English & American Literatures
The English Department offers a program of intensive study in literature by major writers from the medieval period to the present. It also provides experience in a variety of interpretive methods and cultural contexts and fosters the knowledge and appreciation of literature.
The English major is intended to cultivate students' powers of rigorous analysis, whatever their eventual career goals. The major also provides a rich variety of opportunities for critical and creative writing. Course work begins with a sequence designed to introduce students to close reading, literary criticism and the foundations of literature in English; this core sequence is followed by courses that expose students to the major genres and periods of literature.
For a full list of courses offered by the English Department, see the department listing in the College Catalog.