Our English Literature Major

Study the power of words

Studying literature gives you the analytical tools and writing skills employers in any industry covet.

An English-Literature degree from Susquehanna prepares you to make a difference and work for nonprofits, government entities or international relations.

Our graduates work for literary agencies, as social media gurus and for Fortune 500 companies. Some do advanced research in education, library and information science or public advocacy. Double majors with a literature background stand out on medical and law school applications.

We encourage teaching assistantships for insight into curriculum development and classroom management. Combined with an education degree, you'll be ready to step right into the classroom and teach.

Two for one equals greater opportunities

Adding a literature major to our publishing and editing major is smart. It gives you a breadth of skills to analyze and create—to choose any path you desire.

We offer one of the only publishing and editing majors in the country. You'll have ample opportunities to publish your own work and contribute to eight department-focused student publications.

Our interdisciplinary minors, like women's studies and public policy, help you gain a better understanding of important topics in today’s world.

Engage and express

From studying forms of writing to analyzing Shakespeare, every class you take builds toward a senior capstone project-modeled on grad school programs-that challenges you to think more deeply about your past four years.

Creative outlets on campus for literature majors include the Literature Club, The Squirrel satire magazine or the Comic Book Club.

Words matter. Here, you'll harness the power of language, while learning to express yourself with style and grace.

Recent graduates have enrolled in programs at:

Rutgers University
Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law
Towson University
Lehigh University
Kutztown University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University
Catholic University
Kent State University

The English Major - Literature is designed to prepare students for a successful, fulfilling life and career in the 21st century by training them to understand the theoretical implications and historical context of all forms of writing and become expert writers. A graduate from this program will have superb analytic and problem-solving skills, powerful methods to understand cultural context and meaning, and the ability to perform advanced research in any text-based field, such as law, education, government, library science, publishing, editing, marketing and public advocacy.

Requirements for the English Major - Literature. 40 - 42 semester hours with grades of C- or better.

Semester Hours	View Full Course Catalog >>
4 ENGL-240 Literary Themes
4 One course chosen from among ENGL-245 Studies in Comparative Literatures of the Americas, ENGL-250 World Literature, ENGL-255 Jewish Literature, and ENGL-240 Literary Themes. Students cannot repeat a course with the same content.
4 ENGL-265 Forms of Writing
4 ENGL-290 Aesthetics and Interpretation
4 Mid-level writing course chosen from among ENGL-295 Voice and Audience, WRIT-240 Introduction to Genre Writing, WRIT-250 Introduction to Creative Writing, WRIT-251 Introduction to Fiction, WRIT-252 Introduction to Poetry, and WRIT-253 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction 16 Advanced study to be chosen from among courses in the ENGL-300 to ENGL-390 range. 4 semester hours of this work must be in an early period course. 2-4 ENGL-540 Internship in field related to likely career
2 ENGL-440 Independent Research: Issues in Literature
Of the semester hours listed above, 4 semester hours taken at the 200 or 300 level must be early period, defined as pre-1865 America or pre-1789 British. 4 semester hours taken at either the 200 or 300 level must be multicultural/non-western.

Minor in English. English minors complete, with grades of C- or better, four semester hours from ENGL-265 Forms of Writing courses, four semester hours from Multicultural/200-Level Choice courses (chosen from ENGL-245, ENGL-250, and ENGL-255), and 12 semester hours from Advanced Study courses (chosen from any ENGL course 300-399). Courses are chosen by the student with the guidance of a departmental adviser.

The English-secondary education major is designed to prepare students to teach English in grades 7-12 and be successful on standard exams required of teaching candidates. This major is offered by the Department of English and Creative Writing in conjunction with the Department of Education. It is designed to be a program leading to teacher certification, and students formally apply to the teacher education program by February of their sophomore year or as soon after that as possible. At the time of application, the candidate must have at least a 3.00 overall GPA and a 3.00 English GPA.

Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American Literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytical Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship.

Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-102 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC-421 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Teaching English, EDUC-479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching Package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).

In addition, secondary education English students complete all of the usual requirements for the English-Literature major with grades of C- or better.