Develop strong literacy skills as you read and write critically
Build a foundation in critical thinking and communication that you can apply as a writer, teacher and in many other working environments.
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Students who choose the major concentration in English literature must complete:
Majors must take at least one course from each of the following four categories: Classical Texts, Social and Cultural Contexts, Literary Genres, and Historical Periods. The remaining 12 credits may be taken from any of these four categories, or from the fifth category, Language and Writing. Students who choose the Language and Writing Option* must take all of the remaining 12 credits from the fifth category. In addition, English majors must complete six credits of Foreign Language. It is recommended that the six credits in foreign language be in the same language**.
Classical Texts
Social and Cultural Contexts
Literary Genres
Historical Periods
Language and Writing
Choose any four (4) for the Language and Writing Option
* Only English majors who choose the Language and Writing Option (12 credits in Language and Writing category plus the ENGL 400 as the capstone course) can take the MEDA courses for English credit.
** Three credits of this 6-credit Foreign Language requirement may count toward the general education foreign language requirement.
There is an 18-credit residency requirement in the major concentration of English.
The Four-Plus-One Program
The English Program's Four-Plus-One Program option offers a unique opportunity to qualified undergraduates in English who wish to pursue their masters at an accelerated pace. If they meet the admissions criteria for the Master's Program in English, including a 3.0 GPA, they apply in the first semester of their junior year to the Master of Arts in English at Mercy College. For further information see Four-Plus-One Program under Master of Arts in English Literature of the Graduate Catalog.
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The English major is the best preparation a Mercy College student can have for any career or profession. It offers a way to discover, enjoy and reflect on universal themes in great literature that show us what it means to be human. In addition, it fosters the ability to communicate effectively: to write correctly, to read and think critically, and to speak effectively. These are the skills that provide a clear advantage for success in a business or profession.
Representative career opportunities include law, medicine, arts and entertainment, public relations, public information, writing, editing, publishing, sales, marketing, advertising, management and personnel relations, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, federal, state, or local government, teaching, and administration.
Interested in becoming a teacher? Take a look at our B.S./M.S. Dual Degree Program which allows students interested in the teaching profession to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree at an accelerated pace.
If you are interested in becoming an English teacher, you are already part way there, students who major as undergraduates in English may receive certification in Secondary Education, Childhood Education or Early Childhood Education
To learn more please visit the School of Education website.
By the end of this program, students should be able to: