University of Pittsburgh
  UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 - 2002 [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ]


SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS


ENGLISH

The English Department at the University of Pittsburgh offers two different major programs of English: English literature and English writing. Both majors are responsive to many of the traditional goals of a liberal arts education: they seek to develop a broad critical and historical understanding of influential cultural traditions and to foster a range of reading and writing strategies as well as skills of critical analysis. The majors prepare students fairly directly for careers in teaching or writing. But the skills and knowledge the majors impart are useful in numerous business and professional settings. For example, an English major is highly regarded as a preprofessional major for further training in law, medicine, or business. The Director of Academic Affairs for the Association of American Medical Colleges has said (1986) that English majors have a higher rate of acceptance at medical schools than students who have majored in the biological and physical sciences.

Information about the English department major programs follows:

  • English Literature

    The English literature major is designed to develop a critical understanding of literary and cultural traditions in English that is at once informed, skeptical, and appreciative. Some of the distinctive features of the literature curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh are the recurrent concerns - from the introductory to the most advanced undergraduate courses - with the following: questions of how and why we read and write and participate in cultural activities; the contexts in which a range of literary texts and films are produced, understood, evaluated, and used; and the changing role of art and culture in the contemporary world. The major offers students opportunities to study canonical works of British and American literature from medieval times to the present; often, these texts will be studied in conjunction with historical or philosophical works, with other national literatures in English, and/or with films or works of popular culture. In many courses, studentsā own writing will be an important object of study.

  • English Writing

    The University of Pittsburgh's writing program is the oldest and one of the largest in the United States; offering tracks in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and journalism. The maximum size of writing classes is 22, and a greater variety of writing classes is available than at most universities. The writing program has a full-time faculty of widely published writers, several visiting writers each year, and a number of part-time faculty who are senior reporters or editors at Pittsburgh newspapers and magazines. Graduates of the writing program include editors at major daily newspapers and publishing houses, winners of the Pulitzer and other major prizes, and the authors of many published books.

    For more information on the Department of English and the majors in English literature and in English writing, see http://www.pitt.edu/~englweb/.

  • English Literature Major Requirements

    The English literature major requires that students take 36 credits with at least a 2.00 QPA in department courses. Required courses include the following:

    • ENGLIT 0500 (Introduction to Critical Reading) which should be taken as early as possible in the major, before taking a 1000-level course and before taking an historical period course

    • Four historical period courses to be chosen from:
      • ENGLIT 1100 (Medieval Imagination)
      • ENGLIT 1125 (Renaissance in England)
      • ENGLIT 1150 (From Enlightenment to Revolution)
      • ENGLIT 1175 (19th-Century British Literature)
      • ENGLIT 1200 (American Literature to 1860)
      • ENGLIT 1325 (The Modernist Tradition)
      • ENGLIT 1380 (World Literature in English).

    • At least two courses in literature written before 1798 must be taken. These are to be chosen from among the following:
      • ENGLIT 1100 (Medieval Imagination)
      • ENGLIT 1125 (Renaissance in England)
      • ENGLIT 1150 (From Enlightenment to Revolution).

    • A junior seminar and a senior seminar

    • Elective courses, which must be approved by the departmental advisor

  • English Writing Major Requirements

    The requirements for a major in English writing are as follows:

    • A minimum of 33 credits is required - 21 credits in English writing courses and 12 in English literature courses.
    • Majors must choose one of four tracks-fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or journalism. In most cases, students will take other writing courses as well. Each track consists of three levels of courses. The introductory courses (0500s) offer a broad introduction to the skills required of writers in a particular area and generally should be taken no later than the second term of the sophomore year. The intermediate courses (1000s for fiction, 1200s for poetry, 1300s for nonfiction) refine and develop those skills. The senior seminars (1700s) or internships (1900s) provide a test of the studentās proficiency as a writer. Students should check prerequisites carefully before registration. Details on the courses required in each track follow:

      • Fiction Track
        Majors concentrating in fiction take the following courses:

        • ENGWRT 0520 (Introduction to Fiction Writing)
        • Two sections each of ENGWRT 1010 (Intermediate Fiction), 1094 (Readings in Contemporary Fiction), and 1710 (Senior Seminar in Fiction Writing). A topics course is also recommended.

      • Poetry Track
        Majors concentrating in poetry take the following courses:

        • ENGWRT 0530 (Introduction to Poetry Writing)
        • Two sections each of ENGWRT 1210 (Poetry Workshop), 1290 (Readings in Contemporary Poetry), and 1730 (Senior Seminar in Poetry). A topics course is also recommended.

      • Nonfiction Track
        Majors concentrating in nonfiction take the following courses:

        • ENGWRT 0550 (Introduction to Journalism)
        • ENGWRT 1330 (Nonfiction 1)
        • ENGWRT 1340 (Nonfiction 2)
        • ENGWRT 1390 (Readings in Contemporary Nonfiction)
        • One topics course such as Writing the Review, Sports Writing, Broadcast Writing, Creative Corporate Writing, etc. (numbered 1391 through 1405)
        • ENGWRT 1750 (Seminar in Freelance Writing)

      • Journalism Track
        Majors concentrating in journalism take the following courses:

        • ENGWRT 0550 (Introduction to Journalism)
        • ENGWRT 1310 (Newspaper 1)
        • ENGWRT 1320 (Newspaper 2)
        • ENGWRT 1760 (Advanced Reporting)
        • One topics course numbered 1391 through 1405 (See Nonfiction Track above for course titles)
        • Either 1900 (Internship News) or 1910 (Internship Public Relations)

In addition to the required courses in each track, writing majors need one or two electives to complete the 21 credits in writing required. These electives may be taken in another track if the student wishes.

  • For the 12 credits in literature, writing majors must choose courses from the following periods:
    • Literature Prior to 1800 (6 credits)
    • Literary Genres & Periods after 1800 (6 credits).

  • A minimum grade of C or better (not C-) is required in a 0500- level writing course to advance to the first 1000-level course in that track. Students who earn less than a C in their first 1000-level course may not advance to other courses in that track. Moreover, students must earn a C or better (not C-) grade in their senior seminar or internship course as well.

  • Students are encouraged to take additional writing and literature courses beyond the required minimum. Courses in film studies, women's studies, business, and technical writing are particularly useful for English writing majors.

  • The writing program recommends related areas in foreign languages, literature in translation, or linguistics; a related area in history or political science is appropriate for students concentrating in journalism.

  • Completion of at least one composition course is required for enrollment in a writing program course.

  • ENGWRT 0400 (Introduction to Creative Writing) and ENGWRT 0411 (Introduction to Creative Nonfiction) are optional introductory courses and may be taken during the second year by students who have recently declared a major in writing, are seriously considering writing as a major, or are taking their first 0500-level course.

  • Shared Rules for English Literature and English Writing Majors

    The following information applies to both English literature and English writing majors:/

    • There is no limit on the number of courses English majors may take on an S/N basis, either inside or outside the department.
    • English majors automatically fulfill CAS requirements for W-courses.
    • Students who contemplate graduate study in English should remember that many schools do require foreign language competence, sometimes in more than one language.
    • The English department confers honors on those graduates who maintain a 3.25 overall QPA with a QPA of 3.50 or better in English department courses. The QPA is based on all English department courses, not just those that fulfill major requirements.






  UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 - 2002 [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ]