Academic Catalog

English Major

Major Requirements

The English major consists of 11 courses. Starting with the class of 2028, students declare either the Critical Studies or Creative Writing track and complete the requirements outlined below.

Critical Studies:

Methods

Complete the following course:

  • ENG 296 Methods and Modes of Literary Study

ENG 296 is a prerequisite for the senior thesis. Students are strongly advised to take the methods course in their second year.

Literature Before 1800

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: Pre-1800) attribute. At least one course must also be designated with the (English: Medieval) attribute. 

Literature After 1800

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: Post-1800) attribute.

Race, Ethnicity, and Diasporic Literature

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: R, E, DL) attribute.

Junior-Senior Seminar

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: JR-SR Seminar) attribute.

Senior Thesis

Complete one option from the following:

One-Semester Thesis

Two-Semester Thesis (Honors)1

Double-majoring students who complete their [W3] in their second major may elect to take a third Junior-Senior Seminar in lieu of writing a critical studies thesis.

Additional Courses (If Applicable)

Courses may be used to fulfill more than one requirement above. Students may take additional English courses to reach the 11 courses required for the major2. Upon approval, a First-Year Seminar may also apply toward the 11 courses.

Creative Writing:

Students on the Creative Writing track choose between Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Playwriting as their primary genre for a two-workshop sequence, and are further encouraged to select literature courses that focus on their primary genre, when possible. Students also complete one creative writing workshop in a secondary genre. Students who elect Playwriting as their primary genre are strongly encouraged to minor in Theater.

Methods

Complete the following course:

  • ENG 296 Methods and Modes of Literary Study

Literature Before 1800

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: Pre-1800) attribute. At least one course must also be designated with the (English: Medieval) attribute. 

Race, Ethnicity, and Diasporic Literature

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: R, E, DL) attribute.

Junior-Senior Seminar

Complete at least two courses designated with the (English: JR-SR Seminar) attribute.

Introductory Workshop

Complete at least one course from the following, in the primary genre:

Advanced Workshop

Complete at least one course from the following, the primary genre:

Secondary Genre Workshop

Complete at least one course from the following3, outside the primary genre:

senior thesis

Complete one option from the following:

One-Semester Thesis

Two-Semester Thesis1

Additional Courses (If Applicable)

Courses may be used to fulfill more than one requirement above. Students may take additional English courses to reach the 11 courses required for the major. Upon approval, a First-Year Seminar may also apply toward the 11 courses.

Senior Project Description

The thesis should comprise the best work brought, through intensive revision, to final form during the semester(s) spent working on the project. Theses may include revised developments of work first drafted in previous seminars or workshops, but should consist mainly of new work drafted and revised during the project. 

Critical Theses

Students undertaking a critical studies thesis should consider the work they have done at the 200- or 300-level as generative ground for their thesis, identifying a set of texts and/or topics that grow out of the coursework they have completed in the Department. In consultation with their major advisor, students with more than one declared major who plan to complete their W3 requirement in their non-English major may elect to take a third seminar in lieu of writing a critical thesis. Writers of the critical thesis must submit a proposal to the department, outlining their rationale (including relevant bibliography) for the project. Once the proposal is approved and assigned to an advisor, the student and advisor begin devising a working schedule for the project. Please take note: your thesis advisor must be a faculty member in the department whose research expertise aligns with the topic and methodology of your thesis.

Honors

With departmental approval, students may write a two-semester honors thesis in the senior year. Majors who wish to present themselves as potential honors candidates are encouraged to register for at least one junior-senior seminar in their junior year. Majors who elect to participate in a junior-year-abroad program and who also want to present themselves as honors candidates must submit evidence of broadly comparable coursework or independent study pursued elsewhere; such persons are encouraged to consult with the department before their departure or early in their year abroad. Toward the end of their junior year, all prospective honors candidates must submit a two-page proposal and a one-page bibliography; those wishing to write a two-semester creative thesis must submit a one-page description of a project and a substantial writing sample.

Creative Writing Theses

One Semester Thesis

Students who have completed the introductory workshop in their primary genre by April of their junior year are eligible to apply to write a one-semester creative thesis. 

Two-Semester Thesis

The English department offers a two-semester thesis in creative writing for creative thesis proposals demonstrating exceptional literary potential. Students who have completed the advanced workshop in their primary genre by December of their junior year are eligible to apply to write a two-semester creative thesis. 

Students whose two-semester proposals are accepted will register for ENG 457 in the fall semester and undergo an evaluation of progress for continuance into the winter semester, typically by early November. Projects granted continuance will register for ENG 458. Projects not granted continuance into the second semester will receive credit for ENG 457, a one-semester thesis.

 
1

Students who complete both ENG 457 and ENG 458 may only apply one toward the 11 courses required for the major.

2

Students on the Critical Studies track may count one creative writing workshop course toward the major. These courses include:

3

Seniors who have yet to complete their secondary genre workshop may apply for entry into the following courses without the prerequisite:

Courses Taken Outside of Bates

Students may apply up to two transfer credits to the English major. AP English credits may not be applied to the English major. Under special circumstances (i.e., year-long study abroad, transfer students, etc.), and upon written petition to the English department, students may be eligible to apply additional transfer credit to the major. The Methods, REDL, Junior-Senior Seminar, and Creative Writing Workshops requirements must be fulfilled at Bates.

Pass/Fail

Pass/Fail grading may not be elected for courses that count toward the major.

Restricted Declarations

Students who have declared the English major may not declare the following:

  • English (C086) GEC

Other Considerations

Of the 11 courses required for the major, up to two courses may be taken at the 100-level, and the remaining courses must be at the 200-level or above.

A first-year seminar taught by a member of the English faculty may count toward the English major as a 100-level course, at the department’s discretion.

Students may apply one English Short Term course toward the major requirements.

Students planning to do graduate work — whether an M.A., Ph.D., or M.F.A. in Creative Writing — should seek advice early concerning their undergraduate academic coursework, the range of graduate school experiences, and vocational options. Most graduate programs require reading proficiency in two other languages, so it is strongly recommended that prospective graduate students achieve at least a two-year proficiency in a classical (Latin, Greek) or modern language.