The English major consists of four areas of concentration. Majors take 4 courses common to all concentrations then meet requirements for one area of concentration.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS SEMINAR | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Any Gen Ed Math | 3-4 | |
| Arts and Humanities (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences (2 courses, 1 with lab) (6-7 s.h.) | 7 | |
| Social Science (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Gen Ed Electives (9 s.h.) | 9 | |
| Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| FNLG 1501 | Conversational Foreign Language 1 | 3 |
| FNLG 1502 | Conversational Foreign Language 2 | 3 |
| Major Requirements (for all concentrations) | ||
| ENGL 2650 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3700 | Literary Study | 3 |
| ENGL 3751 | Rhetoric and Argument | 3 |
| ENGL 3755 | Principles of Linguistic Study | 3 |
| Elective: Required course in concentration other than your chosen focus | 3 | |
| Elective: Required course in concentration other than your chosen focus | 3 | |
| Capstone | ||
| ENGL 4890 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| or ENGL 4899 | Public and Professional Writing Senior Project | |
| Area of Concentration | 21 | |
| Minor | 18 | |
| Electives to meet 120 hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-123 | |
Literary Studies Concentration
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Literary Studies Concentration | ||
| ENGL 3706 | Introduction to Literary Theory | 3 |
| ENGL 3710 | British Literature 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 3711 | British Literature 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 3712 | American Literature 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 3713 | American Literature 2 | 3 |
| British Lit Elective (Select 1 upper division course in British Lit) | 3 | |
| British Literature in Historical Perspective | ||
| Major Figures in British Literature | ||
| British Genres, Circles, and Movements | ||
| Themes in British Literature | ||
| Shakespeare and His World | ||
| American Lit Elective (Select 1 upper division course in American Lit) | 3 | |
| American Literature in Historical Perspective | ||
| American Genres | ||
| Themes in American Literature | ||
| American Literary Conversations | ||
| The Black Experience in American Literature | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
Professional Writing Concentration
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Writing Concentration | ||
| ENGL 3743 | Introduction to Public, Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3744 | Writing with Data | 3 |
| ENGL 3745 | Writing for Online Media | 3 |
| ENGL 3752 | Ethnographic Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 4845 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 4846 | Visual Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENGL 4849 | Copyediting | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
Creative Writing Concentration
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Writing Concentration | ||
| ENGL 3715 | Graphic Novels | 3 |
| ENGL 3740 | Nonfiction Narrative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3746 | Fiction Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 3747 | Poetry Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL 3748 | Screenwriting | 3 |
| ENGL 3749 | Writing the Youth Novel | 3 |
| ENGL 4820 | Literary Publishing | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
Linguistics/TESOL Concentration
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Linguistics/TESOL Concentration | ||
| ENGL 3750 | Language and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 4850 | Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 4851 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGL 4854 | Language Assessment | 3 |
| ENGL 4856 | TESOL Methods | 3 |
| ENGL 4858 | English Grammar | 3 |
| Elective (Select 1. Substitutions may be made with the approval from a departmental advisor): | 3 | |
| Development of the English Language | ||
| Linguistics and Literacy | ||
| Advanced Linguistics | ||
| TESOL Practicum | ||
| Selected Topics in Discourse | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
This plan is a road-map to graduation, but you have many options in how you manage your schedule. Speak to a department advisor for help creating a plan that will help you to achieve your professional goals.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar or Youngstown State University Success Seminar or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| FNLG 1501 | Conversational Foreign Language 1 | 3 |
| NS Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Any Gen Ed MATH | 3-4 | |
| Semester Hours | 13-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 (AH Gen Ed) | 3 |
| FNLG 1502 | Conversational Foreign Language 2 | 3 |
| SS Gen Ed | 3 | |
| AH Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| SS Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Minor course | 3 | |
| AH Gen Ed | 3 | |
| NS Gen Ed + Lab | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Gen Ed ELECT | 3 | |
| Gen Ed ELECT | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Major ELECT | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Gen Ed ELECT | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Course in Major | 3 | |
| Major ELECT | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CAPSTONE | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-123 | |
Learning Outcomes
The Department of English and World Languages has established the following learning outcomes for students completing the English major:
- English majors will demonstrate an attentiveness to the specific features of selected (and/or assigned) texts.
- English majors will be able to explain the relationship between texts and their broader literary, historical, and cultural contexts.
- English majors will be able to analyze ways in which forms, culture, and identity influence both the production of texts and the critical reception of those texts.
- English majors will be able to establish an argumentative thesis; find and use appropriate sources to develop the student’s own argument; and use clear, organized language.