English, BA
English and World Languages Department
Program Overview
English, BA
Ready to turn your love for reading and writing into a solid career? Our B.A. in English gives you the sharp writing and critical thinking skills that every employer—from publishing to law—is looking for in today’s diverse workplace.
HEGIS Code: 1501.00
NYSED Program Code: 25672 – ENGL-BA
Major
Description
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English is a four-year program that doesn’t only teach you about books—it prepares you to be a highly skilled, top-performing communicator ready for today’s diverse and demanding workplace.
This degree gives you an amazing foundation in the Humanities while developing the specialized skills employers are looking for.
What Makes This Program Special?
This major is a deep dive into the stories, cultures, and critical theories that shape our world, with a special focus on the literature of the African Diaspora. You won’t only study literature; you’ll explore the voices and experiences that have profoundly shaped history and culture.
By the time you graduate, you’ll have a strong liberal arts background, specialized skills, and a professional portfolio built through your concentration, internship, and senior thesis.
Student
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, this program:
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Prepares students for a lifelong relationship to reading and writing. -
Develops students’ proficiency in essay writing. -
Strengthens students’ research skills. -
Introduces students to major works of world literature. -
Increases students’ knowledge in the discipline of literature. -
Increases students’ knowledge in the discipline of literary theory. -
Provides students with opportunities to evaluate and articulate aesthetic and rhetorical choices in their writing. -
Provides students with a learning environment that enables them to explore their understanding of the complexity of ethical questions and political issues. -
Provides students with experiences which enable them to make meaningful connections across disciplines. -
Provides students with opportunities to engage in service-learning requirements in selected courses, internships and co-curricular programs.
Major
Requirements
As part of your degree, you must fulfill the CUNY Pathways general education requirements, which consist of the Common Core (Required and Flexible) and the Medgar Evers College Option. These courses provide the essential quantitative, scientific, and socio-cultural literacy that complements your technical training.
Here are the courses you must complete for your degree.
Required Core Courses
- Core English & Writing Skills: The courses provide the foundation for your communication and analytical abilities:
- ENGL 208, ENGL 210, ENGL 211, and ENGL 365
- Capstone & Professional Experience: These courses wrap up your degree and prepare you for your career:
- ENGL 420, ENGL 422
- Required Literature Exploration: To ensure a broad literary background, in addition to ENGL 212, you’ll take one course from each of these geographical areas: European, American, and Caribbean/Latin American.
- Additional Literature Requirements: You’ll choose additional literature courses from a range of up-to-date thematic courses.
- Other Requirements: You’ll further hone your skills and expand your knowledge through other required courses, including:
- Foreign Language I & II, FS 101 & 102, HIST 101, LIB 100, PHIL 101
- Complete a Concentration in the Major: Choose from Cross-Cultural Literature, Creative Writing, or Professional Writing
Major Elective
- Earn at least 12 English credits leading to a Concentration
- Choose any HUM, ENGL, ART, MUS course not already taken or PHIL 201 or PSYC 101, SSC, SOC. (3 cr)
Concentration Options
- Cross-Cultural Literature
Complete four of the following courses not already taken:- ENGL 325, ENGL 328, ENGL 330, ENGL 331, ENGL 340, ENGL 341, ENGL 342, ENGL 344, ENGL 345 ENGL 346, ENGL 347, ENGL 348, ENGL 349, ENGL 351, ENGL 352, ENGL 360, ENGL 361, ENGL 364, ENGL 366
- Creative Writing
Complete four of the following courses not already taken:- ENGL 301, ENGL 302, ENGL 303, ENGL 304, ENGL 305, ENGL 306, ENGL 307, ENGL 336, ENGL 353
- Professional Writing
Complete four of the following courses not already taken:- ENGL 260, ENGL 310, ENGL 311, ENGL 312, ENGL 313, ENGL 318, ENGL 362
Degree Map
Think of this map as your personal GPS for college. It shows you the perfect sequence of courses to take, semester by semester, ensuring you hit all your requirements in the right order. This plan is designed to make sure you take any prerequisite courses (the classes you must pass before you can take a more advanced one) at the right time.
Admission into BA Program
Admission to the English BA program is open to all students. English majors must earn a minimum grade of C in all English courses. The AA degrees in English and African Diaspora Literature offer seamless transfer into the BA. In addition, the English Department has a formal articulation agreement with Kingsborough’s Journalism Program and the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Writing and Literature Program.
Have Questions? We’re Here to Help
If you have questions regarding the Department of English and World Languages or need assistance navigating the application process, please reach out to our department office.
Chairperson: Dr. Susan Alice Fischer | safischer@mec.cuny.edu
Phone: 718 270-4993
Location: 1650 Bedford Avenue, B-1015A