Paying deep attention to how humans use language and cultural signs is an ethical discipline, one that teaches intellectual humility even as it empowers us to transfigure the world. Our programs in literature & creative writing foster each student’s capacity for empathetic understanding, imaginative insight, and compelling wordcraft. By exploring cultural productions (literature, film, technologies, social movements) of various peoples and time periods, our students learn how to wrestle—rigorously, inventively, and fearlessly—with complex human questions about race and class, gender and sexuality, faith and truth, and material Christian practices. By the time they graduate, students will have had extensive training in charitable critical thinking, analytical interpretation, persuasive argumentation, and intercultural competencies.
Major and Concentrations
Major requirements:
Through the English major, you will gain
- Knowledge of British, American, and world literature.
- Skill in literary criticism and scholarship.
- Understanding of the relationship between literature and the Christian faith.
- Proficiency in writing, whether critical or creative.
- Experience of the central role of the imagination in living lives of compassion and service in a diverse, interconnected world.
Concentrations
The English Department offers two concentrations within the major: Literature and Creative Writing.
Students in both the Literature and Creative Writing concentrations must complete a shared core of courses that ground their understanding of literary history and the interpretive tools of our discipline. Each concentration also has a second core requirement emphasizing craft and methodology. Upper-division coursework in each concentration then moves on to advanced competency in the field, leading ultimately to the English undergraduate degree.
Click here to download a handy checklist for both concentrations.
Minors
In addition, the English Department offers two minors: Literature and Creative Writing.
Minor requirements:
To apply for a major or minor in English, visit the Major or Minor Application in Banner. You are required to complete the major requirements in effect when admitted to the major.
Entering the English Major or Minors
You may enter the major or minors during your first quarter at SPU. Entrance after your first quarter requires only good academic standing (2.0 or higher SPU cumulative GPA). Consult the Undergraduate Catalog for complete information on how and when to enter and what you must do to complete the program.