English, B.A.: English Language and Literacies Concentration

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English, B.A. Program (120 units)

Program Description

The university offers the B.A. degree in English with three distinct concentrations: literature, creative writing, and English language and literacies. The student seeking a degree must observe the general university requirements stated elsewhere in this catalog as well as the specific departmental requirements stated here.

Program Learning Outcomes

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

analyze and interpret literary genres represented by a range of texts;
write in clear and cogent prose;
demonstrate knowledge of key English language texts, including multicultural works;
use critical theory to examine literary texts;
conduct research relevant to the discipline of English studies and analyze connections among literary works and social issues.

Career Opportunities

Advertising Copy Writer • Author/Critic • Bookstore Manager • Continuity Writer • Corporate Communications Director • Foreign Service Office • 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 • Writer

Degree Requirements

The B.A. degree requires a total of 120 units.
- The major consists of 52 units (students must complete with a grade point average of 3.0 or better);
- General Education (GE) & Graduation Requirements (GR) consists of 57 units;
- Free electives may consist of 11 units (actual number of free elective units may depend on GE/GR units).

Note: It may be possible to double count units within the graduation requirement. It may also be possible that a course satisfies both a graduation requirement and a major requirement. Students should contact their program and AACE advisors for information.

English Major Requirements (52 units)

Note: All courses must be completed with grade C- or better to be counted toward the major.

Lower Division Core

The following 12 units are required:

ENGL 204 - Writing About Literature Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C2
Take one (1) additional lower- or upper-division English major elective course for 4 units.
Choose one (1) course in creative writing for 4 units:
ENGL 205 - Beginning Workshop in Fiction Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C1
ENGL 206 - Beginning Workshop in Poetry Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C1

Upper-Division Core

The following 12 units are required:

Choose one (1) course in writing or theory for 4 units:
ENGL 303 - Advanced Expository Writing Units: 4
ENGL 304 - Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing Units: 4
ENGL 307 - Intermediate Workshop in Creative Nonfiction Units: 4
ENGL 340 - Critical Theory of Literature Units: 4
Choose one (1) course in linguistics for 4 units:
ENGL 350 - Study of Language Units: 4
ENGL 351 - Modern English Grammar Units: 4
Choose one (1) course in Shakespeare for 4 units:
ENGL 411 - Shakespeare I Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C4
ENGL 412 - Shakespeare II Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C4

Concentrations

The Department of English offers three concentrations for degree candidates. Students must choose one (1) of the following concentrations for 24 units as a major requirement:

Senior Capstone Requirement

The following senior capstone for 4 units is required to complete the major:

ENGL 499 - Senior Seminar Units: 4

English Language and Literacies Concentration

English majors with a concentration in English language and literacies must complete six (6) additional courses for 24 units as described below:

The following 8 units are required:
ENGL 340 - Critical Theory of Literature Units: 4
One (1) foundational course in linguistics, whichever course was not taken in the core curriculum:
ENGL 350 - Study of Language Units: 4
ENGL 351 - Modern English Grammar Units: 4

Two (2) additional linguistics courses for 8 units:

ENGL 352 - Introduction to Phonology Units: 4
ENGL 353 - Linguistic History of the English Language Units: 4
ENGL 355 - Language and Gender Units: 4
ENGL 450 - Current Theories in Formal Grammar Units: 4
ENGL 451 - Language in the U.S.A. Units: 4
ENGL 460 - Seminar in English Education Units: 4
ENGL 497 - Topics in the Study of the English Language Units: 4

One (1) course for 4 units in children’s literature, young adult literature, or film:

ENGL 345 - Comics and Graphic Novels Units: 4 ; G.E./G.R. Area: C4
ENGL 447 - Film Criticism Units: 4
ENGL 462 - Children’s Literature before 1900 Units: 4
ENGL 463 - Children’s Literature after 1900 Units: 4

One (1) additional literature elective for 4 units.

Other Undergraduate Degree Requirements

In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University’s baccalaureate requirements for graduation, which are described in the Requirements, Exams & Testing chapter of this catalog.