The Major
Quick Links: Major
Requirements | Working with
an Advisor | Choosing Courses
Writing | Independent
Study | Study
Abroad | Teacher Licensure
Major
Requirements:
Credits
Courses
- English 200, An Introduction to the Study of
Literature
This course is required for English majors
- Two courses in literature written in English
before 1700 at either the 200 or 300 level
(Course descriptions
indicate which courses fulfill this
historical requirement).
- One course in literature written in English
between 1700 and 1900 at either the 200 or 300 level
(Course descriptions
indicate which courses fulfill
this historical requirement).
- Four courses at the 300 level, two of
which must be taken at Mount Holyoke and one which must be
a seminar.
(Course descriptions indicate which courses fulfill
the
seminar requirement).
- Please note:
- English 101, First-Year
Seminar, does not count toward the requirement of 36 credits for
the major.
- English 295 & 395,
Independent Study, cannot be counted as courses toward the
completion of the English
major.
Courses in Spring 2008 which fulfill the English
Department pre-1700 requirement:
Courses in Spring 2008 which fulfill the English
Department 1700-1900 requirement:
Courses in Spring 2008 which fulfill the English
Department seminar requirement:
- 302, 303, 304, 309,
334, 337, 344, 349, 355, 379, 381
Students wishing to declare an English major should
meet with the department Chair, Professor
Donald Weber, 112 Shattuck Hall.
Working
with an Advisor
We invite you to suggest the faculty
member you would like to work with as your advisor. (If you have no
suggestion, the Chair will help you find an advisor). In making this
selection you should take into account your plans for being on campus
and inquire about the faculty member's leave schedule. If your advisor
goes on leave we will assign someone else to cover for her or him,
or assign you to an instructor you
request.
The essence of advising at Mount Holyoke is a dialogue
between faculty and student. To this end we encourage you to talk
to
your advisor about the work you are doing in your courses, about what
you are excited about, what you are learning about literature, theory,
and textual study.
You should talk to your advisor during every preregistration
and registration period about your plans, your course selections,
fulfilling your requirements, and the developing shape
of your major.
Choosing
Courses
As a department we are committed to offering
a wide variety of courses reflecting a number of periods and approaches
to textual study. In order to do so we change our course offerings
regularly. Talk with your advisor about the courses you think you
might like to
take over the next year or so; she or he can tell you who will be
on leave, and whether the courses you are interested in will be offered.
In addition, pay attention to the prerequisites
in the course descriptions. In the event of over-enrollment, the
registrar
will be instructed to take those students with the stated prerequisites.
If you do not have them, it is unlikely you will get into a heavily-enrolled
course. Read through the catalog to familiarize yourself with the kinds
of prerequisites upper level courses require and plan your course
work accordingly. Access to the course catalog is available through
the Registrar's website: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/reg/5856.shtml
Writing
The Department of English offers two courses specifically designed
for first-year students: 101 and 200, offered every fall and spring.
English 101 is a writing-intensive first-year seminar intended to aid
students in the transition from high school to college writing; 200
is intended to introduce students to the study of English literature
and to practical criticism. English 200 is required ofall English majors.
Students who take English 101 or another first-year seminar in the
fall and are
considering a major in English will ordinarily take English
200 in the spring. Competent writers who want to try their hand at
creative writing may enroll in English 201, Introduction to Creative
Writing; first-year students require the permission of the instructor.With
the permission of the course instructor, sophomores, juniors, and
seniors who have experience in creative writing may proceed directly
to 200-level genre courses such as 203, Short Story Writing; 204,Verse
Writing; and 205, Playwriting, instead of 201.
Independent
Study
Students with special
interests they wish to pursue, and who can demonstrate both sufficient
preparation and a capacity to work
productively on their own, may apply for independent study, either
English 295 or English 395.
Please note: Neither English 295 nor
English 395 count toward the course requirements for the major.
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with particular interests or needs
may take 295 for 1 to 4 credits, provided suitable directors for
the proposed projects are available
Juniors and seniors who have devised projects in literary criticism
and scholarship, or in creative writing and journalism, and who
can demonstrate strong preparation and ability in the chosen area,
may take 395 for 4 credits. Students should discuss their ideas
for projects with appropriate faculty members in the department
with whom they would like to work. In most cases, students should
seek out faculty with whom they have already taken one or more
courses. A proposal form listing a possible advisor, along with
a sample paper, must be submitted to
the English department during the advising period prior to the
semester in which the project is to be undertaken. (Students studying
abroad may handle this via e-mail.) While the department will try
to find advisors for students who have not already reached an agreement
with a potential advisor, there is no guarantee a student will
be allowed to undertake an independent project. Again, preference
will be given to students who can demonstrate thorough preparation
for their proposed project, normally through successful completion
of course work at the 300 level.
Seniors who have shown promise in a semester of 395, and who meet
the College requirement of a 3.00 grade point average, may, with
the approval of the director of the project, continue the independent
work for an additional 4 credits, with a view toward writing a
thesis to be submitted for honors. Application forms for English
295 or 395, are available in the English department office, and,
again, must be filled out (usually
in consultation with the student's major advisor) and returned
to the department during preregistration. Information on submitting and formatting a thesis can be found
on the LITS Archives & Special Collections website: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/archives/7745.shtml
Study Abroad
If you are planning to study away from
Mount Holyoke for a semester or a year, discuss your course selections
and plans with your advisor. She or he can advise you about what is
likely to "count" in the major. It is not necessary to see
the department Chair before you leave; the department Chair cannot
guarantee
300-level
credit in advance for courses you have taken, what kind of work you
have done, and where these courses fit into your major and into the
department's requirements. Information on Study Abroad can be found on
the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives website: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/global/11622.shtml
Teacher Licensure
Students interested in pursuing licensure in the field of
English can combine their course work in English with a minor in education.
In some
instances course work in the major coincides with course work required
for licensure; in other cases, it does not. For specific course requirements
for licensure within the major of English, please consult the chair
of the English department. For information about the requirements for
the minor in education, please consult "Teacher Licensure" in
the Other Degree and Certificate Programs chapter of the course catalog
and Ms. Lawrence in the Department of Psychology and Education. Licensure
also requires a formal application as well as passing scores on the
Massachusetts
Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL) in both the literacy component and
the subject matter component. Copies of the test objectives for the
MTEL are available in the English department and in the Department
of Psychology and Education. Licensure application information and
materials are available in the Department of Psychology and Education
More information on the Teacher Licensure Program can be found on the
Psychology & Education website: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/psych/educ/teachercert.html
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