Courses offered by the Department of English seek to develop students' understanding of important works of literature written in English, to provide a historical awareness of the range of thought and experience that has found expression in the English language, and to enlarge students' personal horizons by reflection upon cultural, social, and aesthetic experience. The development of this kind of knowledge also means a development of students' abilities to express themselves effectively in speech and in writing. Courses in English instruct students in becoming more observant, thoughtful, and articulate in response to what they read.
Students who graduate with a major in English pursue careers as writers, lawyers, journalists, librarians, academic and governmental administrators, and publishers, to name a few. Large businesses, for example, publish "in-house" newsletters and magazines, as well as material for the general public. News-papers seek copy editors able to write clear, accurate prose. The legal profession requires people skilled in the language arts. Many English majors go on to graduate or professional schools to educate themselves for professional careers.
The Department offers courses in creative writing (EGL 285, EGL 286, EGL 385, EGL 386, EGL 387) and secondary education leading to provisional New York State certification (EGL 398, EGL 451, EGL 452, EGL 454).
Requirements for the Major in English (EGL)
The major in English leads to the
Bachelor of Arts degree. Courses must be passed with a letter grade of
C or better in order to satisfy all Requirements below.
Completion of the major requires 54 credits.
Completion of the major requires 54 credits.
A. Study within the Area of the Major
- EGL 204 Literary Analysis and Argumentation (Prerequisite to all EGL 300 level courses. Special accommodations will be made for transfer students and crosslisted courses)
- EGL 207 The English Language
- EGL 205 Survey of British Literature I
- Two survey courses from the following:
- EGL 206 Survey of British Literature II
- EGL 217 American Literature I
- EGL 218 American Literature II
- EGL 200-level elective course
- EGL 301 Intensive Writing
- Two EGL 300-level Pre-1800 courses
- EGL 300-level course in American or Anglophone Literature
- Four courses from EGL 300-399
Notes on Section A:
- No English course below the 200 level may be used to fulfill English major requirements. In addition, the following courses may not be used for the English major: EGL 440,441, 449, 450,451,452, 454,475, 476, 488, 494, 495.
- At least 12 credits in EGL courses applied to the major in English must be earned in 300-level courses at Stony Brook.
- Of the eight 300-level required courses, only one may be EGL 385, 396, or 387.
B. Study in Related Areas
1. Foreign Language Requirement:
*Six credits, or the equivalent
of one year, of college study at the intermediate level, or one
semester of study at the advanced level, or a passing grade on a
challenge examination (see page 90 of this Bulletin) in the chosen
language.
2. Six credits of study of History at the 200-level or higher.Notes:
- To satisfy Requirement B, courses must be passed with a letter grade of C or better.
C. Upper-Division Writing Requirement:
Satisfactory completion of EGL 301 with a grade of C or better.
The Honors Program in English
To be admitted into the Honors
Program, students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a GPA in
English courses of at least 3.5; they also must submit a sample paper
evidencing an appropriate level of skill in literary analysis. Honors
students must maintain these grade point averages in order to remain in
the program. They will take three Honors Seminars, an Honors Practicum,
and EGL 496.
Students should develop their plan for an Honors Thesis with an English faculty advisor, in consultation with the Honors Program Director. Thesis topic must be approved by the Undergraduate Program Committee before the last week of the semester prior to the semester in which the student takes EGL 496. The completed thesis will be evaluated by the thesis advisor, a member of the Undergraduate Program Committee, and a third reader.
Students should develop their plan for an Honors Thesis with an English faculty advisor, in consultation with the Honors Program Director. Thesis topic must be approved by the Undergraduate Program Committee before the last week of the semester prior to the semester in which the student takes EGL 496. The completed thesis will be evaluated by the thesis advisor, a member of the Undergraduate Program Committee, and a third reader.
Honors Track students are required to take the following courses:
1. EGL 204: Literary Analysis and Argumentation
2. Four survey courses
a. EGL 205 Survey of British Literature I (Required)
b. Two of the following:
- EGL 206: Survey of British Literature II
- EGL 217: Survey of American Literature I
- EGL 218: Survey of American Literature II
3. EGL 207: The English Language - formerly EGL 380
4. One 200-level elective
5. Eight upper-division English courses
a. EGL 301: Intensive Writing Course
b. Two EGL 300-level electives
b. Two EGL 300-level electives
c. Three Honors courses:
- EGL 490 Honors, topic will vary
- EGL 491 Honors Literature before 1800
- EGL 492 Honors American Literature
d. EGL 496: Senior Honors Project
e. Honors Practicum: EGL 494 or 495 , for University upper-division credit only Related courses:
6. Foreign Language: Six credits at the Intermediate level or beyond
7. History: Six credits at the Intermediate level or beyond
7. History: Six credits at the Intermediate level or beyond