♦ Bachelor's Degree in English

♦ Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies

♦ Master of Arts in English

What can you do with a Bachelor's Degree in English?

English majors can think logically, write clearly, communicate effectively, organize information persuasively, and interpret language in a precise way. This means that English major are prepared for interesting, productive, and lucrative careers in a variety of fields, including business, government service, medicine, law, architecture, advertising, journalism, technical writing, publishing, banking, and teaching.

In other words, being an English major means that you will have the core skills needed to succeed at nearly any career you choose!

Bachelor's Degree in English

The Department of Language and Communication offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Students may choose three courses of study: Literature, Professional Writing, and Film

◊ 6 semester hours of first-year writing 

  • English 1010: Composition and Rhetoric I
  • English 1020: Composition and Rhetoric II (Note: English 1020 is a prerequisite for all English courses above the 1000-level.)
  • 45 semester hours of English courses, with 39 of those hours coming from upper-level course (courses numbered 3000 or 4000)
  • minor in a compatible field.  Click here for information about minoring in a Foreign Language or in Communication. Many other minors are available at NSU, as well. For more information on minors, click here to look at the online catalog.
  • 122 total semester hours required for a Bachelor's degree
Literature Concentration

Students in the literature concentration receive a comprehensive overview of American, British, and world literature. They may also choose courses covering topics such as women's writing, southern literature, folklore, and critical theory.
Students concentrating in literature complete the following survey courses, designed to provide a firm grounding in various genres, eras, and geographic locations:

  • English 2070: Major Writers in World Literature I (Homer to Cervantes)
  • English 2080: Major Writers in World Literature II (Moliere to the present)
  • English 3100: Survey of American Literature I, Beginnings - 1865
  • English 3150: Survey of American Literature II, 1865 - Present
  • English 3160: Survey of British Literature I, Beginnings - 1800
  • English 3170: Survey of British Literature II, 1800 - Present

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, literature students select 3 hours from the following linguistics courses:

  • English 3200: Advanced Grammar · English 4000: History of the English Language
  • English 4100: Language in Society
  • English 4110: Fundamentals of Linguistics
  • English 4660: Syntactical Theories

as well as the following 2 courses:

  • English 4420: Literary Criticism
  • English 4050: Literature Capstone Course

In addition to the above requirements, students must complete 12 hours of advanced English literature courses. To view descriptions of these courses, click here to view the online catalog.

Professional Writing Concentration

The Professional Writing concentration takes courses in many genres of writing, with particular emphasis on rhetoric and technical composition. The following lower-level courses are required of students concentrating in professional writing:

  • 2 courses from the sophomore literature sequence:
    • English 2050: Major British Writers
    • English 2060: Major American Writers
    • English 2070: Major Writers in World Literature
    • English 2080: Major Writers in World Literature
  • English 2510: Argumentative Writing
  • English 2610: Introduction to Analytical Writing

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, students must select 3 hours from each of the following categories:

  • English 3200: Advanced Grammar
  • English 4660: Syntactical Theories
  • English 4100: Language in Society
  • English 4110: Fundamentals of Linguistics
  • English 4660: Syntactical Theories

In addition to the above requirements, students must complete 18 hours of advanced writing courses. For descriptions of these courses, click here to view the  online catalog.

 

Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies

Minors

The Department of Language and Communication offers courses leading to three minors: English, Speech, and Foreign Language. A minor in Foreign Language may focus on Spanish, French, or German.

The English Minor

Students pursuing an English minor complete 24 hours of course work in English, with the following specific requirements:

  • English 1010: Composition and Rhetoric I
  • English 1020: Composition and Rhetoric II
  • 6 hours of English at the 2000-level. For more information on these courses, click here to see the online catalog.
  • 3 semester hours of 3000- or 4000-level English courses

The Foreign Language Minor

Students can earn a minor in foreign language by completing 21 semester hours in one language. Language options include:

  • French
  • Spanish

For more information about the Foreign Language Minor, click here to view the online catalog or the Spanish web site.

The Speech Communication Minor

The Speech Communication minor requires the completion of 24 semester hours as outlined below:

  • Communication 1010: Fundamentals of Speech
  • Communication 1210: Oral Interpretation
  • Communication 2050: Argumentation and Debate
  • Communication 3120: Group Dynamics
  • Communication 4010: Rhetorical Analysis
  • Communication 4020: Business, Educational, and Professional Speaking
  • Communication 4030: Rhetorical Theory

For more information about the Speech Communication Minor, click here to view the online catalog or the Communication web site.

For a checklist and sample course trajectory for all of our concentrations, click here.