English BA

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts degree in English has an optional concentration in creative writing for students who have been admitted to and completed three creative writing workshops in a single genre of either poetry or short story. Students are expected to meet with the undergraduate counselors and undergraduate faculty adviser … For more content click the Read More button below.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in English has an optional concentration in creative writing for students who have been admitted to and completed three creative writing workshops in a single genre of either poetry or short story. Students are expected to meet with the undergraduate counselors and undergraduate faculty adviser to plan and follow a course of study that incorporates their interests and goals with the fulfillment of requirements for the degree.

Capstone Program

The English major is a designated capstone major. Students have the option of completing a capstone seminar or other culminating work that enables them to use knowledge and skills acquired through previous coursework to engage, under the guidance of a faculty member, in literary research or other creative projects that … For more content click the Read More button below.

Learning Outcomes

Proficiency in a broad knowledge/skill set including research methods, critical thinking, and analytical writing

Familiarity with basic project material including data from multiple sources

Familiarity with relevant scholarly and current debates in the field

Conception and execution of an independent project

Demonstrated seminar or workshop skills

Demonstrated oral and written communication skills

Demonstrated defense-of-scholarship skills

Requirements

Preparation for the Major

Preparation for the Major Policies

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the English major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one English composition course, one English critical reading and writing course, one year of English literature survey courses, and two years of one foreign language or a combination of foreign language and foreign literature courses.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Ten 4- or 5-unit upper-division English courses, including (1) four historical period courses, one from each of the following four periods: (a) literatures in English to 1500—course 140A through 148 or indicated sections of 149, (b) literatures in English, 1500 to 1700—course 150A through 157, indicated sections of 159 or 159R or 166A, (c) literatures in English, 1700 to 1850—course 160A through 165C, 166B through 168, 176, or indicated sections of 169 or 169R, and (d) literatures in English, 1850 to present—course M101B, M101C, M102A, M102B, M104A through M104D, M105B through M105E, 116B, 130, 131, 164B, 164C, 164D, 167A, 167B, 168, 170A through 174C, 176, 179, or 179R; (2) three breadth courses, one from each of three of the following four areas: (a) gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and sexuality studies—English 100 through 109, M126, 135, 155, 163C, 165B, 166C, or indicated sections of 119, 139, 149, 159, 159R, 169, 169R, 179, or 179R, (b) imperial, transnational, and postcolonial studies—course M105A through M105D, 112D, 128, 130 through 135, 154, 157, 163B, 164D, 165A, 166A, 166B, 176, or indicated sections of 149, 159, 159R, 169, 169R, 179, or 179R, (c) genre studies, interdisciplinary studies, critical theory—course 111A through 129, 144, 146, 147, 153, 156, 161A, 161B, 161C, 163A, 163C, 164A through 164D, 167A, 167B, 171A through 177, or indicated sections of 149, 159, 159R, 169, 169R, 179, or 179R, and (d) creative writing—courses 136, 137, M138; (3) two elective courses (two sections of English 110B may fulfill one elective; English 195CE is not applicable); (4) one seminar from course 180 through 184, or M191A through M191E. Admission to creative writing workshops (courses 136, 137, M138) is by application only.

Extra-Departmental Requirement in Foreign Literature or Foreign Language

All English majors must have completed either (1) level five or equivalent in any one foreign language or (2) level three or equivalent in one foreign language and two additional courses in foreign language or foreign literature, including foreign literature in translation (see course listings under ). Transfer students who have satisfied the College of Letters and Science foreign language requirement at the high-school level through the IGETC program may satisfy the departmental requirement with five foreign literature in translation courses. The courses may be taken on a P/NP grading basis.

Creative Writing Concentration

The creative writing concentration consists of the same requirements as the major, with the exception that one breadth course must be taken from the creative writing area (English 136, 137), and both electives must be creative writing workshops (courses 136, 137). All other requirements remain the same. English M138 cannot satisfy any breadth or workshop requirements in the concentration and may only be applied toward the basic English major. Students may declare creative writing as a concentration only after they have completed three creative writing workshops in a single genre of either poetry or short story. Students may not enroll in more than one workshop (course 136, 137, or M138) per term or in more than two workshops with the same instructor. No student may take for credit more than three poetry or short story workshops. Students planning to select this program should contact the departmental counselor for more details.

The Major Policies

Honors Program

Admission

The honors program is open to majors with a 3.5 departmental and a 3.25 overall grade-point average (GPA). Students with lower GPAs may petition for admission to the program, but these grade-point averages must be achieved before graduation in order to qualify for honors. Students should apply by winter quarter of the junior year. For application forms and more information, contact the departmental counselor.

Requirements

All honors students are required to take one theory course from English 120 through 128 (may fulfill one of three required breadth courses) no later than winter quarter of the junior year. Students in the creative writing concentration are required to have completed or been accepted into their third workshop in a single genre prior to or concurrent with enrollment in course 191H. In spring quarter of the junior year, students must take course 191H (may fulfill one of two electives for the major). During fall and winter quarters of the senior year, they take courses 198A and 198B, in which they write a thesis under the direction of a faculty member (198B may fulfill the second of two electives for the major). The thesis determines whether they receive highest honors, honors, or no honors.