English Major Requirements
BA English (48–65 hours*)
Major Requirements
- Students must complete the GE Foreign Language option even
if the Advanced Mathematics option has already been
completed.
- At least 21 hours of English major course work must be
completed in residence at BYU.
- Engl 195 is recommended.
- Because upper-division English courses require substantial
writing, it is strongly recommended that students complete
their Advanced Written and Oral Communications requirement
as they begin their first upper-division courses, preferably in
the second semester of their sophomore year.
- No more than 3 hours of any one R course may apply toward
the hours required for the major.
- Complete the following core courses:
- Freshman college-level writing; choose one course, or the
equivalent, from the following:
- Engl 150.
- Honrs 150.
- Phil 150.
Note: Waivers based on the AP or other test scores do not
apply to this requirement.
- Fundamentals of language and literature:
- Engl 251 or 252.
Note: Students must complete Engl 251
or 252 before taking any 300-level courses.
British and American literary history:
- Engl 291, 292, 293.
Note: Students must complete the literary history course in
a period before taking any 300-level courses in that period.
- Complete the following:
- Engl 382.
- Complete one course from two of the following three areas:
- Early British Literature:
Engl 300R**, 341, 371, 372, 373, 381, 383, 384R**, 385.
Note: Students must complete Engl 291 before taking
courses in this area.
Later British Literature:
Engl 300R**, 333, 343**, 374, 375, 376, 380, 384R**.
Note: Students must complete Engl 292 before taking
courses in this area.
- American Literature:
Engl 336, 343**, 360R, 361, 362, 363, 365, 384R**.
Note: Students must complete Engl 293 before taking
courses in this area.
**Note: Three hours of Engl 300R may count toward either
early or later British literature. Three hours of Engl 384R may
count toward one of these three areas according to the period
of the major author studied. Engl 343 may count toward either
later British or American literature, according to the course
content.
- Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Theory: complete
one course from the following:
- Engl 415R, 418, 426, 427, 428R, 451, 452.
- Diverse Traditions and Methods: complete one course from
the following:
- ELang 468.
- Engl 337R, 345, 350, 355, 356, 358R, 364, 368, 391, 392, 396.
- Complete the following:
- Engl 495.
Note: Students should take this course their senior year, after
taking Advanced Written and Oral Communications.
- Complete 12 elective hours from any 300- or 400-level English
courses, except:
- Any English course used to fulfill the GE Advanced
Written and Oral Communications requirement.
- English education courses (Engl 329, 377, 378, 379, 423, and
479).
The following may also be counted toward the elective hours:
- Three hours of Engl 218R.
- Three hours of Honrs 203R or 303R.
- One course from the following ELang courses:
- ELang 322, 324, 325, 350, 410R, 430R.
Note 1: Some English majors choose to minor in editing,
which is offered by the Department of Linguistics and English
Language.
Note 2: Some English majors choose to focus on special areas of
concentration within the major itself, such as:
Creative Writing
Engl 218R, 317R, 318R, 319R, 320R, 419R, 518R.
Professional Writing
Engl 316, 399R, 415R, 418.
Folklore, Ethnic, and Regional Literature
Engl 356, 358R, 364, 368, 391, 392, 393R.
Rhetoric and Academic Writing
Engl 399R, 426, 427, 428R.
Preparation for Graduate Studies in English
*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.