English and American Literature (BA)

Program Description

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 the 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 major in English 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 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 Senior Honors Colloquium for thesis writers (ENGL-UA 926)

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

English and American Literature

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

²

The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 712 Major Texts in Critical Theory, ENGL-UA 735 Readings in Contemporary Literary Theory.

³

The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 143 Dante and His World, ENGL-UA 310 , ENGL-UA 320 Colloquium: Chaucer, ENGL-UA 410 Shakespeare, ENGL-UA 445 Colloquium: Early Modern Literature, ENGL-UA 450 Colloquium: Milton, ENGL-UA 512 .

English and American Literature | Specialization in Creative Writing

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

²

The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 712 Major Texts in Critical Theory, ENGL-UA 735 Readings in Contemporary Literary Theory.

³

The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 143 Dante and His World, ENGL-UA 310 , ENGL-UA 320 Colloquium: Chaucer, ENGL-UA 410 Shakespeare, ENGL-UA 445 Colloquium: Early Modern Literature, ENGL-UA 450 Colloquium: Milton, ENGL-UA 512 .

Study Away

The Department of English 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 non-ENGL-UA 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.

Sample Plan of Study

English and American Literature

¹

The major requires any three of the four, taken in any order: ENGL-UA 111 Literatures in English I: Medieval and Early Modern Literatures, ENGL-UA 112 Literatures in English II: Literatures of the British Isles and British Empire 1660-1900, ENGL-UA 113 Literatures in English III: American Literatures to 1900 or ENGL-UA 114 Literatures in English IV: Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Literatures.

²

Consult the program of study and the department

³

Major electives are drawn from any combination of intermediate courses, advanced courses, or seminars.

⁴

Chosen from: ENGL-UA 950-955, 960-965, or 970-976

English and American Literature | Specialization in Creative Writing

¹

The major requires any three of the four, taken in any order: ENGL-UA 111 Literatures in English I: Medieval and Early Modern Literatures, ENGL-UA 112 Literatures in English II: Literatures of the British Isles and British Empire 1660-1900, ENGL-UA 113 Literatures in English III: American Literatures to 1900 or ENGL-UA 114 Literatures in English IV: Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Literatures.

²

Consult the program of study and the department

³

Major electives are drawn from any combination of intermediate courses, advanced courses, or seminars.

⁴

Chosen from: ENGL-UA 950-955, 960-965, or 970-976

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:

1. An understanding of the history of both literature written in and translated into English.
2. 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.
3. 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

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). 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. All courses for the major must be completed with a C or better (Pass/Fail does not count).

ENGL-UA 101 is a prerequisite for ENGL-UA 111, 112, 113, and 114, but may be taken as a corequisite with permission of the department and/or instructor.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.