Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 CSU East Bay Catalog 
    
2015-2016 CSU East Bay Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

English, Literature Option, B.A.


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Program Description


Contrary to popular opinion, most students who major in English do not become public school teachers, although many do choose a career in teaching. Rather, English majors go into all areas of business and government and wherever else the ability to read and write the English language effectively leads to opportunities for advancement and success. The English major is a widely recognized and respected preparation for graduate degrees in law, medicine, social services, and business. It also provides an excellent foundation for free-lance and broadcast journalism. The academic backgrounds of management personnel in private and public organizations attest to how appropriate the English major is for those who pursue careers in management and administration.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a B.A. in English from Cal State East Bay will be able to:

  1. analyze and interpret various kinds of texts;
  2. express their understandings and interpretations in clear and cogent prose;
  3. discuss at least one theoretical perspective about language and/or literature
  4. demonstrate knowledge of key English language texts in their options: Literature, Creative Writing, Language and Discourse, and Interdisciplinary Language, Literature, and Writing Studies;
  5. demonstrate facility with conducting research in traditional/nontraditional ways, including library research, the Internet, and data collection and analysis.

Career Opportunities

Advertising Copy Writer
Author/Critic
Bookstore Manager
Continuity Editor
Corporate Communications Director
Foreign Service Officer
Freelance Journalist/Writer
Greeting Card Editor/Writer
Lawyer
Librarian
Media Specialist
Newspaper Reporter
Public Information Officer
Publication Editor
Publicity Director
Publishing Agent
Radio/TV Agent
Script Writer
Teacher/Professor
Technical Writer

Preparation

For Advanced Placement course equivalencies, see Registration.

Major Requirements (B.A.)


Please consult an advisor in your major department for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements. The major consists of 72-84 units; the B.A. degree requires a total of 180 units.

I. Core Curriculum (40 units)


(While ENGL 1001  and ENGL 1002  are not listed as core requirements in the major, they are prerequisites for core classes and campus graduation requirements.)

II. Courses in Supporting Fields (0-12 units)


Majors must complete, with grades of C-/CR or better, one year of a college-level foreign language or must pass a translation test administered by the English Department.

III. Options (32 units)


The Department of English offers several options for degree candidates.  Choose one of the following: 

A. Literature,

B. Creative Writing,

C. Language and Discourse, and

D. Interdisciplinary Language, Literature, and Writing Studies.

Literature (32 units)


  • Units: 4
  • or

  • Units: 4
  •  

  • THREE upper-division English courses in literature of the 18th and/or 19th centuries (at least one British and at least one American) Units: 12
  • TWO upper-division English courses in literature of the 20th and/or 21st centuries Units: 8
  • ONE upper-division English course in Women’s or Gay and Lesbian literature Units: 4
  • ONE upper-division course in Global literatures Units: 4

Other Degree Requirements


In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the second composition (ENGL 1002 ) requirement; the cultural groups/women requirement; the performing arts/activities requirement; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.

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