At which campus can I study this program?
Begin Campus
Any Penn State Campus
End Campus
Abington
Degree Information At Additional Campuses
Program Description
Majors explore the imaginative and practical uses of English through courses in literature, writing, rhetoric, and language. They develop perspectives on human nature and cultural values through American, British, and other English literatures; they learn how to gather, analyze, synthesize, and communicate information; they gain mastery over their language. These skills help English majors find careers in such fields as publishing, business, industry, government, and teaching. English majors often go on to postgraduate study not only in English but in such areas as law, business, education, or other liberal disciplines.
Majors can emphasize writing, literature, or rhetoric, or a mix of literature, writing, and rhetoric. All provide a liberal education and all develop analytic and writing skills. Qualified students may participate in the career internship and in the English honors program.
Students interested in earning certification in secondary education should contact the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction. (See also Teacher Education Programs.)
What is English?
English refers to a broad field of study related to the reading, writing, studying and analyzing of English literature and language. The field includes the many and varied forms and genres of literature, writing, and rhetoric, and often considers how value and meaning are created, and information communicated, through these various texts.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You enjoy composing texts that are varied in genre, style, and medium, including critical essays, short stories, poems, reviews, digital media, podcasts, and others.
- You find yourself compelled to make connections between literary texts and ideas that are both present across historical eras and pertinent to current realities.
- You are interested in how audiences treat and use texts, whether the texts are print or digital, technical, critical, and/or creative.
- You want to solve problems through deliberate communication, in arenas that overlap with other areas of human life, like science, law, art, business, and the social sciences.
Degree Requirements
For the Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a minimum of 123 credits is required:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| General Education | 45 |
| Electives | 18 |
| Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements | 24 |
| Requirements for the Major | 36 |
3 of the 24 credits for Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements are included in the Requirements for the Major, General Education, or Electives and 0-12 credits are included in Electives if foreign language proficiency is demonstrated by examination.
Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Recommended Academic Plan for your intended program.
General Education
Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.
The keystone symbol 
appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.
Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)
- Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
- Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits
Knowledge Domains
- Arts (GA): 6 credits
- Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
- Humanities (GH): 6 credits
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
- Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits
Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)
- Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits
University Degree Requirements
First Year Engagement
All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.
Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.
First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.
Cultures Requirement
6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements
- United States Cultures: 3 credits
- International Cultures: 3 credits
Writing Across the Curriculum
3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.
Total Minimum Credits
A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.
Quality of Work
Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.
Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition
The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.
B.A. Degree Requirements
Foreign Language (0-12 credits): Student must attain 12th credit level of proficiency in one foreign language. See the Placement Policy for Penn State Foreign Language Courses.
B.A. Fields (9 credits): Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts, Foreign Languages, Natural Sciences, Quantification (may not be taken in the area of the student's primary major; foreign language credits in this category must be in a second foreign language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the first language)
Other Cultures (0-3 credits): Select 3 credits from approved list. Students may count courses in this category in order to meet other major, minor, elective, or General Education requirements, except for the General Education US/IL requirement.
Requirements for the Major
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the major. To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn at least a C grade in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| ENGL 200 | Introduction to Critical Reading | 3 |
| or ENGL 201 | What is Literature | |
| Select 3 credits of a 300/400-level course in each of the following areas: 1 | 12 | |
Medieval through Sixteenth Century | ||
Sixteenth Century through Eighteenth Century | ||
The Nineteenth Century | ||
Twentieth Century to the Present | ||
| ENGL 494H | Senior Thesis in English | 3 |
| or ENGL 487 | Senior Seminar | |
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| In consultation with adviser, select 18 credits in literature, writing, or rhetoric 1,2 | 18 | |
| 1 | At least 3 of the 300/400 level credits must fulfill a departmental diversity requirement for a course related to race, gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity, and/or postcolonial issues. |
| 2 | At least 9 credits must be at the 300/400 level. |
Integrated B.A./M.A. Program in English
Available at the following campuses: University Park
A minimum of 141 credits are required to complete the IUG B.A/M.A. in English.
The BA in English requires a minimum of 123 credits, with 36 of those credits required for the English major:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 200 | Introduction to Critical Reading | 3 |
| ENGL 201 | What is Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 221 | British Literature to 1798 | 3 |
| Complete 18 credits of English 300 level or above | 18 | |
| Complete 3 credits of pre-1800 300 level or above | 3 | |
| Complete 3 credits of post-1800 race, ethnic, or minority literatures 300 level or above | 3 | |
| ENGL 487 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
The B.A./M.A. consists of these 36 English credits of the B.A., plus an additional 24 English credits of M.A. work distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 credits of the following: 1 | 12 | |
| Advanced Fiction Writing | ||
| Advanced Poetry Writing | ||
| Advanced Nonfiction Writing | ||
| The Writing of Fiction 2 | ||
| The Writing of Poetry 2 | ||
| The Writing of Nonfiction 2 | ||
| Complete 6 credits of a graduate-level literature | 6 | |
| Complete 6 credits of a M.A. Master's paper (ENGL 596) to support work on a major project that will be the centerpiece of each student's culminating Master's paper 3 | 6 | |
| 1 | These courses will be double counted between the B.A. and the M.A. |
| 2 | These courses can be repeated for credit. |
| 3 | In the Master’s paper, students receiving an M.A. in English with a creative writing concentration will append their Master’s paper with a bibliographic essay referencing primary and/or secondary sources generated by their research for the paper. The essay can discuss the range of research modalities, including contextual background in the work itself as well as contemporary and historic literature that has influenced the style and form of the Master’s paper. Sources consulted for contextual background can include library and database materials, historical research, oral history, interviews, and other bibliographic tools. |
Time of Admission to the Program
Students shall be admitted to the English IUG program no earlier than the beginning of the third semester of undergraduate study at Penn State (regardless of transfer or AP credits accumulated prior to enrollment) and no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree, as specified in the proposed IUG plan of study.
Application to the English IUG would typically occur in the junior year after a student has completed 60 credits, enrolled in the English major, and completed two English courses in creative writing.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the integrated B.A./M.A. program will be based on the submission of a portfolio of creative work and a plan of study to the department’s Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of the B.A./M.A. program. Applications typically will be filed during the 5th or 6th semesters of study, and applicants must have achieved a minimum of 60 credits and a 3.3 overall GPA and 3.6 GPA in English to begin the program. The English Director of Graduate Studies will ensure that the applicant meets the minimum credit and GPA requirements for the program. The Director of the B.A./M.A. program will evaluate the quality of the student’s creative work and the applicant’s plan for fulfilling the requirements of the M.A. in English. The Director of the B.A./M.A. program, in consultation with the Creative Writing faculty, will have final approval for what constitutes an acceptable level of creative work and an acceptable plan for the completion of the M.A.
The application procedure requires submission of the following:
- Support Letters from Faculty and Administrators (addressed to the department’s Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of the B.A./M.A. program)
- A Personal Statement
- Portfolio of Creative Work
- A Plan of Study
- A transcript and degree audit printed from LionPATH
- A current resume or curriculum vita
- A copy of the completed online Graduate School Application (GRE scores are not required).
Plan of Study and Advising
Prior to the application process, students should communicate their intent to enroll in the IUG to the English B.A. adviser and the Director of the B.A./M.A. program. The Director of the B.A./M.A. will help each student identify an appropriate series of English courses to properly prepare each student for the 500-level M.A. workshops and 500-level literature courses.
Students will be expected to maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 for all undergraduate coursework and a GPA of 3.6 in English (ENGL) courses throughout the IUG program of study. Failure to do so will result in the student being advised that he/she must regain a GPA of 3.3 within one semester. If the GPA is not 3.3 or higher in general undergraduate coursework and 3.6 or higher in English coursework after that term, the student will be dropped from the IUG.
Each student enrolled in the B.A./M.A. will meet at the beginning of each term with the Director of the B.A./M.A. to discuss his or her progress through the M.A. degree and to make sure that he or she is following the plan established upon his or her admission to the B.A./M.A. program.
If the student decides not to continue on in the IUG, the student may, contingent on fulfilling all other requirements for the B.A. in English, graduate with a B.A. in English.
Sequence of Courses
The IUG B.A./M.A. consists of a total of 60 English credits. A minimum of 141 credits are required to complete the IUG B.A/M.A. in English.
Program Learning Objectives
- Apply critical, theoretical, and/or disciplinary approaches to the reading and analysis of texts in multiple genres and/or media.
- Analyze the aesthetic and/or cultural significance of the ideas, values, conventions, forms, and genres associated with texts.
- Gather, evaluate, and employ an array of research materials in support of critical studies, and/or creative activity, in ways consistent with standards of academic integrity.
- Demonstrate writing and rhetorical skills appropriate to critical and/or creative tasks in a variety of media and genres.
- Analyze representative literary, theoretical, and cultural texts within significant historical, geographical, and cultural contexts.
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
Abington
Ellen Knodt
Professor, English
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7385
eak1@psu.edu
Altoona
Erin C. Murphy
Professor of English
Hawthorn Building 212
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5625
ecm14@psu.edu
Brandywine
Paul deGategno
Professor of English
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063
610-892-1465
pjd15@psu.edu
Greater Allegheny
Advising Office
Academic Affairs
101 Frable Building
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132
412-675-9140
GA-Academics@lists.psu.edu
Scranton
Paul Perrone
Assistant Teaching Professor
13 Library Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2660
pjp3@psu.edu
University Park
Elizabeth A. Brown
Academic Adviser
127 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-8559
eaf4@psu.edu
Wilkes-Barre
David Chin
Program Coordinator, English
P.O. Box 264
Lehman, PA 18627
570-675-9247
dpc5@psu.edu
York
Jennifer Nesbitt
Associate Professor of English
229 Grumbacher Building (GISTC)
1031 Edgecomb Ave.
York, PA 17403
717-771-4027
jpn12@psu.edu
Suggested Academic Plan
The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2019-20 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contain suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).
Abington Campus
The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL 15 or 30 | 3 | ENGL literature, writing, or rhetoric* 1 | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | CAS 100A or 100B | 3 |
| World Language level 1 | 4 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | World Language level 2 | 4 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| General Education Course | 3 | ENGL literature, writing or rhetoric* 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 200 or 201* | 3 | ENGL 202A, 202B, 202C, or 202D2 | 3 |
| ENGL literature, writing or rhetoric* 1 | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| World Language level 3 | 4 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | B.A. Requirement: Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Scieces, Quantification, or World Language | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ENGL literature, writing, or rhetoric* 1 | 3 | 400 level ENGL period selection* 3 | 3 |
| 400 level ENGL period selection* 3 | 3 | ENGL literature, writing, or rhetoric* 1 | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| B.A. Requirement: Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Quantification, or World Language | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| 400 level ENGL period selection* 3 | 3 | 400 level ENGL period selection* 3 | 3 |
| ENGL literature, writing, or rhetoric* 1 | 3 | ENGL 487* | 3 |
| Other Cultures (OC) | 3 | General Education Course (GHW) | 1.5 |
| B.A. Requirement: Arts, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Quantification, or World Language | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| General Education Course (GHW) | 1.5 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 16.5 | 13.5 | ||
| Total Credits 123 | |||
| * | Course requires a grade of C or better for the major |
| ‡ | Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education |
| # | Course is an Entrance to Major requirement |
| † | Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement |
University Requirements and General Education Notes:
US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).
W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.
GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.
Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.
Bachelor of Arts Requirements:
Bachelor of Arts students must take 9 credits in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Fields (Humanities; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arts; World Languages [2nd language or beyond the 12th credit level of proficiency in the 1st]; Natural Sciences; Quantification). The B.A. Fields courses may not be taken in the area of the student’s primary major. See your adviser and the Degree Requirements section of this Bulletin.
Bachelor of Arts students must take 3 credits in Other Cultures.
See your adviser and the full list of courses approved as Other Cultures courses.
| 1 | 18 credits in literature, writing, or rhetoric (at least 9 of which must be at the 300/400 level). At least 3 credits at the 300/400-level credits – from either the required or supporting courses – must fulfill a departmental diversity requirement for a course related to race, gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity, and/or postcolonial issues. |
| 2 | ENGL 202B is recommended for English majors. However, other ENGL 202 courses can fulfill this requirement; this selection should be discussed with your adviser. |
| 3 | Must select one 400-level course in each of the following areas: Medieval through 16thCentury;ENGL 405, 407, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445 16th century through 18th century--ENGL 405, 437, 439, 440, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448 The 19th century--ENGL 405, 437, 439, 440, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448 The 20th century--ENGL 426, 427, 428, 429, 431, 433, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 451, 454, 456, 457, 458, 461, 462, 463, 466, 467, 468, 469, 484, 488, 490, 493 |
Additional Notes
A minimum of 123 credits is required to graduate.
Scheduling patterns vary according to course offerings.
Both US (United States Cultures) and IL (International Cultures) courses must be completed within the degree requirements; these courses may not be used to fulfill the Other Cultures requirement.
ENGL 250 is offered on demand for peer tutors.
The four period requirements are met by different courses each semester. Check the schedule of courses or consult with your adviser or the Program Chair for English to determine which course meets each requirement.
Career Paths
Careers
Our graduates use their training in careers as attorneys, publishers and writers of all types, public relations directors, foreign service specialists, and entrepreneurs, as well teachers and education professionals.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE ENGLISH PROGRAM
Opportunities for Graduate Studies
English majors often go on to postgraduate study not only in English but in such areas as law, medicine, business, education, or other liberal disciplines.
Professional Resources
- Department Website with information on Major, Minor, concentrations, and other opportunities
- Kalliope, Penn State’s undergraduate literary magazine
- Creative Writing Club, A community for improving and sharing creative writing
- W.O.R.D.S., Writers Organized to Represent Diverse Stories
- Career Enrichment Network, resource for career-related, international, and professional development
- Modern Language Association, Guide for Undergraduate Research
Contact
Abington
DIVISION OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
215-881-7385
eak1@psu.edu
http://abington.psu.edu/english
Altoona
DIVISION OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Hawthorn Building 212
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5625
ecm14@psu.edu
http://altoona.psu.edu/academics/bachelors-degrees/english/request-information
Brandywine
25 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA 19063
610-892-1465
pjd15@psu.edu
http://brandywine.psu.edu/english
Greater Allegheny
101 Frable Building
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132
412-675-9140
GA-Academics@lists.psu.edu
http://greaterallegheny.psu.edu/english-ba
Scranton
13 Library Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2660
pjp3@psu.edu
http://worthingtonscranton.psu.edu/english
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
434 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0258
sfc10@psu.edu
http://english.la.psu.edu/undergraduate
Wilkes-Barre
P.O. Box 264
Lehman, PA 18627
570-675-9247
dpc5@psu.edu
http://wilkesbarre.psu.edu/academics/english
York
Grumbacher Building (GISTC)
1031 Edgecomb Ave.
York, PA 17403
717-771-4027
jpn12@psu.edu