science – 3 hrs.
Mathematics and Science – 9 hrs.
*must include at least one math and one science course.
Other – 12 hrs.
- ENG 433 Shakespeare and His Times
- COM 363 Rhetoric and Persuasion
- COM 203 Media and Society
- Additional 3 credits of General Education
Program Requirements – 45 hours:
Composition Core – 21 hrs.
- ENG 133 Technical Communication
- ENG 273 Creative Writing
- ENG 412 Writing Center Consulting
- ENG 411L Writing Center Consulting Lab
- ENG 303 Advanced Technical Communication
- or ENG 453 Advanced Composition
Electives in communication courses (selected in consultation with advisor) – 9 hrs.
- COM 183 Writing for Media
- COM 253 Event Planning and Promotion
- COM 343 Web Content Management
- COM 353 PR Writing and Production
- COM 383 Feature Reporting
- COM 413 Corporate and Organizational Communication
- COM 483 Public Affairs Reporting
- or other communication course approved by the advisor
Literature Core – 21 hrs.
Take 3 of these 5 survey courses:
- ENG 2013 British Literature I
- ENG 2023 British Literature II
- ENG 2113 American Literature I
- ENG 2123 American Literature II
- ENG 253 Readings in World Literature
Take the following:
- ENG 373 Literary Theory
Literature electives (or other literature course approved by advisor) – 9 hrs.
- ENG 233 Mythology
- ENG 263 Contemporary Themes in Literature
- ENG 3303 The Bible as Literature
- ENG 3313 Graphic Novels
- ENG 423 Drama
- ENG 443 Poetry
- FLM 203 Film Appreciation
Program Core – 3 hrs.
ENG 4013 Capstone Study in English
or
COM 4013 Senior Capstone Internship in Communication
Additional Requirements – 33 hours:
- UE 101 University Experience
- Free Electives – 29 hrs.
Students are strongly encouraged to pick up a minor with elective hours in a field related to future career goals. For example, a student interested in technical writing might choose to minor in communication, biology, or one of the other sciences. A student interested in the graduate study might choose a minor in history, psychology, or communication.
The results: Grad school and beyond
Recent studies have shown humanities majors earn as much or more over their careers than science, technology, engineering, and math majors, mostly because humanities majors go to graduate school in greater numbers. This program prepares you for both theoretical and practical applications for careers in editing, writing, teaching, academia, law, public relations, and event planning, to name a few!
The Bachelor of Arts with a major in English students have career possibilities that include:
- Technical Writer
- Web Content Writer/Creator
- Social Media Administrator
- Communication Director or Manager
- Reporter
- Editor
- English Professor
- Secondary School English Teacher
- English as a Second Language Teacher
- Blogger
- Public Relations Manager or Consultant
