English Focus Courses

After completing your core courses, you will select one of our nine focus areas to continue your studies. Each focus area consists of a selection of courses designed to work together to build a focused set of skills or knowledge you can apply to your career or life goals. You will choose four courses from this selection to complete your focus.

Spring 2025 Focus Courses

For a complete list of all courses for each focus, please consult the English Major's Handbook.

Note:
English B.A. Distributive Requirements: Diversity = (D); Geographical = (G); Historical/Genealogical = (H)

General Education Requirements (labeled in purple): Diverse Communities = (J); Ethics = (E); Interdisciplinary = (I); S (Speaking Emphasis)

Archives, Power, & Making the Present

  • Please contact the English department if you are looking for a course in this focus area.

Creativity, Aesthetics, & Design

  • CRW 201: Introduction to Creative Writing
  • CRW 202: Creative Writing I
  • CRW 203: Narrative and Lyric Forms
  • CRW 301: Poetry Workshop I
  • CRW 303: Short Story Workshop I
  • CRW 305: Creative Nonfiction Workshop I
  • CRW 306: Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • CRW 491: Creative Writing Workshop in the Long Form

Identity & Representation

  • CLS 203: African Studies (G) (J)
  • ENG 240: Language, Gender, and Sexuality (D) (J)
  • LIT 204: New Black Women Writers in America (D)
  • LIT 220: Children's Literature

National & Transnational Cultures

  • CLS 203: African Studies (G) (J)
  • CLS 261: World Literature II (H)
  • LIT 204: New Black Women Writers in America (D)
  • LIT 230: English Literature I

Popular Culture & Cultural Studies

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • FLM 200: Introduction to Film
  • FLM 202: American Themes
  • WRH 343: Visual Rhetoric in Comics and Graphic Novels

Public & Professional Writing

  • ENG 368: Business and Organizational Writing
  • ENG 371: Technical Writing
  • JRN 225: Newswriting
  • WRH 201: Introduction to Rhetoric (H)
  • WRH 225: Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing
  • WRH 335: Activism and Advocacy Writing

Social Justice and Activism

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • ENG 240: Language, Gender, and Sexuality (D) (J)
  • JRN 200: Introduction to Journalism
  • LIT 203: African American Literature II (D)
  • WRH 335: Activism and Advocacy Writing

Sustainability & Environmental Humanities

  • WRH 335: Activism and Advocacy Writing

Visual and Digital Rhetoric

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • DHM 260: Digital Storytelling (J)
  • DHM 280: Introduction to Digital Humanities (I)
  • FLM 200: Introduction to Film
  • JRN 212: Digital Journalism
  • JRN 315: Magazine Article Writing
  • LIT 219: Literature for Young Children
  • WRH 343: Visual Rhetoric in Comics and Graphic Novels