English

English Faculty

Programs offered

• English (major, minor, and concentrations)

As an English major or minor, you will encounter some of life’s fundamental questions about the human condition. You will think about the truth-telling possibilities of story, cultivating an understanding of the word as God’s uniquely human gift.

You will think, read, and write extensively in an English academic program marked by a strong degree of community both inside and outside the classroom. You will read texts including Beowulf, Shakespeare, and traditional great works of the Western canon as well as emerging voices worldwide.

And because the study of English also rests on the rigorous tools of critical thinking and textual interpretation, you will find an English major or minor is excellent preparation for life beyond the university as well.

Find out more about this program’s mission, vision, and learning outcomes.

English (BA)

VIEW DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

• English: Creative Writing Concentration (BA)
• English: Literature Concentration (BA)

• A minimum of 61–64 credits is required for this major, including 30 upper-division credits.
• In either the Literature or Creative Writing Concentration, you must complete a shared core of courses that ground your understanding of literary history and the interpretive tools of our discipline.
• Each concentration has a second core requirement emphasizing craft and methodology.
• If you choose both the Literature and Creative Writing concentrations, the core English major courses may count toward both concentrations, but no more than 10 other English credits may be counted twice.
• After you matriculate at SPU, no more than 10 credits earned through another university, domestically or abroad, may be applied to the English major.  Students with extenuating circumstances may petition this restriction.

English minor

VIEW DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

• English Literature Minor
• English Professional Writing Minor
• English Creative Writing Minor

• A minimum of 30–33 credits is required for this minor, including 15 upper-division credits.
• Three minors are available: Creative Writing, Literature, and Professional Writing.
• Each minor includes Core courses, as well as electives from an approved course list or Genre Group.

Apply to the major or minor

Apply for a major using the Major or Minor Application form. You must complete the major or minor requirements in effect in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for the year of admittance to the major or minor.  

• To qualify for admission to the major, you should have successfully completed at least 10 credits of work in English at SPU with a minimum 2.5 GPA. At least five of those credits must come from one of these Core major courses: ENG 2225, 2251, 2252, or 2253.
• To qualify for admission to the minor, you must have an average GPA of 2.5 or higher in at least two SPU English courses.
• Your faculty advisor and the English Department chair must approve your application.

Future teachers

VIEW DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

• Integrated Studies: Language Arts Concentration (BA)

Certification with elementary education endorsement

• If you plan to teach in an elementary school and are interested in teaching English or language arts, you must major in the Integrated Studies major with a concentration in language arts. The concentration consists of courses in literature, writing, and grammar.
• You can apply to this major through the English Department advisor for the Language Arts Concentration, Professor April Middeljans (amiddel@spu.edu).  

Certification with secondary education endorsement

If you plan to obtain secondary Residency Teacher Certification with endorsement in English, you should pursue a BA in English, and you must also complete requirements for a Secondary Education Endorsement through the School of Education.

Study abroad opportunities

Summer Program in South Africa

A biennial summer study tour, the Summer Program in South Africa offers you an opportunity to take regular English courses from an SPU professor while traveling in South Africa for a month. Learn more

Rome: Art and Incarnation

A biennial and interdisciplinary summer study tour, the Rome program offers you an opportunity to study creative writing, aesthetics, art, art history, and theology while staying in Rome, Italy, for a month. Co-sponsored by the SPU English and Art departments. Learn more

Spain and Morocco Seminar

This SPU Global Seminar is a biennial study abroad program offering you the opportunity to study literature and culture during the month of September (prior to Autumn Quarter) while making the transnational journey from Granada in Moorish Spain to Fes in Morocco. Learn more

For details about all study abroad opportunities, visit SPU’s Global Education: Study Abroad.