English (BA) 

Departmental Mission Statement
The curriculum of the English Department is designed to demonstrate the interaction of literature with every area of human values and human concern. The central works of English and American literature are emphasized, but they are joined by other great literatures studied in translation. In upper-division courses, instead of treating together works widely varied in style, content, and theme because they were written in the same century, the department has cut across historical lines to place side by side works dealing with the same subjects or themes or works that belong to the same genre

The student with a major in English selects an emphasis in creative writing; literature, society, and politics; or world drama and playwriting. All courses listed in the catalog are offered on a regular basis, though some upper-division courses are taught only in two-year rotation.

A special program in the School of Education for seniors who plan to teach permits them to work as apprentices at local high schools, devoting their energy to teaching, with minimal demands made on them at the University.
Website: www.webster.edu/depts/artsci/english

Special Study Opportunities

Internships: English majors can perform writing internships with businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.  These internships can earn course credit if taken as part of WRIT 3000 Professional Writing Practicum.

Departmental Honors in English: With the English Department’s approval, an English major may earn recognition as an outstanding student in the department by completing the additional requirements below.

To earn departmental honors, an English major must:

• Complete at least 45 credit hours in residence at Webster University.
• Maintain a G.P.A. of 3.5 in English coursework completed at Webster University.
• Complete at least 15 credit hours in English courses offered at the 3000 and 4000 levels.
• Complete at least two semesters of a foreign language with a grade of B or higher in each semester, or test out of that requirement.
• Further explore cultures other than British or U.S. in one of four ways: complete a third semester of foreign language; complete an approved course in literature in translation; complete an approved course in world literature; or participate in study abroad.
• Through consultation with an English Department advisor, secure the approval of the department to proceed with the Honors Thesis.
• Complete ENGL 4900 Thesis Workshop by writing a thesis that meets departmental standards for exceptional work. Students who complete ENGL 4900 will earn 1 credit hour, for a total of 43 credit hours

1. Creative writing emphasis: original creative work by the student.
2. Literature, society, and politics emphasis: an original scholarly essay.
3. World Drama and Playwriting: an original scholarly essay on dramatic literature or an original play.

 Admission

 Applicants for a major in English are required to submit a photocopy of one graded literary analysis essay, including the instructor’s comments and grade, written for a previous English class. Students applying for English with an emphasis in Creative Writing must also submit one short story, play (or portion thereof), nonfiction essay, or three poems.

Learning Objectives and Intended Outcomes

 Upon completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Interpret the canonical works and major periods of American and British literature as well as some lesser known works within and outside that canon (including global literature).
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the history and conventions of literary genres, including poetry, drama, and fiction.
• Interpret individual works within their historical and cultural contexts.
• Synthesize trends, themes, and/or patterns of language use found in a range of literary texts in response to overarching questions.
• Evaluate the impact of literature on individuals, societies and cultures.
• Analyze the motivations, needs, values, and social dynamics that give rise to literature.
• Compose thesis-driven, textually-supported literary analyses that apply the conventions of literary study, including close reading and MLA style.

• Back to top

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 128 credit hours consisting of the following:

• 42 required credit hours
• 3 international language requirement credit hours
• Applicable university global citizenship or general education program hours
• Electives
  

• English courses completed with a grade lower than C- do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.
• Each student must complete at least 12 credit hours of courses for the major at the 3000 or 4000 level.
• At least 21 credit hours within the major must be completed at Webster University. Of the 24 credit hours required in any one emphasis, 12 must be taken at Webster University.

International Language Requirement

• A minimum of three hours in a non-native language is required in addition to the requirements for the major. Courses used towards the International Language requirement may also be used to fulfill general education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language.
• Transfer students who have completed their 3 credits at an institution of higher education are considered to have fulfilled the requirement, as are students who have scored a “3” or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a non-native language.
•  For students whose native language is not English, a passing grade on the TOEFL will count as their foreign language requirement. Students who are from bilingual families but have no evidence of academic study of the second language on a transcript will need to take one course.

Required Courses for the English Major

• Back to top

English with Emphasis in Creative Writing

Program Description

The primary focus of the program is on learning the art of reading as a writer: opening up influences, gathering strategies, widening the range of what's possible in a student's own writing. Small classes, high standards, and a congenial atmosphere combine to foster each student's individual growth as a writer.

The attendant Visiting Writers Series brings nationally prominent writers to campus for public readings and colloquia. Each year students in the program edit and publish a literary magazine, The Green Fuse . Playwrights have the opportunity to see their own work produced in the annual spring festival of student plays, Surfacing: The Emerging Playwrights Festival.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Read from the perspective of a writer, analyzing and understanding the elements of good writing, conventions of the respective literary genres, and the strategic use of language, voice, form, and other instrumental aspects of the writer's craft. 
• Produce accomplished creative work that demonstrates a command of literary strategies appropriate to their chosen genre (fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, or translation).

Required Courses for Emphasis in Creative Writing

15 credit hours from the following:

9 credit hours from the following:

• Back to top

English with Emphasis in Literature, Society, and Politics

Program Description

In this emphasis, students are expected to engage with literature not only in terms of its aesthetic dimensions, but also in terms of the ways it expresses the values, views, and dynamics of a given cultural and historical context. In small classes and seminars students are given multiple opportunities to develop their skills in literary analysis, critical writing, and oral expression. Outstanding student essays are selected by faculty to be published each spring in our literary journal, The Mercury.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Identify and evaluate appropriate research sources, incorporate those sources into well-documented formal academic writing, and formulate their own arguments based at least in part on those sources.
  

Required Courses Emphasis in Literature, Society, and Politics

24 credit hours from the following:

• Back to top

English with Emphasis in World Drama and Playwriting

Program Description

This emphasis is designed to give students a strong grounding in our rich legacy of dramatic literature from the ancient to the modern eras. Students in the emphasis read classic as well as contemporary dramatic work from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Our dramatic literature classes are designed to engage and involve students as active readers, thinkers, and writers. The emphasis provides students with the necessary literary and analytical skills they will need as teachers, writers, scholars, and theatre professionals.

Our study abroad program makes it possible for students to study drama at our London campus, where students can see and study some of the world’s finest drama onstage.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should be able to:

• Interpret major works of dramatic literature from the ancient to the contemporary eras within and across historical and cultural contexts.
• Describe and analyze the changing role of the playwright in the collaborative process of creating and producing dramatic works throughout the ages.
• Compose accomplished and original dramatic work, thereby demonstrating the ability to put theory into practice.

Required Courses for Emphasis in World Drama and Playwriting

Additional Required Courses for the World Drama and Playwriting Emphasis:

18 credit hours from the following:

• Back to top