The English Department is located in Melrose Hall

Goals for the Major

In successfully completing a major in English, students will have:

• Clearer understanding of the ways literature at once articulates and reflects social, political, and cultural contexts.
• Deeper aesthetic appreciation of poems, drama, fiction, nonfiction, and/or films as manifestations of imagination.
• Familiarity with the methods, theories, and issues of literary criticism.
• The ability to advocate critical responses in classroom discussion and to listen to and consider the critical analyses of others.
• The ability to analyze narrative and literary motifs and to present those understandings in critical papers.
• An appreciation and critical understanding of Shakespeare's plays and their influence on other literature.

Goals for the Creative Writing Major

In successfully completing a major in Creative Writing, students will have:

• Writing skills in a variety of literary genres and familiarity with the craft of writing in its formal aspects.
• Substantial experience with group discussion and writing workshops and the ability to benefit from workshop discussion.
• Broad familiarity with literature, with emphasis on English and American but not excluding world literature, and recognition of the influence of literary precursors on contemporary writing.
• The ability to critique a manuscript-in-progress in a constructive way and apply editing skills at each stage of the writing process.
• Familiarity with various stages of the writing process, from gathering of material and free writing to revision and completion of a final polished manuscript.
• The ability to complete successfully a polished, sustained manuscript in the genre of a student's choice and to present that manuscript in an appropriate format.

Requirements for Major or Minor

For the English Major: 40 credits, including 260, 275, either 350 or 351, 486, and 16 additional credits at or above the 300 level (with at least one course in American and one course in English literature). A further 8 credits may be taken at any level. A maximum of 8 credits in creative writing may be counted toward the English major.

For the English Minor: 20 credits, with at least one course at the 300 level. Either 260 or 275 strongly recommended. An English minor may include 4 credits in creative writing.

For the Creative Writing Major: 40 credits, including 16 credits in creative writing courses; 20 credits in literature, including 275 and at least one course in American literature; and 485. One 3-5 credit course in an allied field (arts or mass communication) may be included in the total of 40 credits. Creative writing courses may be chosen from the following: 200 Creative Writing; 316 Poetry; 317 Fiction; 318 Scripts; 319 Non-fiction.; and 320 Creative Writing and the Art of the Book. 316, 317, 318 and 319 may be repeated once for credit. (Independent study courses may be substituted at the department?s discretion.) Literary Magazine (120) may be used as part of the total with permission of the department. Strongly recommended in addition to course work: internship in a related field.

For a Creative Writing Minor: 20 credits in creative writing courses. A creative writing minor may include the senior thesis (485) as part of that 20, provided the student notify the creative writing advisor during the academic year preceding composition of the thesis.

For Oregon Initial Teacher Licensure in Language Arts: A student must complete the Linfield Teacher Education Program requirements and the State of Oregon licensure requirements (see pages 57 and 58 in the print catalog).  In order to complete these requirements, a student must begin taking education courses no later than his/her sophomore year. The student must be advised by an Education Department faculty member each semester prior to registration.