In addition to the standard concentration in English, students may pursue a concentration in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, Theater, or Language, Media, and Communication. Click on the following links for information about the type of major you wish to pursue.
A minimum of ten courses is required. At least seven of the ten must be English courses at the 200 or 300 level.
1. Concentrators must take two of the following courses, ideally by the end of the sophomore year:
2. Concentrators may take one additional course at the 100 level, either a third survey course from the list above (ENG 112, 113, 114, 115) or one of the following "approaches to literary study" courses:
3. Of the seven or eight courses at the 200 or 300 level:
Research seminars will be capped at 18, and will be run as discussion or seminar-style courses. They must involve a research project and lead to the production of a substantial body of written work. Open to junior and senior English majors; others may enroll in the course with permission of the instructor.
For further information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
The Department of English offers a Concentration in Creative Writing for students who want to explore the art of writing and refine their skills in critical reading. Students work intensively on their own imaginative writing (fiction, poetry, and play writing) in conjunction with the study of literature. Students wishing to pursue a Concentration in English: Creative Writing must apply to the Creative Writing Advisor in the department and receive written approval.
A minimum of ten courses is required.
1. Concentrators must take at least four courses in creative writing, as follows:
a. Two courses (8 credits) at the 100 level from among the following:
b. One of the following courses:
c. One of the following:
2. Concentrators must take two of the following courses:
3. Concentrators must take four additional English courses at the 200 or 300 level, two of which must be in British or American literature before 1800 and two in British or American literature after 1800.
Students accepted into the Honors Program in English may write original fiction (a collection of stories or a novella), poetry, or a play to fulfill the requirements for the honors essay. Students choosing this option must have the approval of the Creative Writing Advisor in the English department.
The Concentration in Language, Media, and Communication is designed to serve students who want to explore the department's multifaceted array of courses related to the forms of communication. Such courses—in editing, rhetoric, the history of the media of arts and communication, journalism, professional writing, public speaking, debate, etc.—may be of special interest to students who are contemplating careers in such areas as law, nonfiction writing, publishing, print journalism, or electronic journalism. The concentration, however, does not present a narrowly pre-professional curriculum; rather, it is designed to reflect the way English has come to be understood as encompassing a full array of practices from oral to electronic and to highlight the way English, in its objects of study, addresses the history, theory, and analysis of media.
While the requirements below offer a general template for the concentration, majors should devise a specific course of study in close consultation with the Language, Media, and Communication Advisor, who must approve the final course of study.
A minimum of ten courses is required, at least six of which must be at the 200 or 300 level.
1. Concentrators must take two literature courses, at least one of which must be at the 200 or 300 level.
2. Concentrators must take at least six courses from the following list, at least three of which must be in a single subgroup; this list is not comprehensive, so students should consult with the Language, Media, and Communication Advisor for complete and updated information about applicable courses.
Journalism and Nonfiction Writing:
Media:
Rhetoric and Language:
With permission of the Language, Media, and Communication Advisor, students may count up to two pre-approved courses taught in other departments (e.g., Art and Art History, History) toward the three courses that may be distributed across any of the groups above. Concentrators may also substitute an additional internship (ENG 394) for one of these three courses.
3. Concentrators must take either an approved ENG 394, Internship in English, or ENG 380, Advanced Seminar (from an annual list provided by the English department). ENG 396, Honors Seminar, counts as an Advanced Seminar (for students in the English Honors Program).
Sample internships:
UR/English department internships: Blake Archive, Blake Quarterly, METS, Chaucer Bibliographies, UR Press, Public Relations Office, Rare Books.
Rochester community internships: Democrat and Chronicle, local television/radio stations, advertising agencies, technical writing in local corporations or non-profit organizations, BOA, Writer's and Books
Please note that all internships must be approved in advance by one of the program’s co-directors—Curt Smith (curtsmith@netacc.net) or Russell Peck (russell.peck@rochester.edu). We require that students planning a spring semester internship contact one of the co-directors no later than October 15, and that students planning a fall semester internship make contact no later than March 15. The application process is straightforward, but please be sure to allow yourself enough time to select and interview for an internship, receive English department approval, and fill out the necessary paperwork. It is never too early to contact us so that we can help you to sort through your internship and scheduling options. Students asking for credit retroactively, after they have already begun their internships, risk not getting course credit for their internships. For further information, click on "internships" in the above menu for the undergraduate program.
4. Concentrators must take one additional 200- or 300-level English course, from items 1, 2, or 3 above.
The English department offers a special major intended to provide institutional support and recognition to students who want to invest a significant part of their undergraduate careers in theater and theater-related courses, and to furnish such students with credentials reflecting their work in theater.
A minimum of twelve courses (amounting to at least 48 credit hours) in English and theater courses is required.
1. Concentrators must take two of the following surveys:
2. Of the remaining courses in literature and theater, sixteen hours of credit must be in theater production (either onstage or backstage). Each student must work on at least four productions, serving in stage management or as an assistant director for at least one, choosing from the following (spring semester course numbers in parentheses):
3. Theater concentrators will also be required to take eight hours of credit in theater method and/or performance courses, choosing from the following (spring semester course numbers in parentheses):
Finally, Theater concentrators must take sixteen hours of credit in literary study courses in British or American literature, two of which must be in literature before 1800, and two courses in dramatic literature.
Additionally, students taking an Internship in Theater (ENG 398), undertaking an Independent Study (ENG 391) whose subject is theater or dramatic research, or enrolled in a standard Advanced Seminar (ENG 380) or Honors Seminar (ENG 396) with a dramatic literature/theatrical focus might also have those classes count towards the theater concentration. Similarly, Study Abroad options in London and Bath (if allied to dramatic or theatrical work) might count towards this concentration. Other courses in the English department relating to drama and/or theater may, from time to time, be valid additions to this list. See the Director of Undergraduate Studies for details.
In cases where some courses are unavailable, students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for possible substitutions.
For further information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Artistic Director of the Theatre Program.
