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English

Major Requirements

Welcome to the Major Requirements and Advising page. You can learn more about the major, including degree requirements, by exploring the information below.

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Declare the ENG Major

Beginning in 2020-21 the English major consists of 56 credit hours divided among:

  • lower-division courses that increase your understanding of literary genres and histories
  • a writing requirement where you can deepen your understanding of grammar and style while increasing your rhetorical versatility
  • Foundations courses that offer you tools and methods for critical analysis
  • upper-division requirements and electives where you will explore a wide range of texts and cultural artifacts to increase your moral and aesthetic sensitivity

Lower-Division Requirement (16 credit hours)

  • Two courses in genre: ENG 205 Genre (8 credit hours)
  • Two lower-division electives (8 credit hours)
    • In some terms, ENG 199: Special Studies, will count in this category.
    • Only one Introduction to Literature course (ENG 104, 105, 106) can be used for lower-division electives.
    • Folklore (FLR) courses count when taught by English department faculty. See the annual Undergraduate Major Advising Supplement below.
    • Select courses in the Clark Honors College (HC 221H, 222H, and 223H) and the Humanities program (HUM 101, 102, and 103) can count as lower-division electives.

Foundations of the English Major (8 credit hours)

You must take ENG 303, and 304 or 305. ENG 304 and 305 will be taught in alternate years.

  • ENG 303: Text (Fall term)
  • ENG 304: Context
  • ENG 305: Theory

Writing Requirement (4 credit hours)

  • One of the following courses:
    • ENG 209: The Craft of the Sentence
    • ENG 420: The Art of the Sentence
    • WR 320: Scientific and Technical Writing
    • WR 321: Business Communication
    • WR 423: Advanced Composition

Additional Upper-Division Coursework (32 credit hours)

Additional upper-division coursework must total a minimum of 32 credit hours. A minimum of 28 of the upper-division requirements must be taken at the University of Oregon.

You must take at least one class in each of the following categories:

  1. Literature, Pre-1500
  2. Literature, 1500-1789
  3. Literature, 1789-Present
  4. Theory and/or Rhetoric
  5. Media, Folklore, and/or Culture
  6. Gender, Ability, Queer Studies, and/or Sexualities
  7. Empire, Race, and/or Ethnicity

Note: In addition to selecting courses that automatically satisfy requirements in two areas, during any given term other courses may also fulfill two requirements at once. See the English Major Advising Supplement for information about particular offerings and categories.

Upper-Division Electives:

Additional upper-division work may be needed to fulfill the minimum of 32 credit hours required for the major. You may use a maximum of 8 credit hours in ENG 401, 402, 405, 408, and/or WR 408. Electives may include any of the upper-division courses listed above in areas A-G as well as any others listed in the Advising Supplement.

Planning Note: If the upper-division requirements have all been satisfied with 4-credit courses, only 4 credits would be required in this area. If you double-dip two courses, 8 credits would be required. All courses for the major must be passed with grades of mid-C or better to count.

Declare the English Major