Undergraduate Catalog 2015-2016
Majors
English (ENG) with a concentration in Creative Writing (CRW)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
8 Semester Plan120 Credit Hours
CIP Code: 23.0101
College of Arts & Sciences
http://english.usf.edu/ug/concentrations/creative/
Major Description
A bachelor’s degree in English prepares students for any field that values critical thinking, high reading comprehension, clear and effective writing, and the ability to interpret and analyze data. It provides three concentrations from which students must choose one concentration: Creative Writing, Literary Studies and Professional Writing, Rhetoric and Technology.
Concentration Description
This 36-hour concentration is designed for aspiring writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Students who graduate from this program will demonstrate the following: 1) knowledge of the forms and techniques of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction; 2) knowledge of literary genres and the techniques used by authors within each genre; 3) the ability to analyze literature in its cultural and philosophical context; and 4) the ability to critique student manuscripts and offer constructive feedback within a workshop setting.
College Level Requirements
You must click here to view the general college level requirements for this major.
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites
The State of Florida has identified common course prerequisites for the major in English. These courses must be completed with a minimum grade of "C" before the degree is granted. If the courses are not transferred in, they may be taken at USF.
Total Major Hours: 36 Hours
Concentration Core Courses - 36 Hours
- Writing Requirements: Six courses as follows:
- Any four of the following courses:
- CRW 3112 Fiction I
- CRW 3121 Fiction II
- CRW 3312 Poetry I
- CRW 3321 Poetry II
- CRW 4930 Selected Topics in Creative Writing
- CRW 4930 may be repeated twice, with different content, for a total of six (6) credits hours. Choices would include creative nonfiction, screenwriting, craft courses in fiction\poetry, young adult literature, lyric poetry, etc.).
- Literature Requirements: Six courses as follows:
- One of the following courses that concentrates on literature written pre-1900:
- AML 3031 American Literature from the Beginning to 1860
- AML 3032 American Literature from 1860 to 1912
- AML 4111 Nineteenth-Century American Novel
- ENG 4060 History of the English Language
- ENL 3015 British Literature to 1616
- ENL 3016 Studies in 17th and 18th Century British Literature
- ENL 3017 Studies in 19th Century British Literature
- ENL 3230 British Literature 1616-1780
- ENL 3251 British Literature 1780-1900
- ENL 3331 Early Shakespeare
- ENL 3332 Late Shakespeare
- ENL 4122 19th Century British Novel
- ENL 4311 Chaucer
- ENL 4338 Advanced Studies in Shakespeare
- ENL 4341 Milton
- LIT 3031 Survey of Poetry
- LIT 3101 Literature of the Western World Through the Renaissance
- One LIT course at the 2000 level
- Five (5) additional major literature courses from those listed in the Literary Studies concentration
- One of the following courses that concentrates on literature written pre-1900:
Additional Major Requirements
Major Requirements
Students may not use more than one directed study course toward meeting the major requirements.
Major GPA Requirement
A 2.5 GPA in the major is required for graduation.Major Grade Requirement
A grade of below C- will not be counted toward fulfilling the major requirements.
Major Residency Requirement
Transfer students must earn at least 15 hours in the major at USF.
Major Foreign Language Requirement
The English Department does not accept Sign Language as a foreign language.
Major Other Requirements
Students declaring English as a second major need to complete 30 credit hours. To do so, they must make a written request to the Undergraduate Director at the time they declare English as a second major. Courses taken in the first major may not count toward the 30 hours in English as a second major.
Optional Honors Program
The Department of English Honors Program provides a carefully selected group of seniors with opportunities for advanced scholarship:
- Closer contact with faculty tutors than students in the regular major program;
- An opportunity to work and exchange ideas in the stimulating environment of a small group of fellow students with similar aims and abilities;
- An opportunity to develop individual initiative and sophisticated critical skills.
The English Honors Program will benefit those interested in graduate work, advanced professional study, or greater intellectual challenges.
Admissions CriteriaStudents may apply for the program after completing 80 hours of coursework (90 before actual admission). Applicants should have a GPA of 3.30 in the major and an overall GPA of 3.00 and should submit signatures of recommendation from two English faculty supporting their applications.
After screening all applications, the Department’s Honors Committee will select participants for each year’s program.
Requirements for Completion of Departmental Honors- The Honors student will complete the requirements of his/her chosen English major as described in the current catalog.
- The Honors program requires 9 hours of Honors-level work.
- All Honors students are required to complete at least one (three-hour) Honors seminar (ENG 4935 or ENG 4936).
- Students may select from the following options to fulfill the remaining six hours of credit in Honors:
- A second (three-hour) Honors seminar (ENG 4935 or ENG 4936).
- A three-hour independent study. The independent study should be connected to an eligible upper-level course in the major being taught in that semester.**
- A list of courses available for this option will be made available prior to registration each semester. Students will attend some or all of the scheduled course meetings but will be enrolled in an independent study with the instructor. The independent study will be considered a special "Honors section" of the course and will require additional work that may include extra reading, class presentations, and advanced research-based writing. To enroll in an independent study, students will need written permission of the instructor, who will determine an Honors-appropriate workload for the course. The proposed plan for independent study must be approved by the Honors Committee and filed with the Undergraduate Director prior to registration. Students may count a maximum of one independent study in fulfillment of their degree requirements.
- A three-hour Honors thesis, supervised by a member of the English faculty. The Director of the English Honors Program will serve as instructor of record for the thesis hours. Under the direction of the instructors of the Honors seminars and/or the Director of the English Honors Program, the student will choose a member of the English Department faculty to serve as director of his/her thesis and one or two additional faculty members to serve as readers of the thesis. The completed thesis must be at least 25-pages in length, not including bibliography.
- A three-hour graduate-level course. Enrollment in a graduate course is limited to Honors students in their final semester and requires written permission of the Undergraduate Director, Graduate Director, and the instructor of the course. To be eligible, students must have completed at least one Honors seminar with a grade of A or A+.
- Of the nine hours required for Departmental Honors, a maximum of six hours may be counted towards the requirements for the major (historical distribution requirements or electives).
- To graduate with Departmental Honors, the student must satisfy the following requirements:
- Complete 9 hours of English Honors courses as described above with a 3.30 GPA;
- Complete all major requirements with a 3.30 GPA and academic coursework with an overall GPA of 3.0.
- The student who completes all requirements above will graduate with Honors in English. The credit hours completed within the program by the student who does not complete all Honors requirements will count toward the baccalaureate degree.
**Faculty who are willing to accommodate the extra needs of Honors students will notify the Undergraduate Director before registration to have their course put on the list of eligible courses. The Honors student will enroll in an independent study but will attend the scheduled course and complete the bulk of the reading and written requirements for the course in addition to a special Honors project for the course (this could include a formal presentation of research, an independent research project, a longer research paper, a long annotated bibliography, a larger collection of creative work, etc. The independent study represents 3 hours of coursework.
More About this Major
Accelerated Program
This major has an accelerated track that confers an undergraduate and graduate degree upon completion.
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This major has an optional component designed for the academically superior student who embraces challenge and wishes to go the extra mile.
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