School of Language, Education, and Culture

Overview

Dr. Sharon Pajka, Major/Minor Coordinator

Hall Memorial Building, Room N207C

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 or minor in English prepares students for graduate school, careers in education, professional, and creative writing, and for a variety of professional fields. A minor in Writing provides students with the critical thinking skills and information and digital literacies that are essential to employment in the professional world, as well as the exploration of their creative capacities. Students who major in English may also minor in writing, but courses cannot be double-counted

Declaring a Major

Admission to the English major program requirements:

A grade of C or better in ENG 208 or ENG 250 or their equivalents, and permission of Major/Minor coordinator or chair.

Students who have not yet declared a major 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 program is required.

Honors Requirements

The English Department’s Honors Major provides an opportunity for students with unusual academic ability and interest in English to enhance their learning with in-depth work (through contracts) within selected major courses, including a culminating research or creative writing project. The major courses selected for in-depth work may also count toward the University’s Honors Program, but requirements for the culminating project differ; to learn more see the University Honors Program section in the catalog.

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 either ENG 208 or ENG 250.

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 399
• A grade of B+ or better in ENG 493.
• Twelve credits (4 courses) of honors level work (through contracts) in major courses, one of which must be ENG 493. Any three of these four courses with honors credit may also count towards University Honors as long as the course grade is B or above. To earn Honors credit in a major course, 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). A grade of B or better (B+ or better in ENG 493) and satisfactory completion of the contract, as determined by the instructor, is necessary to receive honors credit in the English major. (Contracts completed also for University Honors credit require completion of online evaluations by the instructor and the student.)