The chief goal of the English Department is to produce students who possess literacy, which entails much more than the ability to read and write.  We want our students to become more intensely self-conscious about how they use and respond to language so that they will be able to organize and present their own thoughts and feelings effectively and eloquently.  We encourage them to become close, scrupulous, and active readers in order to enter into critical dialogue with the writers we study.  Courses in the English department introduce students to a variety of the most engagingly literate men and women of the past and present. These courses intend to train the student to read accurately and imaginatively, to think critically, to write clearly and forcefully, and to enjoy the potential for creative play afforded by our rich and complex language. They cultivate the habits of critical inquiry, serious reflection, aesthetic appreciation, and considered response. Critical writing is a key component of practically every English course.

The English major offers three different concentrations:

1. Literature
2. Creative and Professional Writing
3. Film Studies

In the literature and film concentrations, a progressive sequence of courses develops students’ fundamental skills in writing and critical analysis, including approaching literary and cinematic texts in social and historical contexts and in light of theory and criticism; a senior research thesis caps these two concentrations. (Double majors in English and secondary education complete a slightly adapted version of the literature concentration.)

Creative writers hone their craft in a sequence of workshop courses, complemented by literature courses; a senior writing portfolio caps this concentration. (An accelerated BA with concentration in creative and professional writing/MA in Writing is also offered; see Dual Degrees section of catalog for details.)

All English majors take part in a capstone Senior Seminar that emphasizes integration of skills, reflection upon the discipline of study, and the application of learning to professional goals, through the preparation of an individual ePortfolio. Seniors also orally present their theses and writing portfolios to the department faculty.

Advising Worksheets by Concentration:

Link to Worksheet for Literature Major

Link to Worksheet for Literature Minor

Link to Worksheet for Literature & English Education Double Major

Link to Worksheet for Creative Writing Major

Link to Worksheet for Creative Writing Minor

Link to Worksheet for Film Studies Major

Link to Worksheet for Film Studies Minor

Course Requirements and Curricular Opportunities:

Minimum grade for major or minor requirements: Only courses in which the student receives a grade of “C” or better may be used to satisfy major or minor requirements. The Creative and Professional Writing concentration requires a “C+” or better in ENW.1013 (formerly ENW.2030) Approaches to Creative Writing.

Early literature requirement: Each English major must complete a 1000- or 2000-level course in literature before 1800.

Students who declared a major or minor in English before fall 2012 should meet with their advisor or the department chair to plan their program completion, given the department’s changes in curriculum and course offerings. All ENG and ENW courses taken before fall 2012 will be accepted towards completion of the major and minor.

Students may opt to major in one concentration and minor in another as long as no courses are double-counted.

Credit towards the major or minor for courses taken outside the department is determined by the department chair. Online courses are generally not accepted for major or minor credit. Students who have received a grade of B or better in Composition and Literature 102 at an area Community College and students who have passed the Advanced Placement English Literature Exam with a score of 5 are exempt from one 1000-level literature class.

ENC (English composition) courses are not accepted towards any English major or minor.

Independent studies (ENG.4495 and ENW.4495) are permitted only with full-time members of the department.

Internships related to the major (ENG.4497 and ENW.4497) must be supervised by a full-time member of the department and should be arranged through the Center for Career Development Office.

Literary Magazine, Writing Awards, Honors, & Distinction

On-campus publications that welcome submissions from and involvement of students include the campus newspaper, Touchstone, and literary magazine, Graffiti. Internships are also available with Inkwell Magazine, Manhattanville’s national journal of fiction and poetry.

English Department Writing Awards: Each spring, the English Department invites all undergraduates to submit pieces of critical and creative writing for consideration for the Eileen O’Gorman Undergraduate Prize in Fiction, the Robert O’Clair Undergraduate Prize in Poetry, the Sr. Margaret Williams Prize for Literary Criticism, the Dan Masterson Prize for Screenwriting, and the William K. Everson Prize for Writing on Film.

Distinction in the English major is granted to seniors who receive one of the department’s writing awards.

Honors in the English major is granted to students with exceptional (A level) performance on their senior thesis or senior writing portfolio; their oral presentation of their senior work; and their senior seminar ePortfolio.