English BA

Major: English
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 180.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 23.0101

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-1123

Writing Studies Concentration

English majors who select the concentration in Writing benefit from the full range of courses and opportunities that we offer. These include core courses taken by all our majors, offering a strong foundation in textual and rhetorical analysis along with writing skills.  

The concentration offers additional in-depth coursework in creative and professional writing, backed up by opportunities for hands-on experience in writing, editing, and publishing. Students may take full advantage of the opportunities for growth and experience offered by our Drexel Publishing Group, the Writers Room, and the Drexel Writing Center.  

For more information about this program, please visit the Department of English & Philosophy web page.

Degree Requirements

University Requirements
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
UNIV H101The Drexel Experience1.0
UNIV H201Looking Forward: Academics and Careers1.0
College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum **
Developing Quantitative Reasoning **6.0-8.0
Two courses in MATH based on placement exams OR
Symbolic Logic I
Symbolic Logic II
Engaging the Natural World **6.0-8.0
Analyzing Cultures & Histories **6.0-8.0
Understanding Society & Human Behavior **6.0-8.0
Cultivating Global Competence **6.0-8.0
Perspectives in Diversity **3.0-4.0
Language Requirement
Select two consecutive courses in a foreign language, reaching at least 103 ***8.0
English Major Requirements
English Core Courses
Seminars
ENGL 195English Freshman Seminar 3.0
ENGL 301English Major Colloquium (1-credit course, take three times for 3 credits total)3.0
ENGL 490Seminar in English and American Literature3.0
ENGL 492Seminar in World Literature3.0
Language at Work
WRIT 212Intro to Rhetorical Theory3.0
or ENGL 250 Intro to Digital Humanities
Writing
WRIT 195Threshold Concepts in Writing Studies3.0
WRIT 200Language Puzzles and Word Games: Issues in Modern Grammar3.0
WRIT 225Creative Writing3.0
Literature
ENGL 207African American Literature3.0
ENGL 315Shakespeare3.0
ENGL 325Topics in World Literature3.0
ENGL 355Women and Literature3.0
Senior Project
ENGL 495Senior Project in Literature3.0
Writing Concentration Courses
Foundations
WRIT 210The Peer Reader in Context3.0
WRIT 211Advanced Composition3.0
Audience Awareness
WRIT 312Writing for Target Audiences3.0
or WRIT 315 Writing for Social Change
Writing Practices (choose 6)
Select six additional courses for a minimum of 18.0 credits (at least 4 must be WRIT or ENGL courses)18.0
Introduction to Journalism
Business Communication
Technical Communication
Grant Writing
Research Project Development
Playwriting I
Screenwriting I
Story Medicine
Intro to Rhetorical Theory
Creative Nonfiction Writing
Writing in Public Spaces
Writing the Short Film
Screenplay Story Development
Writers Room Experience
Forms Seminar
Writing Poetry
Writing Fiction
Writing Humor and Comedy
Life is Beautiful
Writing About the Media
Literary Editing & Publication
Writing and Reading the Memoir
Writing for Target Audiences
Writing for Social Change
Publishing Veterans’ Memoirs for the Library of Congress
Writing and Contexts
Writing in Cyberspace: Writing for/about the Web
Advanced Poetry Workshop
Advanced Fiction Workshop
Internship in Publishing
Special Topics in Writing
Free Electives
Select 60 credits from any discipline. Consider a second major or minor, or education certification.60.0
Total Credits180.0-191.0
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

 
**

See Core Curriculum List for complete list of course options.

***

Select two consecutive courses at the 102-499 level within the same subject code: ARBC, CHIN, FREN, GER, JAPN, KOR, SPAN.
Language courses may count toward the College Core Curriculum requirements in Cultivating Global Competence, in which case students may take a corresponding number of free electives.

Counts as an option for the English Core requirements; if the course is not counted toward the core requirement it can be counted as a Writing Practice course.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

4 year, 1 co-op

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ENGL 101
Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research
or English Composition I
3.0
ENGL 195 English Freshman Seminar 3.0
UNIV H101 The Drexel Experience 1.0
Developing Quantitative Reasoning 3.0-4.0
Foreign Language Course (1st consecutive course) 4.0
Understanding Society & Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
 Credits17-19
Winter
CIVC 101 Introduction to Civic Engagement 1.0
ENGL 102
Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing
or English Composition II
3.0
WRIT 200 Language Puzzles and Word Games: Issues in Modern Grammar 3.0
Cultivating Global Competence 3.0-4.0
Developing Quantitative Reasoning 3.0-4.0
Foreign Language Course (2nd consecutive course, at least 103 level) 4.0
 Credits17-19
Spring
ENGL 103
Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres
or English Composition III
3.0
ENGL 207 African American Literature 3.0
WRIT 195 Threshold Concepts in Writing Studies 3.0
Analyzing Culture and Histories 3.0-4.0
Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
 Credits15-17
Summer
VACATION  
 Credits0
Second Year
Fall
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium ((1st of 3)) 1.0
WRIT 210
The Peer Reader in Context
or Advanced Composition
3.0
WRIT 225 Creative Writing 3.0
Cultivating Global Competence 3.0-4.0
Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
Understanding Society and Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
 Credits16-19
Winter
COOP 101 Career Management and Professional Development * 1.0
WRIT 211 Advanced Composition 3.0
WRIT 212
Intro to Rhetorical Theory
or Intro to Digital Humanities
3.0
Analyzing Culture and Histories 3.0-4.0
Perspectives in Diversity 3.0-4.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits16-18
Spring
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium 1.0
ENGL 315 Shakespeare 3.0
Free Electives 9.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits16
Summer
ENGL 325 Topics in World Literature 3.0
Free Electives 6.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits15
Third Year
Fall
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Winter
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Spring
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium 1.0
WRIT 312
Writing for Target Audiences
or Writing for Social Change
3.0
Free Electives 6.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits13
Summer
Free Electives 12.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits15
Fourth Year
Fall
ENGL 490 Seminar in English and American Literature 3.0
UNIV H201 Looking Forward: Academics and Careers 1.0
Free Electives 9.0
 Credits13
Winter
ENGL 355 Women and Literature 3.0
ENGL 492 Seminar in World Literature 3.0
Free Electives 9.0
 Credits15
Spring
ENGL 495 Senior Project in Literature 3.0
Free Electives 9.0
 Credits12
 Total Credits180-191
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

5 year, 3 co-op

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ENGL 101
Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research
or English Composition I
3.0
ENGL 195 English Freshman Seminar 3.0
UNIV H101 The Drexel Experience 1.0
Developing Quantitative Reasoning 3.0-4.0
Foreign Language Course (1st consecutive course) 4.0
Understanding Society and Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
 Credits17-19
Winter
CIVC 101 Introduction to Civic Engagement 1.0
COOP 101 Career Management and Professional Development * 1.0
ENGL 102
Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing
or English Composition II
3.0
WRIT 200 Language Puzzles and Word Games: Issues in Modern Grammar 3.0
Cultivating Global Competence 3.0-4.0
Developing Quantitative Reasoning 3.0-4.0
Foreign Language Course (2nd consecutive course, at least 103 level) 4.0
 Credits18-20
Spring
ENGL 103
Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres
or English Composition III
3.0
ENGL 207 African American Literature 3.0
WRIT 195 Threshold Concepts in Writing Studies 3.0
Analyzing Culture and Histories 3.0-4.0
Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
 Credits15-17
Summer
VACATION  
 Credits0
Second Year
Fall
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Winter
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Spring
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium 1.0
WRIT 210
The Peer Reader in Context
or Advanced Composition
3.0
WRIT 225 Creative Writing 3.0
Cultivating Global Competence 3.0-4.0
Engaging the Natural World 3.0-4.0
Understanding Society and Human Behavior 3.0-4.0
 Credits16-19
Summer
WRIT 211 Advanced Composition 3.0
WRIT 212
Intro to Rhetorical Theory
or Intro to Digital Humanities
3.0
Analyzing Culture and Histories 3.0-4.0
Perspectives in Diversity 3.0-4.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits15-17
Third Year
Fall
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Winter
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Spring
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium 1.0
ENGL 315 Shakespeare 3.0
Free Electives 6.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits16
Summer
ENGL 325 Topics in World Literature 3.0
Free Electives 9.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits15
Fourth Year
Fall
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Winter
COOP EXPERIENCE  
 Credits0
Spring
ENGL 301 English Major Colloquium 1.0
ENGL 355 Women and Literature 3.0
WRIT 312
Writing for Target Audiences
or Writing for Social Change
3.0
Free Elective 3.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits13
Summer
Free Electives 12.0
Writing Practice Course 3.0
 Credits15
Fifth Year
Fall
ENGL 490 Seminar in English and American Literature 3.0
UNIV H201 Looking Forward: Academics and Careers 1.0
Free Electives 9.0
 Credits13
Winter
ENGL 492 Seminar in World Literature 3.0
Free Electives 12.0
 Credits15
Spring
ENGL 495 Senior Project in Literature 3.0
Free Electives 9.0
 Credits12
 Total Credits180-191
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major.

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Program Level Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of major genres, authors and the cultural and historical contexts of literary periods.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking, writing and textual analysis skills
  • Demonstrate research skills and facility with terms and methods of critical analysis and synthesis
  • Demonstrate strong analytical, communication, technological and writing skills that enable students to make intertextual connections between material in their coursework and examine the relationships between literature and the world.
  • By virtue of their coursework, internship and coop experience, be prepared for careers or graduate work in the humanities, law, teaching, professional writing and other fields

English Faculty

Jan Armon, PhD (University of Michigan). Associate Teaching Professor. Academic functions of personal writing, composition.
Valarie Arms, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Rhetoric and Composition
Kenneth Bingham, MA (Temple University). Teaching Professor. First-year writing; engineering ethics; literature of baseball.
Valerie Booth, PhD (Emory University). Associate Teaching Professor.
Raymond Brebach, PhD (University of Illinois). Associate Professor. Modern British fiction; the novel; textual studies.
André Carrington, PhD (New York University). Assistant Professor. Cultural politics of race, gender and genre; feminism criticism; critical race theory.
Paula Marantz Cohen, PhD (Columbia University) Distinguished Professor, Dean of the Pennoni Honors College. Co-editor, <em>Journal of Modern Literature;</em> Host of the <em>Drexel Interview.</em> Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century English and American literature; film studies.
Albert DiBartolomeo, MA (Temple University). Teaching Professor. Co-Director, Drexel Publishing Group; Creative writing; first-year writing; non-fiction.
Dan Driscoll, MA (Temple University). Associate Teaching Professor. Associate Director, University Writing Center: Curricular Initiatives. Co-Director, Minor in Writing. First-year writing.
Anne Erickson, PhD (Purdue University). Assistant Teaching Professor. Online educational applications; the short story cycle.
Nomi Eve, MFA (Brown University). Assistant Teaching Professor.
Lisa Farley, MEd (Temple University). Associate Teaching Professor. English as a Second Language (ESL).
Robert Finegan, MFA (University of Pittsburgh). Associate Teaching Professor. First-year writing; technical and creative writing.
Alexis Finger, MS (Queens College, CUNY). Associate Teaching Professor. Speech; ESL; oral communication.
Valerie Fox, PhD (SUNY at Binghamton). Teaching Professor. Founding Editor, <em>Press 1.</em> Twentieth century drama; modern and contemporary American poetry; first-year writing.
Edward Fristrom, PhD (State University of New York-Albany). Associate Teaching Professor. Professional writing, creative writing, multimedia, and writing education.
Keunah Han, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Teaching Professor. English as a Second Language (ESL)
Cassandra Hirsch, MFA (Rosemont College). Assistant Teaching Professor. Fiction.
Gabriella Ibieta, PhD (City University of New York). Associate Professor. Comparative literature; Cuban and Latin American fiction.
Henry Israeli, MFA (University of Iowa) Associate Director, Certificate in Writing and Publishing. Associate Teaching Professor. Founder and editor of <i>Saturnalia Books</i>, a publisher of contemporary poetry.
Miriam Kotzin, PhD (New York University). Professor. Founding Editor, <em>Per Contra.</em> American literature; genre studies; creative writing; communications.
Stephen Mandell, PhD (Temple University). Professor. First-year writing; technical writing; speech; American literature.
Deirdre McMahon, PhD (University of Iowa). Associate Teaching Professor. 19th-century British literature and culture: empire, critical race studies and analyses of material culture.
Marianallet Mendez-Rivera, PhD (University of Minnesota). Assistant Teaching Professor. Use of the mass media to secure, maintain and enhance political power; international technical communication—including issues of translation v. localization.
Harriet Levin Millan, MFA (University of Iowa) Director, Certificate in Writing and Publishing. Associate Teaching Professor. Poetry.
Jill Moses, MFA (University of Oregon). Assistant Teaching Professor. Dramatic literature; first-year writing.
Christopher T. Nielson, PhD (Purdue University) Assistant Department Head; Director, Programs in English. Teaching Professor. Shakespeare; Renaissance drama and literature; dramatic literature; first-year writing.
Karen Nulton, PhD (Rutgers University) Director, Writing Assessment. Associate Teaching Professor. Writing assessment, writing pedagogy, and writing across the curriculum.
Margene Peterson, MA (Rhode Island School of Design). Instructor. English as a Second Language (ESL); the learning styles and strategies of non-native speakers of English.
Abioseh Porter, PhD (University of Alberta, Canada). Professor. Comparative literature; postcolonial literatures; Editor, <em>JALA, Journal of the African Literature Association</em>.
Donald Riggs, PhD (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). Teaching Professor. Cinematic monsters; science fiction and fantasy literature and film; Renaissance literature; creative writing; first-year writing.
Donna Rondolone, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Teaching Professor. Medieval literature; Arthurian legend; first-year writing.
Gail Rosen, JD (Temple University). Associate Teaching Professor. Literature and law; first-year writing.
Doreen Alvarez Saar, PhD (SUNY Buffalo) American Literature Editor, Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature. Professor. Early American literature; Eighteenth-century America; race and gender studies.
Sheila Sandapen, PhD (Indiana University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Teaching Professor. First-year writing; cultural studies; women's studies; history and film.
Fred A. Siegel, PhD (New York University) Director, First-Year Writing Program. Teaching Professor. Popular theater; dramatic literature, creative non-fiction; first-year writing.
Scott Stein, MFA (University of Miami). Teaching Professor. Creative writing; first-year writing; Founding Editor, <em>When Falls the Coliseum: A Journal of American Culture (Or Lack Thereof).</em>
Elizabeth Thorpe, MFA (Goddard College). Assistant Teaching Professor. New England literature, illness/healing narratives, and the creative process.
Eva Thury, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Professor. Mythology; classical literature; drama; first-year writing; desktop publishing and software documentation.
Kathleen Volk Miller, MA (Rutgers University) Director, Graduate Program in Publishing; Co-Director, Drexel Publishing Group. Teaching Professor. Co-Editor, <em>Painted Bride Quarterly (PBQ)</em>; creative writing; first-year writing.
Maria Volynsky, EdD (Temple University) Associate Director, First-Year Writing Program; ESL Coordinator. Assistant Teaching Professor. English as a Second Language (ESL).
Scott Warnock, PhD (Temple University) Director, Drexel Writing Center; Director, University Writing Program. Associate Professor. Rhetoric and composition; medical writing; information technology and literacy.
Robert A. Watts, MA (Temple University). Associate Teaching Professor. Creative writing; first-year writing.
Rachel Wenrick, MFA (Columbia University) Associate Director, University Writing Program: Strategic Initiatives; Co-Director, Minor in Writing. Associate Teaching Professor. First-year writing.
Vincent Williams, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Teaching Professor. First-year writing; the intersection of race, gender, class and urbanism.
Jennifer Yusin, PhD (Emory University). Associate Professor. Postcolonial literature; trauma theory; literary theory; psychoanalysis, and memory studies in contemporary literature in English.

Emeritus Faculty

Richard Astro, PhD (University of Washington) Distinguished Professor. Provost Emeritus. Twentieth-century American literature; literature and sports.