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English Literature, BA

36 credit hours

The Bachelor of Arts in English Literature prepares students to use language both persuasively and creatively and to read, think, and write critically in any setting. Graduates pursue a variety of professional objectives and career paths, including graduate school in literature and creative writing, law school, teaching at the secondary level, journalism, technical and business writing, copywriting, editing, and proofreading.

A major in English literature requires 36 credit hours of coursework through the Department of English Language and Literature plus the foreign language requirement listed below.

The major is structured to provide students with a broad expertise in British, American, and Anglophone literatures while also allowing them the opportunity to conduct in-depth explorations of topics of their choosing. 

Requirements

Three required courses:

ENGL 30100Methods of Literary Study

3
ENGL 33300Shakespeare

3
ENGL 45400Senior Thesis

3

Two courses selected from the following options in early literatures:

ENGL 33200Chaucer

3
ENGL 33800Medieval English Literature

3
ENGL 33900Early Modern Literature

3
ENGL 34100Restoration and 18th-Century Literature

3
ENGL 35200Early American Literature

3

Two courses selected from the following options in post-1785 literatures:

ENGL 30900The Novel

3
ENGL 34200English Romantic Literature

3
ENGL 3430019th Century Literature

3
ENGL 35300Modern American Literature

3
ENGL 3550020th- and 21st-Century Literature

3

Two courses selected from the following options that provide in-depth analyses of topics in literature:

ENGL 34700-34799Topics in American Literature

3
ENGL 35700-35799Topics in British Literature

3
ENGL 38000-38099Advanced Topics in Literature

3
ENGL 38100-38199Advanced Topics in Literature

3

One course selected from the following options in Form, Language, and Textual Studies:

ENGL 37200Modern Grammar

3
ENGL 38200-38299Advanced Topics in English

3
ENGL 40400History of the English Language

3

One course selected from the following options in Form, Language, and Textual Studies:

ENGL 21400Introduction to Writing Poetry

3
ENGL 21500Introduction to Writing Fiction

3
ENGL 22200Writing Creative Non-Fiction

3
ENGL 37200Modern Grammar

3
ENGL 38200-38299Advanced Topics in English

3
ENGL 40400History of the English Language

3

One course selected from any 20000-, 30000-, or 40000- level ENGL course, except for ENGL 29000-29999 and ENGL 39000-39999.

Note: No duplication of coursework is allowed.

English Literature majors must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to Lindenwood University’s Intermediate II level. Students who have experience in a foreign language before they enroll at Lindenwood may have their proficiency tested by the Department of Foreign Languages to determine which courses, if any, they must take to fulfill the requirement.

English Literature majors should take ENGL 30100 as soon as possible after completing ENGL 17000.