Degree Requirements

English Major

The English Department’s curriculum is designed such that our 100- and 200-level courses offer students a breadth of coverage, while our 300- and 400-level courses offer an increasingly specialized depth of coverage.

Students who major in English must choose an advisor in the English Department to assist them in selecting and sequencing classes to meet their academic and professional goals. All students who major in English must complete a minimum of ten classes in the department. The English major and minor each have two options: the literature emphasis and the creative writing emphasis. The two courses of study overlap and complement one another. Both literature and creative writing students should graduate from Denison with a strong knowledge of the history and practice of literary studies.

Each semester, students who want to take classes in English should read the semester's course descriptions, available online and from the English office, which provide more detailed information about specific classes than what appears below.

The English literature major consists of 10 courses, from introductory survey courses at the 100 and 200 levels, through upper-level seminar courses at the 300 level, to narrowly focused junior/senior seminars at the 400 level. Students are encouraged to begin their coursework with 100-level and 200-level survey courses that provide useful historical and theoretical contexts for subsequent, more focused study in the 300-level and 400-level  seminars. However, because specific seminars are probably not offered every year, students are encouraged to take seminars, even before they have completed 200-level coursework, if they are interested in the topic. Students who major in English with the literature emphasis may choose to do a year-long senior research project in literary studies (ENGL 451 - Senior Research  - ENGL 452 - Senior Research), which can count toward one of the required 300- or 400-level courses.

English literature majors must take:

(a) 4 literature courses at the 100 or 200 level, at least two of which must be at the 100 level.

(b) 5 literature courses at the 300 or 400 level, at least one of which must be at the 400 level. (Students may count one of ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, or ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing toward this requirement.)

(c) 1 additional course at any level.

(d) At least one of the above courses must satisfy the department’s requirement of a course in a literary tradition of historically underrepresented or marginalized people.

Creative Writing Emphasis

Students who major in English with the creative writing emphasis must take ten courses. English majors with a creative writing emphasis will read and write extensively, learn from practicing published writers, and hone their skills while studying a wide range of literary texts. Students majoring with an emphasis in creative writing will choose from a variety of courses divided among workshops and literature courses. The core of the creative writing emphasis is the workshop, as students take a series of increasingly advanced workshops to culminate in a one-semester senior writing project in which students complete a collection of their work (poetry, stories, drama, and/or nonfiction).

The English creative writing major consists of 10 courses, including literature courses at the introductory and upper levels and a five-course creative writing core sequence.

English creative writing majors must take:

(a) 3 literature courses at the 100 or 200 level, at least one of which must be at the 100 level.

(b) 2 literature seminars at the 300 or 400 level (excluding the workshops ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, and ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing).

(c) 5 courses in the creative writing core sequence:

1. ENGL 237: Introduction to Creative Writing.

2. ENGL 337 - Form and Theory of Narrative or ENGL 338 - Form and Theory of Poetry.

 3 & 4. Two different creative writing workshops selected from ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, and ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing.

5. The one-semester senior creative project (ENGL 453 - Senior Writing Project).  With permission from the director of creative writing and English Department chair, students may elect to pursue a full-year senior creative project by enrolling in ENGL 454 - Intensive Senior Writing Project.

(d) At least one of the above 5 literature courses must satisfy the department’s requirement of a course in a literary tradition of historically underrepresented or marginalized people. (See the list under the English literature major description.)

English Minor

Literature Emphasis

The English literature minor consists of 6 courses, evenly spread between introductory survey courses at the 100 and 200 level and upper-level seminar courses at the 300 and 400 level.

English literature minors must take:

(a) 3 literature courses at the 100 or 200 level, at least one of which must be at the 100 level.

(b) 3 literature courses at the 300 or 400 level.

(c) At least one of the above six courses must satisfy the department’s requirement of a course in a literary tradition of historically underrepresented or marginalized people. (See the list under the English literature major description.)

Note: Creative writing workshops (ENGL 237 - Introduction to Creative Writing, ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, and ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing) do not count toward these requirements but may be taken as electives.

Creative Writing Emphasis

The English creative writing minor consists of 6 courses, including introductory survey courses at the 100 and 200 level, upper-level seminar courses at the 300 and 400 level, and a two-course creative writing core sequence.

English creative writing minors must take:

(a) 2 literature courses at the 100 or 200 level, at least one of which must be at the 100 level.

(b) 2 literature seminars at the 300 or 400 level (excluding the workshops ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, or ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing).

(c) 2 courses in the creative writing core sequence:

1. ENGL 237 - Introduction to Creative Writing

2. 1 of ENGL 383 - Fiction Writing, ENGL 384 - Creative Nonfiction Writing, or ENGL 385 - Poetry Writing.

(d) At least one of the above courses must satisfy the department’s requirement of a course in a literary tradition of historically underrepresented or marginalized people. (See the list under the English literature major description.)

Off-Campus Study

Students partaking in off-campus study during their Denison career can transfer that coursework as part of their major or minor requirements. Typically, an English literature or creative writing major studying abroad for one semester or for a summer term may transfer up to two courses as part of their degree requirements, while a minor studying abroad for one semester or a summer term may transfer one course toward their minor requirements. An English literature or creative writing major studying abroad for a full year may transfer up to three courses as part of their degree requirements, while a minor studying abroad for a full year may transfer up to two courses toward their minor requirements.

English creative writing majors and minors must complete their required creative writing workshops (ENGL 237; two of ENGL 383, 384, or 385; and the one-semester senior writing project, ENGL 453) at Denison. Similarly, English literature majors must complete their required 400-level course at Denison. Students should consult with their academic advisors and the department chair regarding their off-campus study coursework.