English, B.A. (Abington)

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:

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.

Course List

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

Program Learning Objectives

1. Apply critical, theoretical, and/or disciplinary approaches to the reading and analysis of texts in multiple genres and/or media.
2. Analyze the aesthetic and/or cultural significance of the ideas, values, conventions, forms, and genres associated with texts.
3. 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.
4. Demonstrate writing and rhetorical skills appropriate to critical and/or creative tasks in a variety of media and genres.
5. 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.

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.

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

http://york.psu.edu/academics/baccalaureate/english