Requirements and Transfer Information
- General Requirements/Information
- English Major Requirements
- English Minor Requirements
- Professional Writing Requirements
General Requirements/Information
Prerequisite for All English Courses
Students must fulfill the Engl. 131 requirement prior to taking any other English course beyond 131. Engl. 190 (for majors) or Engl. 150 (for non majors) is a prerequisite for all other literature courses offered through the Department of English.
Transfer Students
Transfer students pursuing a major in English are required to complete a minimum of nine credit hours in the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Department of English, three of which must be a 400 level seminar in literature.
Composition Requirements
All College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences graduates are required to complete successfully Rhetoric and Writing I (Engl. 131) and, in addition, English Majors and Minors are required to complete successfully Rhetoric and Writing II (Engl. 141). See the Writing Competency and Course Requirements for further details.
Senior Comprehensive Exam
The Senior Comprehensive Exam is an "exit" exam that each student majoring in English must pass in order to graduate. The exam is administered on a Saturday morning in October and April each year. The exam is graded on a Pass, Fail, Honors basis. An honors designation is required to graduate with departmental honors. Please see the Senior Comprehensive Exam page for details.
Honors in English
To graduate with Departmental Honors in English, a student must: compile a 3.7 grade point average in the major; compile a 3.5 grade point average overall; and receive a grade of Honors on the Senior Comprehensive Exam.
Students Who Contemplate Teaching
Statements of curriculum requirements for a teaching certificate in English may be obtained from the School of Education. Students planning to teach should also confer with a member of the School of Education faculty about the Teacher Education Program. Since requirements for education and English make a very tight schedule, students should be fully informed as to both departmental and certification requirements by the beginning of the sophomore year.
English Major Requirements
The English major requires 39-45 hours of English courses, including the following specific requirements:
Composition Requirements, not counted toward the major requirement of 39-45 hours:
- Engl. 131 - Rhetoric and Writing I
- Engl. 141 - Rhetoric and Writing II
Literature Requirements:
- Engl. 190 - Introduction to Literary Studies for Majors (a prerequisite to all other literature courses designed for English majors)
- Engl. 251, 252, 253 and 254 - Survey of British Literature Series
- Engl. 300 - Literary Criticism in Theory and Practice
- Engl. 338 and 339 - Survey of American Literature Series
- Engl. 395 - Chaucer
- Engl. 397 or 398 - Shakespeare, one semester
Senior Seminar:
- Any 400 level English literature course. (Please note this excludes Engl. 405-3 Advanced Fiction Workshop, Engl. 483-3 Rhetoric and Writing, Engl. 485-3 History of the English Language, Engl. 490-4 Peer Tutoring of Writing, and Engl. 491-4 Projects in the Teaching of Writing.)
At least 16 of the 39-45 required hours must be in upper-division courses (i.e.,300 and 400 level). All English majors are required to pass the Senior Comprehensive Exam prior to graduating. No English course will count toward the major if the grade is below C-.
Emphasis on Professional Writing: English majors with a Professional Writing emphasis are required to take Engl 190, 251, 252, 253, 254, 338, 339, Chaucer or Shakespeare, Senior Seminar, and 18 additional credits from those offered towards the minor in Professional Writing.
English Minor Requirements
To complete a minor in English, a total of 21 credit hours is required. A student must pass (with a grade of C- or better) each of the following courses:
Literature Requirements:
- Engl. 190 - Introduction to Literary Studies for Majors(a prerequisite to all other literature courses designed for English majors
- Engl. 251 or 252 - Survey of British Literature I or II
- Engl. 253 or 254 - Survey of British Literature III or IV
- Engl. 300 - Literary Criticism in Theory and Practice
- Engl. 338 or 339 - Survey of American Literature I or II
- Either Engl. 395, 397 or 398 (Chaucer, Shakespeare I or Shakespeare II)
Upper-Division Writing:
- Any one of: Engl. 301, 303, 306, 307, 380 or 490
Senior Seminar:
- Any 400 level English literature course. (Please note this excludes Engl. 405-3 Advanced Fiction Workshop, Engl. 483-3 Rhetoric and Writing, Engl. 485-3 History of the English Language, Engl. 490-4 Peer Tutoring of Writing, and Engl. 491-4 Projects in the Teaching of Writing.)
Professional Writing Requirements
To complete a minor in Professional Writing, a total of 18 credit hours is required from among the following courses:
- Engl. 301 - Advanced Composition
- Engl. 307 - Business and Administrative Writing
- Engl. 309 - Technical Writing and Presentation
- Engl. 311 - Advanced Grammar
- Engl. 312 - Editing and Style
- Engl. 313 - Document Design in Professional Writing
- Engl. 314 - Project Management in Professional Writing
- Engl. 315 - Professional Writing Internship
- Engl. 316 - Tools for Technical Writers
No course will count toward the minor if the grade is below C-. English 131 (or validated transfer credit or a bachelor's degree in hand) is a prerequisite for all courses designed for the minor in Professional Writing. Upon approval from the English Department, 3 credits can be applied towards the minor from among the following courses: IS 100, CS 100, FA210, Comm 324, Jour 250, and BCOM 555. Students cannot apply one of these courses to both the minor and to another requirement they may need to fulfill.
