Major Requirements

English Major Requirements

Prospective majors are expected to consult with the associate chair for undergraduate studies in designing a program that satisfies their individual interests, abilities, and ambitions; if appropriate, a particular requirement may be waived to meet a student’s special programmatic needs. English majors intending to continue their studies in graduate school are urged to plan with the coordinator a program that meets graduate school expectations and prepares them for the Graduate Record Exam.

Students entering with advanced standing are required to earn at least 15 credits in English courses numbered 300 and above while in residence at UWM.

Credit Requirements

All courses taken towards the major must be at or above the 300 level unless otherwise noted. Students must complete at least 15 upper-division (numbered 300 and above) credits in the major in residence at UWM. The College requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.

English majors also must complete one of the following tracks. In each track, in their senior year, majors complete a capstone course or senior seminar. This course includes one or more in-depth writing assignments or projects that include a research component, which satisfies the research requirement for the L&S degree.

Tracks
Select one of the following tracks:36
Total Credits36

Tracks

Track A: Literary and Cultural Theory

ENGLISH 215Introduction to English Studies3
Select one of the following in English literature from before 1900 and one in pre-1800 literature:6
Survey of English Literature, Beginnings to 1500
Survey of English Literature, 1500-1660
Survey of English Literature, 1660-1798
Survey of English Literature, 1798-1900
Chaucer
Shakespeare
Milton
Writers in Drama:
Writers in English Literature, 1500-1660:
Writers in English Literature, 1660-1798:
Writers in English Literature, 1798-1900:
Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Literature:
Studies in Literature, 1500-1660:
Studies in Literature, 1660-1800:
Studies in Literature, 1800-1900:
Studies in Shakespeare:
Select one of the following:3
Survey of American Literature to 1865
Survey of American Literature, 1865-1965
Writers in American Literature, 1500-1900:
Select one of the following:3
Survey of Current Literary and Cultural Theory
Classical Film Criticism and Theory
Theories of Digital Culture:
Feminist Media Criticism and Theory:
Theories of Language and Literature:
The Rhetoric of Argument
Studies in the History of Literary Criticism:
Studies in Theory and Criticism:
Seminar in Critical Theory:
Select two of the following:6
Survey of Irish Literature
LGBTQ+ Literature:
Survey of American Indian Literature
Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature
Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature
Survey of Asian American Literature
Survey of African-American Literature to 1930
Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present
World Literatures Written in English:
Writers in African-American Literature:
Women Writers:
Studies in African-American Literature:
Studies in Irish Literature:
Studies in American Indian Literature:
Studies in Ethnic Minority Literature:
Studies in World Literature Written in English:
Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Studies in Asian-American Literature:
Seminar in Irish Literature:
Seminar in Literature by Women:
Seminar in Literature and Sexuality:
Seminar in African-American Literature:
Seminar in American Indian Literature:
Select one of the following:3
Fiction Workshop
Poetry Workshop
Advanced Writing Workshop
Topics in Advanced Communications:
Creative Nonfiction for Publication
Editing and Publishing
Rhetoric and Professional Writing
Technical Documentation
Project Management for Professional Writers
Advanced Research Writing
Advanced Workshop in Fiction
Advanced Workshop in Poetry:
Select one of the following capstone seminars (satisfies L&S research requirement): 3
Seminar in the Art of Literature:
Seminar in the Literature of England:
Seminar in Irish Literature:
Seminar in American Literature:
Seminar in Modern Literature:
Seminar in Literary History:
Seminar in Critical Theory:
Seminar in Literature and Culture:
Seminar in Literature by Women:
Seminar in Literature and Sexuality:
Seminar in Literature and the Other Arts:
Seminar in African-American Literature:
Seminar in American Indian Literature:
Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing:
Honors Seminar:
9 credits in English electives are required for the major. Students can take 9 credits at the 300 level and above, or 6 credits at the 300 level and above, and 3 credits in a 200-level literature course selected from the following:9
English Writers to 1800
English Writers, 1800 to the Present
American Writers: 1900 to the Present
Introduction to Modern Literature:
Introduction to Literature by Women:
The Life, Times, and Work of a Literary Artist:
Literature and Human Experience:
Literature and Contemporary Life:
Fantasy in Literature:
Science Fiction:
Introduction to Poetry:
Introduction to Short Stories:
Introduction to Drama:
Introduction to the Novel:
Introduction to Cultural Studies:
Literary Forms and Genres:
Introduction to American Indian Literature:
Introduction to Ethnic Minority Literature:
Introduction to World Literatures Written in English:
Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Introduction to Asian-American Literature:
Introduction to African-American Literature:
Modern Irish Language and Literature in Translation
Total Credits36

Track B: Rhetoric and Professional Writing

Core Courses
ENGLISH 215Introduction to English Studies3
ENGLISH 240Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture:3
ENGLISH 310Writing, Speaking, and Technoscience in the 21st Century3
ENGLISH 633Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing: (subtitle) (capstone seminar experience) (satisfies L&S research requirement)3
Select 18 credits in Rhetoric, Professional Writing, and Media Studies (only 6 credits may be at the 200-level)18
Business Writing
Technical Writing
Health Science Writing
Game Culture
Media and Society:
Introduction to English Linguistics
Language, Power, and Identity
Professional and Technical Communications Research
Writing for Nonprofits
Topics in Advanced Communications: (Rhetorical History and Theory)
The Rhetoric of Argument
Advanced Writing Workshop
Creative Nonfiction for Publication
Rhetoric and Professional Writing
Technical Documentation
Project Management for Professional Writers
Editing and Publishing
Information Design
Grant Writing
Technical Editing
Global Business Communications
Technical Communications Theory and Practice
Internship in the Humanities
Select 6 credits in Diversity and Community Studies6
World Cinema:
LGBTQ+ Literature:
Survey of American Indian Literature
Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature
Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature
Survey of Asian American Literature
Survey of African-American Literature to 1930
Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present
World Literatures Written in English:
Writers in African-American Literature:
Women Writers:
Studies in African-American Literature:
Studies in American Indian Literature:
Studies in Ethnic Minority Literature:
Studies in World Literature Written in English:
Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Studies in Asian-American Literature:
The Story Experience
Seminar in Literature by Women:
Seminar in Literature and Sexuality:
Seminar in African-American Literature:
Seminar in American Indian Literature:
Total Credits36

Track C: Creative Writing

ENGLISH 215Introduction to English Studies3
Select one of the following:3
Introduction to Creative Writing
Writing Fiction: Structure and Technique
Writing Poetry: Forms, Styles, Voices
Select three of the following:9
Special Topics in Creative Writing:
Fiction Workshop
Poetry Workshop
Literary Journal Production
Poetry and the Creative Process
Select two of the following:6
The Art of Fiction:
The Development of the Novel:
The Development of the Short Story
Forms of Experimental Literature:
Film and Literature
The Development of Drama:
Comedy:
Tragedy:
Modern Drama:
The Art of Poetry:
The Development of Poetry:
Survey of Current Literary and Cultural Theory
Readings for Writers:
Literature and the Other Arts:
Studies in Theory and Criticism:
Select one of the following:3
Survey of English Literature, Beginnings to 1500
Survey of English Literature, 1500-1660
Survey of English Literature, 1660-1798
Chaucer
Shakespeare
Milton
Writers in English Literature, 1500-1660:
Writers in English Literature, 1660-1798:
Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Literature:
Studies in Literature, 1500-1660:
Studies in Literature, 1660-1800:
Studies in Shakespeare:
Select two of the following:6
Survey of English Literature, 1798-1900
Survey of English Literature: 1900 to the Present
Survey of Irish Literature
Survey of American Literature to 1865
Survey of American Literature, 1865-1965
Survey of Contemporary American Literature
LGBTQ+ Literature:
Survey of American Indian Literature
Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature
Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature
Survey of Asian American Literature
Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present
World Literatures Written in English:
Writers in Drama:
Writers in English Literature, 1798-1900:
Writers in English Literature, 1900 to the Present:
Writers in American Literature, 1500-1900:
Writers in American Literature, 1900 to the Present: (subtitle)
Writers in African-American Literature:
Women Writers:
Studies in Literature, 1800-1900:
Studies in Literature, 1900 to the Present:
Studies in African-American Literature:
Studies in Irish Literature:
Studies in American Indian Literature:
Studies in Ethnic Minority Literature:
Studies in World Literature Written in English:
Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Studies in Asian-American Literature:
American Indian Literature, Culture, and Creative Arts
Select 3 credits in an upper-level English elective3
ENGLISH 615Advanced Workshop in Fiction (capstone experience) (satisfies L&S research requirement)3
or ENGLISH 616 Advanced Workshop in Poetry:
Total Credits36

Please Note: In order to register for the ENGLISH 615 or ENGLISH 616 capstone (see below), students must have completed successfully two 400-level workshops (ENGLISH 414, ENGLISH 415, ENGLISH 416) as follows:

Track H: Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies

ENGLISH 215Introduction to English Studies3
Select two of the following:6
Introduction to Film Studies
Introduction to Television Studies
Game Culture
Select one of the following:3
Survey of English Literature, Beginnings to 1500
Survey of English Literature, 1500-1660
Survey of English Literature, 1660-1798
Survey of English Literature, 1798-1900
Survey of English Literature: 1900 to the Present
Survey of Irish Literature
Survey of American Literature to 1865
Survey of American Literature, 1865-1965
Survey of Contemporary American Literature
The Art of Fiction:
The Development of the Novel:
The Development of the Short Story
Forms of Experimental Literature:
LGBTQ+ Literature:
World Literatures Written in English:
Language, Power, and Identity
Special Topics in Creative Writing:
Fiction Workshop
ENGLISH 390Classical Film Criticism and Theory3
or ENGLISH 391 Television Criticism and Theory
Select 12 credits in media, cinema, and digital studies (including at least 3 credits from each area and no more than 3 credits in 200-level courses): 12
Media
Writing about Film and Television
Introduction to Television Studies (if not selected above)
Media and Society:
Television Criticism and Theory
Entertainment Industries:
Feminist Media Criticism and Theory:
Special Topics in Creative Writing: (Zines and Self-Publishing)
Topics in Advanced Communications: (with appropriate subtitle) (Contact Track H Coordinator)
Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: (with appropriate subtitle)
Cinema
Writing about Film and Television
Introduction to Film Studies (if not selected above)
Women and Film
Topics in Film, Television and Digital Studies:
World Cinema:
Studies in Film and Television Authorship:
Film and Literature
Cinema, Television, and Genre:
Classical Film Criticism and Theory
Theories of Digital Culture:
Special Topics in Creative Writing: (Screenwriting – Story/Structure)
Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: (with appropriate subtitle)
Global Jewish Film and Television:
Global Cinema and Media:
Screening Sexuality:
Seminar in Contemporary Cinema and Media: (if not selected as capstone)
Digital Studies
Theories of Digital Culture:
Game Culture (if not selected above)
Topics in Film, Television and Digital Studies: (Cinema and Digital Studies)
Special Topics in Creative Writing: (Animated Texts)
Technical Documentation
Literature and the Other Arts: (From Dada to the Web)
Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: (with appropriate subtitle)
Select 6 credits in upper-level electives6
FILMSTD 690Seminar in Contemporary Cinema and Media: (capstone seminar experience) (satisfies L&S research requirement)3
Total Credits36

Track O: Open Focus

At least 3 credits in literature must be in a period before 1900. They can be taken in American Literature, British Literature or any other literature course in the English department. Students can take up to 9 credits in 200-level English courses to satisfy the 36 credits for the major. This includes ENGLISH 215 which is a requirement and non-substitutable. ENGLISH 192 can be substituted for 3 of the 9 credits in 200-level courses. 

Students must also complete a 3 credit capstone seminar at the 600 level (612, 615 - 616, 620 - 633, 685, 690), which may be in any of the areas listed below.

ENGLISH 215Introduction to English Studies3
American Literature 3
Select one of the following courses in American Literature
American Writers to 1900
American Writers: 1900 to the Present
Literary Forms and Genres:
Literature and the Other Arts:
Introduction to American Indian Literature:
Introduction to Ethnic Minority Literature:
Introduction to World Literatures Written in English:
Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Introduction to Asian-American Literature:
Introduction to African-American Literature:
Survey of American Literature to 1865
Survey of American Literature, 1865-1965
Survey of Contemporary American Literature
Survey of American Indian Literature
Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature
Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature
Survey of Asian American Literature
Survey of African-American Literature to 1930
Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present
Writers in American Literature, 1500-1900:
Writers in American Literature, 1900 to the Present:
Writers in African-American Literature:
Studies in African-American Literature:
Studies in American Indian Literature:
Studies in Ethnic Minority Literature:
Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Studies in Asian-American Literature:
Seminar in American Literature:
Seminar in African-American Literature:
Seminar in American Indian Literature:
British Literature 3
Select one of the following courses in British Literature
English Writers to 1800
English Writers, 1800 to the Present
Survey of English Literature, Beginnings to 1500
Survey of English Literature, 1500-1660
Survey of English Literature, 1660-1798
Survey of English Literature, 1798-1900
Survey of English Literature: 1900 to the Present
Chaucer
Shakespeare
Studies in Shakespeare:
Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing:
Milton
Writers in Drama:
Writers in English Literature, 1500-1660:
Writers in English Literature, 1660-1798:
Writers in English Literature, 1798-1900:
Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Literature:
Studies in Literature, 1500-1660:
Studies in Literature, 1660-1800:
Studies in Literature, 1800-1900:
Seminar in the Literature of England:
Minority, Women's or World Literature3
Select one of the following courses in Minority, Women’s or World Literature
Introduction to Literature by Women:
Introduction to American Indian Literature:
Introduction to Ethnic Minority Literature:
Introduction to World Literatures Written in English:
Introduction to U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Introduction to Asian-American Literature:
Introduction to African-American Literature:
Modern Irish Language and Literature in Translation
Survey of Irish Literature
LGBTQ+ Literature:
Survey of American Indian Literature
Survey of Ethnic Minority Literature
Survey of U.S. Latino/a Literature
Survey of Asian American Literature
Survey of African-American Literature to 1930
Survey of African-American Literature, 1930 to the Present
World Literatures Written in English:
Writers in African-American Literature:
Women Writers:
Studies in African-American Literature:
Studies in Irish Literature:
Studies in American Indian Literature:
Studies in Ethnic Minority Literature:
Studies in World Literature Written in English:
Studies in U.S. Latino/a Literature:
Studies in Asian-American Literature:
Seminar in Irish Literature:
Seminar in Literature and Culture:
Seminar in Literature by Women:
Seminar in Literature and Sexuality:
Seminar in African-American Literature:
Seminar in American Indian Literature:
Theory and Criticism3
Select one of the following courses in Theory and Criticism
Survey of Current Literary and Cultural Theory
Classical Film Criticism and Theory
Television Criticism and Theory
Entertainment Industries:
Theories of Digital Culture:
Feminist Media Criticism and Theory: *
Studies in the History of Literary Criticism:
Studies in Theory and Criticism:
Seminar in Critical Theory:
Rhetoric, Professional, Technical or Creative Writing6
Select two of the following courses in Rhetoric, Professional, Technical or Creative Writing
Strategies for Academic Writing
Business Writing
Technical Writing
Health Science Writing
Global Englishes
Grammar and Usage
Writing in the Professions:
Introduction to Creative Writing
Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture:
Writing, Speaking, and Technoscience in the 21st Century
Introduction to English Linguistics
History of the English Language
Theories of Language and Literature:
Survey of Modern English Grammar
Language, Power, and Identity
Special Topics in Creative Writing:
Fiction Workshop
Poetry Workshop
Literary Journal Production
Advanced Business Writing
Professional and Technical Communications Research
Writing for Nonprofits
Strategic Writing for Organizations
Advanced Writing Workshop
Topics in Advanced Communications:
The Rhetoric of Argument
Creative Nonfiction for Publication
Editing and Publishing
Rhetoric and Professional Writing
Technical Documentation
Project Management for Professional Writers
Advanced Research Writing
Information Design
Writing Center Tutoring Practicum
Grant Writing
Technical Editing
The Composing Process:
Global Business Communications
Technical Communications Theory and Practice
Internship in the Humanities
Poetry and the Creative Process
Advanced Workshop in Fiction
Advanced Workshop in Poetry:
Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing:
Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies6
Select two of the following courses in Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies
Writing about Film and Television
Introduction to Film Studies
Introduction to Television Studies
Classic Dramas in Film:
Game Culture
Women and Film
Topics in Film, Television and Digital Studies:
World Cinema:
Studies in Film and Television Authorship:
Film and Literature
Media and Society:
Cinema, Television, and Genre:
Classical Film Criticism and Theory
Television Criticism and Theory
Entertainment Industries:
Theories of Digital Culture:
Feminist Media Criticism and Theory: *
Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies:
Global Jewish Film and Television:
Global Cinema and Media:
Screening Sexuality:
Seminar in Contemporary Cinema and Media:
English Electives9
9 credits in English electives are required for the major.
Total Credits36
*

This course is listed in more than one category. It may count in only one category.


Cross-listed Courses

The following courses offered by other departments may be used to fulfill the requirements of the undergraduate major or minor in English. Only 3 credits in courses from Communication, Theatre, Women's and Gender Studies, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Studies, and Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies will count toward the English major:

COMMUN 300Interviewers and Interviewing3
COMMUN 313Human Communication and Technology3
COMMUN 410Organizational Communication Technology3
JAMS 306Feature and Magazine Article Writing:3
JAMS 562Media Studies and Culture3
LGBT 599Selected Topics in LGBT Studies:3
THEATRE 359Playwriting3
WGS 301Queer Theory3

Related Courses

The following courses offered by other departments may be of interest to students in English, but may not be used to fulfill the requirements of the undergraduate major or minor in English:

COMMUN 105Business and Professional Communication3
JAMS 201Media Writing3
JAMS 231Publication Design3