English

Bachelor of Arts in English

A minimum of 12 hours of upper-division course work for the English major must be completed on the Boulder campus. English courses taken at other colleges must be evaluated by the Department of English. Courses taken in other departments (except approved cross-listed courses) normally do not count toward the English major. English courses taken on a pass/fail basis do not fulfill major requirements. Independent study credit hours cannot fulfill a major requirement unless that requirement is not being offered or available within the year that the student graduates. 

Note: For the Advanced Placement examination in English literature and composition, students will receive credit for ENGL 1500 for an exam score of 4 or 5.

Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and one of the two programs listed below.

Literature

Students must complete the major requirements in effect at the time they formally declare the major. A minimum of 36 credit hours must be earned in the Department of English, 18 of which must be upper division. Requirements may be fulfilled by taking specific courses designated by the Department of English.

Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours

• ENGL 2102 Literary Analysis—3
• ENGL 2112 Introduction to Literary Theory—3
• One course from any two of the following: British literature to 1660, British literature after 1660 and American literature—15
• Two courses from: genre, media and advanced writing—6
• ENGL 4039 Critical Thinking in English Studies—3
• Two elective courses in English—6
• In addition to the 36 hours required for the major, another 9 hours may be taken, for a maximum of 45 hours in English.
• The recommended sequence of courses to be taken during the initial year of the literature program is ENGL 2102 and an English elective for the first semester, and ENGL 2112 and a 2000-level ENGL course for the second semester.

Creative Writing

Students are subject to those major requirements in effect at the time they formally declare the major.

A minimum of 36 credit hours must be earned in the Department of English, 18 of which must be upper division.

Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours

• ENGL 2102 Literary Analysis—3
• ENGL 2112 Introduction to Literary Theory—3
• One course from any two of the following: British literature to 1660, British literature after 1660 and American literature—6
• One course from genre, media and advanced writing—3
• ENGL 4039 Critical Thinking in English Studies—3
• Six creative writing workshops taken in progressive order, three of which must be upper division—18
• In addition to the 36 hours required for the major, another 9 hours may be taken, for a maximum of 45 hours in English.
• The sequence of creative writing workshops must begin with ENGL 1191 Introduction to Creative Writing and proceed through the 2000-level, 3000-level and 4000-level workshops.

Students declare the creative writing track when declaring their English major with the help of a student advisor. Students must have completed or be in the process of completing at least 6 hours of writing within the program before being allowed to declare. Students should declare no later than the second semester of their junior year. In order to take a workshop beyond the 2000-level, students who have not declared the creative writing track or the creative writing minor must submit a manuscript to the Department of English prior to registration. Each workshop may be taken three times for credit, except for ENGL 1191. All students completing the creative writing track must take and complete a 4000-level writing workshop. Students may not take two poetry or two fiction workshops in the department in the same semester. Students must satisfy all prerequisites with a grade of a B or better before moving on to the workshop at the next level.

Minor Program in Creative Writing

Declaration of a minor is open to any student enrolled at CU-Boulder, regardless of college or school. Students majoring in English, literature or creative writing track, cannot declare a creative writing minor. Students are subject to those minor requirements in effect at the time they formally declare the minor.

Completion of the minor requires 18 credit hours, at least 9 of which must be upper division.

Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours

• ENGL 1191 Intro to Creative Writing—3
• ENGL 3041 Studies in Fiction and Poetry—3
• Four creative writing workshops, taken in progressive order—12

Admission to the creative writing minor can be made at any time after a student completed ENGL 1191 Introduction to Creative Writing. Three hours of transfer workshop credits can be applied with department approval. Students should ideally apply no later than the second semester of their junior year.

Each workshop may be taken three times for credit, except for ENGL 1191. All students completing a creative writing minor must take and complete a 4000-level writing workshop. Students may not take two poetry or two fiction workshops in the department in the same semester. Students must satisfy all prerequisites required with a grade of a B or better before moving on to the workshop at the next level. 

Advising

Upon declaring an English major, students are assigned an English advisor. The advisors are available to meet with students by appointment or on a drop-in basis. The advisors monitor and evaluate student progress in completing the arts and sciences core curriculum and major requirements, and certify students for graduation. The department encourages students to meet with their primary advisor at least once each semester to update their student file and ensure that they are making satisfactory progress in meeting the core and major requirements.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in English, students should meet the following requirements:

• Declare the English major and begin course work in the major no later than the beginning of the second semester.
• Successfully complete one-third of the hour requirements for the major by the end of the fourth semester. For literature track majors, this includes ENGL 2102, 2112, an English elective and any 2000-level course for the major. For creative writing track majors, this includes ENGL 2102, 1191, 2112 and 2021 or 2051, as well as formal admission to the program.
• Successfully complete two-thirds of the hour requirements for the major by the end of the sixth semester. 
• Successfully complete the remaining major requirements by the end of the eighth semester.

Departmental Honors

Students interested in pursuing a special program leading to graduation with departmental honors should confer with the associate chair for undergraduate studies as soon as possible, but definitely no later than the beginning of spring term in their junior year.

Students Who Contemplate Teaching

Sheets listing the curriculum required for a teaching license for secondary schools may be obtained in Education 151. Since fulfilling requirements for both education and English makes a very tight schedule, students should seek early advising to complete their college requirements. For additional information, visit teaching licensure. 

Undergraduate English Awards and Prizes

The Alex McGuiggan Scholarship was established in spring 2010 to recognize the achievement of an undergraduate English major studying creative writing with a preference for students whose strength is in writing poetry. The scholarship was established in memory of Alex McGuiggan, an English major at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The Curtis Michael Gimeno Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship benefits students with a creative writing emphasis who exemplify promise of talent in communicating through the written language. The scholarship was generously established by Donna Jorgenson Farrell in memory of and as a legacy to her son, Curtis Michael Gimeno, who enjoyed writing. 

The Gentian Ascension Scholarship. This scholarship is a variable annual award established to benefit an undergraduate student who exhibits a past that demonstrates overcoming academic obstacles and shows budding talent as a writer.