Department of English

english.gallaudet.edu
College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Technologies

Dr. Paige Franklin, Chair
Hall Memorial Building, Room W-212

The study of language and literature is the heart of a liberal arts education. The major program at Gallaudet provides not only an understanding of our rich literary heritage, but also offers an opportunity to develop the advanced reading and writing abilities necessary for anyone wishing to participate fully in modern society. A major in English provides a basis for secondary school teaching, journalism, and graduate school and can help in the preparation for a variety of professional careers. The department also focuses on developing the English literacy skills of Gallaudet students.

Honors Requirements

The English Department's Honors Major provides an opportunity for students with unusual academic ability and interest in English to devote extensive time and effort to a research project, or in the case of a creative writing specialization, a creative writing project. The Departmental Honors Program is not the same as the University's Honors Program; check under Honors Program for details about the latter. The University Honors Program has a specialization in creative writing.

Admission to the Honors major program

To qualify, students must have:

A grade point average of at least 3.0
A grade of B or better in ENG 208.
A grade of B or better in ENG 399.
An essay explaining why the student wants an honors degree in English and what the student's interests, strengths, and weaknesses in English are (see the major/minor coordinator for more information).

Requirements to graduate with honors in the major:

A 3.3 average in English major-level courses.
A grade of B+ or better in ENG 493.
Twelve credits (4 courses) of honors level work in the major. One course must be ENG 493, which counts only towards honors in the major. The remaining three courses may also count for the university honors program. An honors contract must be established at the beginning of each course, to be approved by the course instructor, the Major/Minor Coordinator, and the Director of the Honors Program (if the course will also count towards the university honors program). Satisfactory completion of the contract, as determined by the instructor, is necessary to receive honors credit.

Curricular and Extracurricular Requirements

Take ENG 399 with Honors Option.

For the creative writing specialization, in addition to the regular course content, students will begin or continue creative work with an eye toward analysis of the work using critical methods learned in the course.

Take three one-credit reading list sections. The student and the instructor will develop a reading list for the chosen topic that then needs the English Major/Minor Coordinator's approval. Usually a student would take one credit per semester for three semesters because of the reading load in each section; however, two sections may be taken together with the permission of the advisor and the English Major/Minor Coordinator.

Choose two extracurricular experiences, one on campus and one off-campus. For creative writing, select five extracurricular experiences.

Take ENG 493 with an Honors Option.

Declaring a Major

Admission to the English major program

Requirements:

A writing test score equivalent to a 4.0 or higher on the Gallaudet Writing Evaluation or its equivalent;
ACT Reading score of 22+; SAT Verbal score of 510+; a score of 80 or better on the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) exam; or equivalent
A grade of B or better in ENG 208 or its equivalent;
Recommendations from two English instructors;
A copy of the applicant's transcript;
Two essays. These are to be sent to the major/minor coordinator for inclusion in the application file;
A letter of application; and
An interview with the major/minor coordinator.

Admission to the major/minor is conditional upon acceptance by a Major Review Committee which will consider the above-mentioned criteria when determining which student may major/minor in English. Students who are not approved by the Major Review Committee may appeal to the department chair.

To continue in the program, English majors and minors must obtain a GPA average of "C" or better in their major/minor coursework.

Students who have not yet declared a major/minor in the English Department may take up to twelve credits of courses numbered 380 or above with permission of the English major/minor coordinator; thereafter, admission to the major/minor program is required.