The English Major
The English major at UAB is multifaceted. Students will find that the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills nurtured by the English major will help them to pursue careers in virtually any field. Employers know that an English major is someone who can write and think logically and critically and is thus a desirable candidate for managerial and professional employment positions. Students graduating from UAB with a major in English have gone on to achieve advanced degrees from graduate and professional schools. They work in fields as diverse as book and magazine publishing, web publishing, teaching, law, medicine, library science, banking, and retail management.
Requirements
To earn a major in English under the current catalog, a student must complete a total of at least 42 credit hours in addition to EH101 and 102 and other UAB core requirements. These hours should include:
- Three courses (9 hours) from EH 221, 222, 223, 224;
- EH 301;
- One course (3 hours) from EH 365 or 366;
- EH 476;
- One course (3 hours) in non-Shakespearean British literature produced before 1660 (EH 469, 470, 471, 473, 474, 475, 478, 491 when approved, 492 when approved);
- Two courses (6 hours) at the 400-level in British literature produced after 1660 (EH 414, 480, 481, 482, 483, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489, 491 when approved, 492 when approved);
- Two courses (6 hours) in American literature at the 400 level (EH 416, 445, 446, 447, 448, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 491 when approved, 492 when approved);
- One course (3 hours) in the study of English as a language (EH 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, or 493 when approved) OR two courses (6 hours) in linguistics at the 200 or 300 levels (250, 251, 252, 292 when approved, 355, 356, 360, or 393 when approved), thereby increasing the total number of hours required for the major to 45;
- One 300-level elective (3 hours) excluding EH 311 OR one 400-level elective (3 hours);
- One 400-level elective (3 hours).
Courses that require approval are approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies only when their contents fall within the area described. Students majoring in English must achieve a grade of C or higher in all courses applied toward the major requirement, and at least 15 hours of English courses at the 300 and 400 levels must be taken at UAB.
If You Have Questions
- Advisors for the School of Arts and Humanities can guide you toward your degree in English; their offices are located in Humanities Building 302 and their phone number is (205) 934-2290. First-year students and sophomores should schedule an appointment with Janice Ford-Freeman (email janiceff@uab.edu); juniors and seniors should contact Louise Cecil (email lcecil@uab.edu). Both are prepared to help you determine what courses you need to graduate with a major in English.
- For course offerings, check the online class schedules, visit the English Information Center outside Humanities Building 215A, or contact Dr. Kyle Grimes, Director of Undergraduate Studies, UAB Department of English, Humanities Building 207F, (205) 934-8580.
- We also encourage you to stop by the English Department on the second floor of the Humanities Building and talk with faculty about the exciting possibilities for study that we offer.
top