A grade of C or better is required in all courses applied to major and minor programs in the Humanities. This study prepares students to succeed in both making a living and making a life in careers such as education, law, medicine, theology, business, public relations, mass media, and public service. English majors begin their upper-level studies with courses that investigate the movements that have shaped the ways we read, write, and think in America today. Students may choose courses that deal, for example, with the medieval view of the world or with the romantic spirit or with the rise of realistic analysis of society. As they move on to more advanced study, majors choose among courses offering a variety of approaches to literature.
Some courses concentrate on a single genre such as drama.
Some study texts in relation to the history and thought of a particular period or place. Some provide an in-depth examination of the work of a single author such as Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson. English majors become practiced writers who understand the language and its many applications. Majors with specific interests in creative and expository writing may take workshops in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. These final steps in the major combine a re-thinking of past studies with a definition of the student's individual interests and plans for the future.