The study of English and American Literature provides the kind of training that is central to a liberal arts education and useful in all professions. By learning to read critically and write with analytical precision, students who major in English prepare themselves to participate actively in their culture while forging a lifelong, enriching relationship with literature.
The department offers two tracks in the major: the Literature track and the Creative Writing track. Students take courses in a variety of historical periods as well as in a variety of topics and areas (such as literary history, critical theory, and literary culture). The major also provides opportunities for specialized research through seminars, independent study, and an honors program that culminates in the writing of a scholarly thesis during senior year. In the major’s Creative Writing track, seniors can produce a special creative project in poetry, prose, or a hybrid genre. The department also offers its majors and minors a credit-bearing internship seminar for placements at magazines, publishers, literary agencies, and other organizations.
Honors Program
The requirements for graduating with honors in the English major consist of:
A 3.65 GPA, both overall and in the major.
A senior capstone seminar chosen from ENGL-UA 950-955, ENGL-UA 960-965, and ENGL-UA 970-976 (which serves as a prerequisite to both the Honors Thesis and Colloquium)
Enrollment for two consecutive terms in ENGL-UA 925 Senior Honors Thesis (4 credits total) and completion of a thesis (on a topic of the student’s choice) under the direction of departmental faculty.
Concurrently with ENGL-UA 925: enrollment for two consecutive terms in the ENGL-UA 926 Senior Honors Colloquium (4 credits total)
December graduates begin the concurrent ENGL-UA 925 Senior Honors Thesis and ENGL-UA 926 Senior Honors Colloquium sequences in the spring term and complete them in the fall; May graduates begin the sequences in the fall and complete them in the spring. Applications and deadlines are available on the department’s undergraduate website and at the department offices.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The major in English and American Literature requires ten 4-credit courses (40 credits), and the major track in English and American Literature with a specialization in Creative Writing requires eleven 4-credit courses and two 2-credit courses (48 credits). All courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better (courses graded Pass/Fail do not count). Please see the requirements below.
Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:
An understanding of the history of both literature written in and translated into English.
A critical awareness of the methodologies of reading, analysis, and interpretation that have defined literary studies, as well as an understanding of literature's relationship to other media, cultural forms, and disciplines.
The ability to research and write about complex social and cultural topics with evidence-based rigor and argumentation for both academic and general audiences.
Policies
Program Policies
Policies Applying to the Major and Minor
Courses used to satisfy requirements for the English major or minor may not be used to satisfy the requirements of any other major or minor. The only exception is for students in the Creative Writing major track who also have a minor in Creative Writing (they may double-count two courses between the major and minor).
All courses for the major and minor must be completed with a C or better (Pass/Fail does not count).
Independent study courses and internships do not count toward any of the department's major or minor programs.
Transfer students must complete at least half of the required courses for the major and minor programs at the College.
The Department encourages its majors to take advantage of NYU's many opportunities for study away. NYU London offers courses that may be used to fulfill major requirements, as well as courses in British politics, creative writing, and the history of British art and architecture. A list of both ENGL-UA and other courses offered by the various NYU study away programs that may be counted toward specific requirements for the major can be found on the department's website each term. English majors should consult a departmental adviser before making plans to study away.
Policies Applying to the English and American Literature Track
The Literature track of the major requires one 4-credit course from each of the following six areas (students may freely use the seven additional ENGL-UA courses, the Junior Seminar, and the Senior Seminar to satisfy this requirement): Critical Theory; Genre; Difference and Representation; Literature from pre-1640; Literature from 1640-1900; and Literature from post-1900.
With the exception of ENGL-UA 101, any course may be counted toward up to two major requirements if the course meets the learning outcomes for both requirements. For example: a Junior Seminar might also fulfill the pre-1640 requirement, or a Critical Theory course might also satisfy the Difference and Representation requirement.
Whenever students double-count one course toward two major requirements they must take an additional ENGL-UA course, as this track of the major always requires 40 credits.
Policies Applying to the Creative Writing Track
The Creative Writing track of the major requires one 4-credit course from each of the following five areas (students may freely use the five additional ENGL-UA courses, the Junior Seminar, and the Senior Seminar to satisfy this requirement): Critical Theory; Genre; Difference and Representation; Literature from pre-1640; and Literature from 1640-1900.
With the exception of ENGL-UA 101, any course may be counted toward up to two major requirements if the course meets the learning outcomes for both requirements. For example: a Junior Seminar might also fulfill the pre-1640 requirement, or a Critical Theory course might also satisfy the Difference and Representation requirement.
Whenever students double-count one course toward two major requirements they must take an additional ENGL-UA course, as this track of the major always requires 48 credits.