Bachelor of Arts English - American Literature

To obtain a BA with a major in English, a student must fulfill university, college, and departmental requirements: 

• 46 University General Education Hours (Testing out of academic skills requirements and enrolling in major courses that satisfy distribution requirements are likely to reduce the total number of General Education hours.)
• 16 Foreign Language Hours
• 12-19 College Breadth Requirement Hours
• 36-39 Major Hours
• 0-10 Elective Hours

TOTAL HOURS: 120

Core Requirements

Each concentration has its own core requirements including ENGL 2410 or ENGL 2420, foundational English courses. All concentrations also include a literature, language studies, or creative nonfiction course. All concentrations require a capstone experience, including an internship, the senior paper/project, or student teaching.

The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English may be completed through one of four concentrations, each with some overlap in course requirements to allow students to migrate efficiently between concentrations.

• Concentration in Creative Nonfiction
• Concentration in Language Studies
• Concentration in American Literature
• Concentration in British/Irish/Anglophone Literature
• Concentration in Secondary English Teaching (available exclusively as a double major with the BSED degree through CEHHS)

The English major with a concentration in Creative Nonfiction, Language Studies, American Literature, or British/Irish/Anglophone Literature may be added as a double major for students with a primary program of study in or outside the College of Arts and Sciences. For students pursuing a BSED through the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, the English major is commonly added as a double major. Students should work with an advisor to ensure requirements for both programs are met through a careful selection of courses.

Students wishing to complete the Nebraska State Certification requirements to teach English at the 7-12 level now have the option to also earn a second major in English without adding additional time to their program of study. This partnership between CEHHS and the College of Arts and Sciences creates an efficient path for students who would like to earn the English major and prepare for Nebraska State Certification to teach in this area. Students declare the Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Secondary Education (Secondary English 7-12 Endorsement) as their primary degree and program of study. They may then add English as a double major (not a dual degree) with a concentration in Secondary English Teaching. For details, see the Concentration in Secondary English Teaching.