English B.A., Literature Concentration
English majors in the literature concentration can expect to make continuous progress in their degree requirements. Except in unforeseen circumstances, one section of each course in Area F and one or more sections fulfilling each major category of the major are offered in spring and fall. Students desiring particular course offerings or needing particular times during their years at Georgia College should contact the department chair as early as possible.
Degree Requirements
Areas A - E (See Core section of the Catalog) (42 semester hours)
Area F (18 semester hours)
All of the following (15 hours)
One of the following (3 hours):
If a student places out of any language at the 2002 level, area F.2 may be replaced by any 1000-2000 level AFST, ARTS, BLST, HIST, IDST, LING, MSCM, MUSC, PHIL, RELI, THEA, or WMST course not used to fulfill areas B, C, & E (3 hours).
(Any transfer student who has not completed the courses in Area F, or their equivalents, must take these remaining courses at GC.)
Major Requirements (27 semester hours)
Historical periods: One course from each of the following three groups (9 hours):
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Theoretical approaches: One course from the following (3 hours):
Single author: One course from the following (3 hours):
Thematic or conceptual: One course from the following (3 hours):
International: One course from the following (3 hours):
The following courses are also required:
Electives (18-30 semester hours)
English majors who need more than one language course to meet the University B.A. requirements may have a lower number of elective hours.
Total Credit Hours: 120
Senior Capstone Experience (3 semester hours)
English majors in the Literature concentration may meet the GC Senior Capstone Experience requirement in any of the following ways:
- Completion of a Senior Research/Thesis Experience scholarly project (ENGL 4970), completed during the semester in which the student is enrolled in ENGL 4900, Seminar of Language and Literature. All students in ENGL 4900 are required to revise and substantially extend a research essay from a previous upper-level English course. In order to receive Capstone credit for a Senior Research thesis, however, students must register for 3 hours of ENGL 4970, supervised by a faculty member with whom the student will work on the thesis project. To receive credit for the Senior Thesis, students must revise and extend their essay beyond the requirements for ENGL 4900; a general rule would be a 40-page essay with a substantial scholarly bibliography. Students pursuing the Thesis option will be required to defend their thesis in a 30-minute public presentation during which they will discuss their work and answer questions. The supervising faculty member, in consultation with the instructor of ENGL 4900, will assign a grade to the Thesis project, which will become the grade for ENGL 4970. The Senior Thesis requirement may also be met through completion of a Scholars Project, as outlined in the Honors and Scholars Program section of the Catalog;
- Study abroad undertaken after completion of at least 72 hours of coursework, met through ENGL 4980. Students who seek Capstone credit for study abroad must register for a 3-hour section of ENGL 4980 in the semester subsequent to their participation in any study abroad program approved by the Department Chair (full-year, semester, or summer). While abroad, students will write a journal or a blog in order to have a timely record of their impressions and experiences. Following their return to Georgia College, they will write a reflective essay of no fewer than 3,000 words, exploring what they have learned from their travel. The instructor of record for ENGL 4980 will award a letter grade for this essay, and it will be the grade for the course. Failure to complete ENGL 4980 by the end of the semester following study abroad will result in a failing grade in the course, and Capstone credit will not be granted;
- Completion of a 3-hour internship in a placement appropriate personally and professionally for the student's interests, as determined in consultation with the student's selected supervising faculty member and the Department Chair. To receive Capstone credit for an internship, students must register for 3 hours of ENGL 4960 simultaneously with undertaking the internship. ENGL 4960 will be supervised by a faculty member with the appropriate expertise in the area of the internship, selected by the student, with input from other appropriate faculty members as needed. In addition to the actual work of the internship, students will be required to compile a portfolio, essay, or other appropriate documentation reflecting their learning and experiences in their placement, which will be evaluated by the supervising faculty member. In addition, the field supervisor must provide an evaluation of the student's work in the internship. All material, including the field supervisor's evaluation, must be submitted to the supervising faculty member in order to pass ENGL 4960 and receive Capstone credit.
- Completion of any approved IDST 4999 Senior Capstone course.
Other Requirements
- Completion of the First-Year Academic Seminar with a passing grade. Students who transfer to GC after the first term are exempt from the requirement.
- A grade of C or better is required in all English courses; more than one grade of D or below may disqualify a student from continuing in the major.
- A minimum of 39 semester hours overall must be at the 3000-4000 level.
- Fulfillment of University-wide Senior Capstone Experience requirement, as explained above.