BA in English
Units required for Major: 44, 27-30 of which must be upper division
Total units required for BA: 120
Program Description
The English department of California State University, Sacramento, is a community of teachers, scholars, writers, and support staff whose primary mission is to promote learning in composition, creative writing, English education, linguistics, literature, and the teaching of English as a second language. The department seeks to help students acquire knowledge, develop skills, and realize their own intellectual and creative goals.
At the undergraduate and graduate levels, the English Department presents a broad and balanced curriculum designed to develop the reading and writing skills, the interpretative abilities, and the cultural awareness of its students by maintaining and enhancing a tradition of strong teaching, solid scholarship, and vigorous support of creative literary activity.
Minimum Grade Requirement
English majors must achieve a grade of "C-" or better in all courses included in the major, unless otherwise specified.
Note: With the noted exception of ENGL 5, English courses may NOT be challenged.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Lower Division Courses (9 Units) | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Introduction to British Literature I 2 | ||
| Introduction to British Literature II 2 | ||
| Introduction to American Literature I 2 | ||
| Introduction to American Literature II 2 | ||
| Introduction to World Literatures in English 2 | ||
| Required Upper Division Courses (10 Units) | ||
| ENGL 120A | Advanced Composition | 4 |
| ENGL 198X | Senior Portfolio | 2 |
| ENGL 198T | Senior Seminar In English 3 | 4 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Historical Breadth requirement | ||
| Select one of the following (unless ENGL 40A or ENGL 50A has been taken as one of the required Lower Division courses). 4 | ||
| Introduction to British Literature I 2 | ||
| Introduction to American Literature I 2 | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Medieval Literature | ||
| The English Renaissance | ||
| Restoration & Eighteenth-Century Drama | ||
| British Literature, 1660-1780 | ||
| The Eighteenth-Century British Novel | ||
| Renaissance Drama | ||
| The Essential Shakespeare | ||
| Shakespop: Shakespeare and Popular Culture 2 | ||
| Chaucer - Canterbury Tales | ||
| Shakespeare - Early Plays, 1592-1600 | ||
| Shakespeare - Later Plays, 1600-1612 | ||
| John Milton | ||
| Early American Literature | ||
| Electives (25 Units) | ||
| Select 25 units; these 25 units must include a course that meets the Historical Breadth requirement unless that requirement has been met by taking ENGL 40A or ENGL 50A as one of the required Lower Division courses 5 | 25 | |
| Total Units | 44 | |
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Students must take at least one British Literature survey (ENGL 40A, ENGL 40B), and at least one American Literature survey (ENGL 50A, ENGL 50B). We recommend that lower division requirements be completed no later than the first semester in which the student begins taking required upper division courses.
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Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
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Students are required to complete a course in their senior year, selecting from courses specially designated as Senior Seminars. The seminar has a reduced class size and requires a term paper, student presentations and submission of the student's work.
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Students must take one of the classes listed to satisfy this requirement (unless they have already taken ENGL 40A or ENGL 50A as one of the required Lower Division courses)
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In addition to the required courses, student take an additional 25 units of electives, including their writing intensive course, which must be taken in the English department. Of those 25 units, at least 18 units must be upper division.
Students can satisfy the historical breadth requirement by taking ENGL 40A or ENGL 50A as one of their required Lower Division courses; students who have not done so must take at least one course that meets the Historical Breadth requirement as part of their 25 units of elective courses in the major.
Notes:
- Students must complete 18 units of English, of which at least 15 must be in upper division (100-level) courses, in residence at California State University, Sacramento.
- The following courses may not be included toward the major:
Course List Code Title Units ENGL 1 Basic Writing Skills 3 ENGL 3 Introduction to Academic Discourse 4 ENGL 3M Introduction to Academic Discourse for Multilingual Students 4 ENGL 5 Accelerated Academic Literacies 3 ENGL 1C Critical Thinking and Writing 3 ENGL 1X Academic Literacies Workshop 1 ENGL 5M Accelerated Academic Literacies - Multilingual 3 ENGL 10 Academic Literacies I 3 ENGL 10M Academic Literacies I - Multilingual 3 ENGL 11 Academic Literacies II 3 ENGL 11M Academic Literacies II-Multilingual 3 ENGL 20 College Composition II 3 ENGL 20M College Composition II for Multilingual Students 3 ENGL 60 Active Reading Across the Curriculum 2 ENGL 60M Reading for Speed and Efficiency for Multilingual Students 2 ENGL 85 Grammar for Multilingual Writers 2 ENGL 86 College Language Skills for Multilingual Students 4 ENGL 87 Basic Writing Skills for Multilingual Students 3 ENGL 109M Preparing to Write in the Disciplines - Multilingual 3 ENGL 109W Preparing to Write in the Disciplines 3 ENGL 109X Writing-Intensive Workshop 1 - Up to 6 units of ENGL 199 may be included in the 27 upper division units. Three units in an upper division literature class from another major may also be included.
- English majors must fulfill the GE Writing Intensive "supervenient requirement" with courses in the major, only.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (9 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (13 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science | 3 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5) | 1 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts | 3 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (6 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts | 3 | |
| C2 - Humanities 2 | 0 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course 2 | 0 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (9 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Area F: Ethnic Studies (3 Units) | ||
| Area F Course | 3 | |
| Total Units | 43 | |
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To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
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Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (6 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) 2 | 0 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (9 Units) | ||
| English Composition II 3 | 0 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 4 | 6 | |
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To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
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Required in Major; also satisfies Graduation Requirement.
Note: For a list of ENGL Writing Intensive courses, see the General Education page.
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Required in Major; also satisfies Graduation Requirement.
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If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html