English - BA
In the St. Kate's English major, the student's voice matters. Together, in our programs, students and faculty explore diverse aesthetic, linguistic and cultural traditions in global contexts of social justice. We find joy in the play of differences in languages and literatures.
The curriculum offers range and flexibility, with intensive advising that helps each student claim her own focus based on her interests and aims. Our faculty is committed to to meeting the various needs of all of our students, inviting them to think critically, write well, judge carefully, read wholeheartedly, and act with integrity. Visit the Literature, Language, Writing Department's website for more information, opportunities and events.
English students benefit from a rich learning experience. They develop and share their thoughts in discussion-based seminar classes; they meet distinguished visiting authors such as novelist Marilynne Robinson, poets Rita Dove and Wang Ping, memoirists Kao Kalia Yang and Kathleen Norris, and Nobel Prize-winners J. M. Coetzee and Toni Morrison; they develop their own voices and professional skills in small, workshop-based writing classes; and they build a strong portfolio for job and graduate school applications. Most English students also pursue advanced study in another language, and many study abroad, to deepen their overall language skills and cultural competency.
St. Kate's English majors make notable contributions campus-wide, to the English Club, to campus news in The Wheel, to Ariston, the annual literary and visual arts magazine, and to the Antonian Scholars Program. Juniors and seniors often become research or teaching assistants through the university's Assistantship Mentor Program or by way of Summer Scholars Collaborative Research. Students may also earn Honors in English during their final year.
Because we are an urban campus, students also enjoy performances at local theaters, visit art museums and exhibitions, attend author readings and book launches, and complete internships at local publishing houses or business and non-profit institutions. St. Kate's English majors have interned at KTCA-TV, the Minnesota Zoo, Coffee House Press, Greywolf Press, the Guthrie Theater, MPR, and 3M.
Our English alumnae have careers in education, writing, publishing, advertising, management, public relations, medicine and law. Some have started their own businesses. Some became college professors. Others author books, edit anthologies, or write for magazines, newspapers and trade publications. Distinguished graduates include Kelly Barnhill ('96), whose novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon won the Newbery Medal in 2017, and Anne McKeig ('89), the first American Indian justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The English major is offered in the College for Women only
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1450 | Introduction to Linguistics and Language | 4 |
| ENGL 3202 | Literary Theory and Practice | 4 |
| Five electives 1 | 20 | |
| ENGL 4860W | Senior Seminar: Humanities Capstone | 4 |
| Internship 2 | 0-4 | |
| Total Credits | 32-36 | |
- 1
At least two must be at the 3000 level or above. Courses are selected with the major advisor to build a clear area of depth and focus for each student.
- 2
An internship is required for the English major, and this requirement can be met in a variety of ways: with ENGL 4686 Internship: Writing in the Workplace; or accomplished independently for a variety of credit hours or as a non-credit option, all administered through the Career Development Office (and/or via our existing independent internship option, ENGL 4600, ENGL 4602 Internship or ENGL 4604 Internship). Approved internship experiences may also include the following: An O'Neill Center tutor position, a Summer Scholars research experience, an AMP TA position, or a related job that provides the development of skills and experiences our graduates can take into the work world. Students are encouraged to take on more than one internship if possible for the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Term | ||
| ENGL 2402 | Language in Society | 4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| ENGL 3202 | Literary Theory and Practice | 4 |
| Fall Term | ||
| ENGL elective | 4 | |
| Spring Term | ||
| ENGL ELEC | ||
| Fall Term | ||
| ENGL ELEC | 4 | |
| Spring Term | ||
| 3000- or 4000-level ENGL elective | 4 | |
| Fall Term | ||
| ENGL 4860W | Senior Seminar: Humanities Capstone | 4 |
| ENGL 4686 | Internship: Writing in the Workplace 1 | 0-4 |
| Spring Term | ||
| 3000- or 4000-level ENGL elective | 4 | |
| Total Credits | 28-32 | |
- 1
An internship is required for the English major, and this requirement can be met in a variety of ways: with ENGL 4686 Internship: Writing in the Workplace; or accomplished independently for a variety of credit hours or as a non-credit option, all administered through the Career Development Office (and/or via our existing independent internship option, ENGL 4600, ENGL 4602 Internship or ENGL 4604 Internship). Approved internship experiences may also include the following: An O'Neill Center tutor position, a Summer Scholars research experience, an AMP TA position, or a related job that provides the development of skills and experiences our graduates can take into the work world. Students are encouraged to take on more than one internship if possible for the major.