UMBC logo
Undergraduate Catalog cover art

English

Career and Academic Paths | Academic Advising | Graduate School Advising | English Major Requirements | Literature Track (15 credits) | Communication and Technology Track | Minor Programs | Communication And Technology Minor (Comm) (18 credits) | Literature Minor (LITR) (18 credits) | Minor Program in Writing (WRTG) | English Secondary Education Program | English Major Requirements (27 credits): | Special Topics | English as a Second Language (ESL) | Honors Program | Special Opportunities | Student Organizations |

Faculty

View faculty details

Chair

Jessica Berman

Professors

Raphael Falco
Lucille McCarthy

Professor of the Practice

Christopher Corbett

Assistant Professors

Helen Burgess
Jean Fernandez
Piotr Gwiazda
Jennifer Maher
Jody Shipka
Orianne Smith
Carole Lynn Stewart

Clinical Assistant Professor

Michele Osherow

Senior Lecturers

Michael Fallon
Robin Farabaugh
Carol Fitzpatrick
Gail Orgelfinger
Sally Shivnan

Lecturers

Linda Benson
Linda R. Harris
Mitzi Mabe
Anthony McGurrin

Editor

Mary Hickernell

Professors Emeriti

J. Leeds Barroll
Joan Korenman

Associate Professors Emeriti

Kenneth Baldwin
Lawrence Lasher

Courses in this program are listed under ENGL and SPCH.

The program for English majors is designed to provide students with advanced skills in written and oral communication and in the interpretation of texts, as well as with a deepened critical appreciation of literature and other forms of writing. Students in the literature track cultivate the skills of close reading, effective writing and critical analysis. They study British and American literature in their historical development and choose from a wide assortment of seminars and elective courses on topics of special interest. Students in the communication and technology track focus on developing expository writing skills, study print and electronic media, and examine the literature of technology. Both tracks prepare students for an exceptionally wide range of careers as well as for the demands of graduate study.

Career and Academic Paths

Many careers are open to English majors. In the Greater Baltimore region alone, UMBC English graduates have succeeded as government administrators, business executives, editors and publishers, technical writers and journalists. Many English graduates teach at the primary, secondary and university levels. In addition, English graduates go into law, medicine, government, social work, public relations, advertising, law enforcement, foreign service and new media design.

Academic Advising

Students who wish to major in English should declare the major by submitting the Declaration of Major form to the Office of the Registrar or English Department Office. Shortly afterward, students will receive a letter from the department assigning them a faculty advisor. Each semester, after the schedule of classes is published and before the advance registration period, students should make an appointment with their advisor to discuss their program for the upcoming semester and any other academic matters that may have arisen. Students should come to the advising appointment with a preliminary schedule already outlined. Students must have an advisor’s approval to register. Transfer students who are registering for the first time and have not been assigned to an advisor should visit the department office for further information.

Please note that interaction with the advisor is an important part of each student’s academic program and that the advisor has the final responsibility for certifying that students have completed the requirements of the major program.

Graduate School Advising

The English major provides excellent preparation for graduate study in literature and related fields, such as journalism, creative writing and publication design. UMBC English majors frequently have gained admission to some of the most rigorous graduate programs in the nation. The English department encourages its students to consider graduate study. Early in their major programs, interested students should consult with the departmental graduate school placement advisor or with other members of the faculty who can provide information about the variety of graduate programs available and specific admission requirements.

English Major Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English consists of a minimum of 39 credits as distributed below. The major offers two tracks: (1) literature and (2) communication and technology. These tracks share a common core of four courses and the same elective requirements. Additional requirements are listed under the separate tracks.

All courses for the major must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.

Common Core Courses (12 credits)

ENGL 301 Analysis of Literary Language

ENGL 250 Introduction to Shakespeare
OR
ENGL 351Studies in Shakespeare

ENGL 391Advanced Exposition and Argumentation
OR
ENGL 393 Technical Writing
OR
ENGL 379 Principles and Practices in Technical Communication

Common Elective Requirements (12 credits)

These electives must be English courses at the 300- or 400-level, although students may, with their advisor’s permission, include one 200-level course as part of this requirement. Students must take one literature course, one expository writing course and two other electives. Creative writing courses may be used to satisfy the literature elective. The expository writing elective should be selected from the following courses: ENGL 226, 291, 303, 324, 326, 380, 382, 383, 391, 392, 393, 394 or 395. Any English course at the prescribed level fulfills the unrestricted electives.

Literature Track (15 credits)

English majors in the literature track will develop skills of close reading, critical thinking and analysis of literary texts. Students also will develop an extensive historical knowledge of British and American literature in their cultural and social contexts.

Survey Courses

Choose four of the following five survey courses. Whenever possible, survey courses should be taken in chronological order. They may be taken concurrently with any other major courses.
ENGL 304 British Literature:Medieval and Renaissance
ENGL 305 British Literature: Restoration to Romantic
ENGL 306 British Literature: Victorian and Modern
ENGL 307 American Literature: From New World Contact to the Civil War
ENGL 308 American Literature: The Civil War to 1945

Methods Course (3 credits)

ENGL 401Methods of Interpretation
Note: ENGL 401 should be taken in the senior year.

Senior Seminar (3 credits)

Communication and Technology Track

English majors in the communication and technology track will fully develop expository writing skills, examine the literature of technology and communication, and develop a critical understanding of print and electronic texts.

Required Courses (12 credits)

ENGL 291Introduction to Writing Creative Essays
OR
ENGL 303 The Art of the Essay

ENGL 226 Grammar and Usage of Standard English
OR
ENGL 326 The Structure of English

ENGL 324 Theories of Communication and Technology

ENGL 392 Tutorial in Writing Methods Course (3 credits)

ENGL 407 Language in Society

Note: ENGL 407 should be taken in the senior year.

Senior Seminar (3 credits)

Minor Programs

Students completing one minor may not apply the same elective courses to satisfy requirements for another minor. However, required courses in one minor may be listed as electives in another minor program. This provision allows students to complete more than one minor program without having to take 36 total hours of classes. Students should consult with their English department advisors to identify the minor program(s) best suited to their interests and needs.

Communication And Technology Minor (Comm) (18 credits)

The English department offers a minor in communication and technology for students who wish to explore the theory and practice of communication and new media studies. All courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. No course at the 100 level may be counted for minor credit.

Core courses (6 credits):

Students may elect any three of these four core courses:
ENGL 300 Communication and Technology: Analysis of Texts and Contexts
ENGL 330Researching Communicative Practices
ENGL 385 New Media and Digital Literacies
ENGL 387 Web Design and Multimedia Authoring

Elective Courses (9 credits):

Students must select at least one course from List A and at least one course from List B. The third elective may be chosen from either list. In addition, the core course that the student did not select may be taken as an elective.

List A:
ENGL 320 Topics in Communication and Technology
ENGL 324 Theories of Communication and Technology
ENGL 342 Principles and Practices of Visual Literacy
ENGL 343 Introduction to Genre Analysis
ENGL 353 Rhetorical Theory
ENGL 355 Communicative Practices and Play Theory
ENGL 383 Science Writing
ENGL 386 Adult Literacy Tutoring: Issues and Methods
ENGL 407 Language in Society
ENGL 442 Seminar in Visual Literacy
ENGL 447 Online Voice and Community
ENGL 449 Seminar in Genre Analysis
ENGL 483 Seminar in Writing in the Sciences
ENGL 486 Seminar in Teaching Composition: Theory and Practice
ENGL 493 Seminar in Communication and Technology
List B:
SPCH 210 Interpersonal Communication
ENGL 291 Introduction to Writing Creative Essays
ENGL 303 Art of the Essay
ENGL 379 Principles and Practices inTechnical Communication
ENGL 380 Introduction to News Writing
ENGL 382 Feature Writing
ENGL 391 Advanced Exposition and Argumentation
ENGL 392 Tutorial in Writing
ENGL 394 Technical Editing
ENGL 403 Advanced Art of the Essay

Literature Minor (LITR) (18 credits)

The Department of English offers a minor program in literature, requiring 18 credit hours for completion. The literature minor is intended for students who wish to augment their knowledge of English and American literature while also refining their skills in close reading and critical interpretation of literary texts. The literature minor requirements are listed below. All courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. No course at the 100 level may be counted for minor credit.

Required Core Courses:

Six credits of ENGL 250: Introduction to Shakespeare and ENGL 301: Analysis of Literary Language.

Elective Requirement:

Twelve additional credits of English courses must be taken, with six of those credits at the 300 or 400 level. At least three of these elective courses must be in literature. With the approval of the minor advisor, one literature course from a department other than English may be counted for minor credit.

Note: Students completing the literature minor may not apply the same elective courses to satisfy requirements for the writing minor. However, required courses in one minor may be listed as electives in another minor program. This provision allows students to complete more than one minor program without having to take 36 total hours of classes. Students should consult with their English department advisors to identify the minor program(s) best suited to their interests and needs.

Minor Program in Writing (WRTG)

(18 credits – basic minor, 24 credits – extended minor)
The minor in writing at UMBC is open to — and appropriate for — students majoring in any field. The credential earned by completing the minor will document the student’s pursuit of writing skills for admissions committees and prospective employers. Both the basic minor and the extended minor share a common four-course core:

ENGL 100 Composition
ENGL 291 Introduction to Writing Creative Essays
ENGL 391 Advanced Exposition and Argumentation
ENGL 392 Tutorial in Writing
To complete the basic minor, students must elect any two courses (6 credits) from the writing courses listed below. To complete the extended writing minor, students must elect four courses (12 credits) from within one area below or from approved electives, including ENGL 400: Special Projects. All courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

Note: No more than two writing minor courses may be taken per semester. Ideally, these courses should be taken in order and at the rate of one per semester. A “C” average is necessary in all courses applied to the writing minor. Students may begin the minor at any time. They may declare the minor by listing it on the Declaration of Major form in the Academic Services. Those who have already declared a major may amend the form. With the advisor’s permission, up to six credits from the writing minor may be counted as part of the English major.

A. Journalism
ENGL 380 Introduction to News Writing
ENGL 382 Feature Writing
ENGL 383 Science Writing
ENGL 398 Journalism Internship
ENGL 480 Seminar in Advanced Journalism
ENGL 495* Internship (Journalism)
B. Rhetoric and Communication
ENGL 226 English Grammar and Usage
ENGL 324 Theories of Communication and Technology
ENGL 326 The Structure of English
ENGL 386 Adult Literacy Tutoring: Issues and Methods
ENGL 395 Writing Internship (Tutoring)
ENGL 407 Language in Society
ENGL 485 The Teaching of Writing
ENGL 488 Seminar in Computer-assisted Writing Instruction
ENGL 490 Topics in the English Language
ENGL 491 Seminar in Topics in the English Language
ENGL 493 Seminar in Rhetoric and Composition
ENGL 495* Internship (Rhetoric and Communication Theory)
C. Creative Writing

Courses in creative writing must be taken in the proper sequence unless permission of the instructor is given.
ENGL 271Introduction to Creative Writing – Fiction
ENGL 272 Introduction to Creative Writing – Script Writing
ENGL 273 Introduction to Creative Writing – Poetry
ENGL 371 Creative Writing – Fiction
THTR 371 Writing for the Theatre
ENGL 373 Creative Writing – Poetry
ENGL 375 Masterworks for Creative Writers
ENGL 397 Tutorial in Creative Writing
ENGL 403 Advanced Creative Writing – Non-Fiction
ENGL 471 Advanced Creative Writing – Fiction
ENGL 473 Advanced Creative Writing – Poetry
ENGL 475 Special Studies in Creative Writing
ENGL 495* Internship (Creative Writing)
D. Professional Writing
ENGL 226 English Grammar and Usage
ENGL 326 The Structure of English
ENGL 379 Principles and Practices in Technical Communication
ENGL 387 Web Content Development
ENGL 393 Technical Writing
ENGL 393H Technical Writing with Honors
ENGL 394 Technical Editing
ENGL 400 Special Projects in English
ENGL 407 Language in Society
ENGL 490 Advanced Topics in the English Language
ENGL 495* Internship (Professional Writing)

* ENGL 495 can only be taken once for the basic minor and twice for the extended minor.

English Secondary Education Program

The English Deptartment offers a program for English majors who wish to become certified to teach English at the secondary level. This program has been approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. In completing the specific requirements of this program, students also must complete the normal requirements of the English major literature track described above. In addition, students must be admitted to and complete UMBC’s Secondary Teacher Education Program. Upon successful completion of course work and student teaching, students are recommended for teacher certification in the State of Maryland. The English Secondary Education Program consists of 42 credits distributed as follows:

English Major Requirements (27 credits):

Core Courses (9 credits)

ENGL 301, 250 or 351, and 391 or 393

Survey Courses (12 credits)

ENGL 304, 305, 306, 307 or 308

Methods Course (3 credits)

ENGL 401

Expository Writing Course (3 credits)

ENGL 291, 303, 326, 379, 380, 382, 383, 391, 392, 393, 394 or 395

Education Emphasis(15 credits)

EDUC 315/ENGL 396 Methods of Teaching English in the Secondary Schools

EDUC/ENGL 414 Adolescent Literature
To address the content of public-school curricula, the Education department requires that students take one elective course in each of the following areas:
Women’s or minority literature: ENGL 260, 261, 360, 361, 362, 364 or 369

(Note: Both a women’s and a minority literature course are strongly recommended.)
History of the English language: ENGL 490 or 491
Seminar in the teaching of writing: ENGL 486 or 488.
(Note: ENGL 486 or 488 also may be counted toward the seminar requirement of the English major.)

For a description of the 39 required credits in teacher education courses, see the Secondary Education Program of the UMBC Department of Education. Students intending to seek elementary or secondary certification should consult with the education department as early as possible in their careers for a complete description of the requirements of the certification program and the procedures for admittance into the program.

Special Topics

If students have special interest in a particular literary subject, they may be able to explore it through ENGL 400: Special Topics in English. Students will plan their own course of study and determine the number of credit hours (up to four) in consultation with a faculty member who will direct the project and award the grade. Students should discuss their project with the faculty member with whom they would like to work. Students should secure permission from the ENGL 400 course director to register for the agreed-upon number of credits. This course may be repeated for credit, but it may not count as a seminar.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

The English department offers special courses and designated sections (followed by “E”) of standard courses for students whose native language is not English.

ENGL 107E
Grammar Lab I for ESL Students
ENGL 108E
Grammar Lab II for ESL Students
ENGL 109E
Grammar Lab III for ESL Students
ENGL 110E
Composition for ESL Students
ENGL 209E
American Literature for ESL Students
ENGL 281E
Intermediate Exposition for ESL Students
ENGL 391E
Advanced Exposition for ESL Students
ENGL 393E
Technical Writing for ESL Students

Honors Program

Participation in the English honors program enables students to complete a large-scale critical, research or creative-writing project. Honors students are chosen on the basis of their grades and their writing ability and should have at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA in non-major courses or a strong faculty recommendation.

Candidates for the honors program normally apply to the program director in the late fall of their junior year. With faculty consultation, students will choose their own research projects. Graduates of the program will be honored at commencement, and their honors status will be noted on their transcripts. Further details of the program are available in the English department office.

Special Opportunities

The English department has a program of internships (ENGL 398 and 495) in which students may earn one to eight credits while gaining practical experience in communication and research skills in a real-life work situation. Students work six to eight hours per week for a newspaper, television or radio station, government agency or business. These opportunities are arranged by the English department in cooperation with the sponsoring agency.

Student Organizations

English Council of Majors

The English Council of Majors is a student-run organization that hosts many literary and social events throughout the year, including poetry readings at local coffeehouses, writing workshops by prominent American poets, graduate school information meetings and faculty-student colloquia.

Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honors Society

English majors with an outstanding record of academic achievement are invited to join the UMBC chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honors society. Members of Sigma Tau Delta are eligible for national scholarships, writing awards and publishing internships; the UMBC chapter works closely with the English Council of Majors in organizing literary activities.

English majors gain publishing experience by working on Bartleby, UMBC’s literary magazine; The UMBC Review, a journal of student research; and The Retriever, UMBC’s school newspaper, which won first place with special merit in the 1995 Scholastic Press Association Annual College Newspaper Awards.