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Majors & Minors
English
PROGRAM OVERVIEW The program in English is committed to establishing a habit of lifelong learning that emphasizes the relationship of reading, writing and critical thinking. Undergraduate English and Writing majors will be able to:
- reflect critically on issues of textual representation in a diverse set of texts from literary classics to contemporary film, from the Anglo-Saxon canon to postcolonial and feminist expansions of that canon;
- reflect on habits of reading and writing and be able to identify their strengths and limitations in particular contexts;
- use a wide range of styles and approaches in their writing;
- understand the interrelated nature of writing, reading, thinking, and creating;
- read a text with close attention to its many facets;
- understand past, present, and potential approaches to English studies and its relationship to other academic disciplines;
- be aware of a variety of aesthetic, political, material and social contexts for and approaches to English studies.
Our courses involve students in a range of activities, including discussions (in class and on-line), collaborative projects, conferences, presentations and service learning.
The English Department is committed to supporting interdisciplinary programs and encourages students to pursue interdisciplinary concentrations, second majors and/or minors. A number of the Department's courses are cross-listed with interdisciplinary programs, facilitating such study. In addition, both the English major and the Writing major permit students to include related courses taken outside the department for credit toward their program of study, subject to approval by the student’s English Department adviser (see below).
Our graduates pursue professional careers in such fields as advertising, publishing, education, management, computers, public relations and public service, or pursue post-baccalaureate study in English studies, law school or medical school. Students contemplating graduate study should confer with their advisers about special preparation and should be aware that many graduate schools typically expect proof of competence in foreign languages. Students interested in pursuing careers in primary or secondary education can obtain certification by completing the appropriate professional courses in teacher education.
FACULTY The department has 14 full-time faculty members; all faculty hold the appropriate terminal degree. Many faculty members have been recognized for their teaching and writing both locally and nationally by NEH, NEA, Fulbright Foundation, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Students develop their program of study with their faculty advisers in English.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR
The English major consists of 36 hours of course work: a common core of 24 hours, plus 12 hours of electives. Students may take up to 6 hours of electives in relevant course work outside of English, with adviser approval. At least 18 hours of the required 36 must be 100-level courses. Asterisked numbers indicate topic courses that can fulfill a requirement when the topic is appropriate to that requirement. An English course may be used only once to fulfill a particular major requirement. (ENG 54, for instance, may fulfill either Genres or Historicity, but not both.) Transfer students majoring in English must take at least 18 hours of English at Drake. Students with AP credits will be credited 3 hours of lower-level elective toward the major.
The Writing major consists of 36 credit hours of course work, including a core of 9 hours (ENG 60, ENG 61, one other 20-99 course); 6 hours in designated lower level writing courses; 6 hours in designated upper-level writing courses; a capstone seminar; and 12 hours of electives comprising an "area of interest" (creative writing, non-fiction writing, documentary film, technology studies are some examples). The elective hours may come from outside of English, with advisor approval. At least 18 hours must be at the 100-level. Transfer students must complete at least 18 hours of English at Drake.
The English Department encourages students to pursue interdisciplinary concentrations, minors or second majors. Each semester the department contributes a number of courses to cultural studies, multicultural studies and women's studies, making it possible for students to take courses that may count toward a concentration while pursuing a major.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MINOR
The English minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours in English, including ENG 60 and ENG 61, and at least six credit hours in courses numbered above 100.
The Writing minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours in English, including ENG 60, ENG 61, and two classes from the writing core.
DRAKE CURRICULUM The Drake Curriculum, required of all undergraduates, is designed to help students meet personal and professional goals as they acquire fundamental knowledge and abilities in ten Areas of Inquiry, including communication, critical thinking, artistic experience, historical consciousness, information and technology literacy, international and multicultural experiences, scientific and quantitative literacy, values and ethics and engaged citizenship. Students work closely with their academic advisers to craft a program of study in general education that prepares students for civic and professional leadership.
The Drake Curriculum also requires first-year seminars, which foster development of critical thinking and written and oral communication skills through a topical focus; and a Senior Capstone, in which students demonstrate the capacity to bring information, skills and ideas to bear on one project.
INTERNSHIPS & OPPORTUNITIES Service learning is a component of several English classes. Students may have the opportunity to assist in the Adult Literacy Center, local organizations and schools, and businesses. Students who take ENG 171 - Teaching Writing are eligible to tutor (with compensation) in the department's Writing Workshop. Students also have the opportunity to meet with a variety of visiting speakers through the Writers and Critics series. Past visitors include John Barth, Mark Doty, Sharon Olds, Galway Kinnell, Robert Pinsky, Gerald Graff and Stanley Fish. Des Moines also hosts the annual National Poetry Festival each May to celebrate the work of poets nationally and locally.
Past honoreers include Donald Hall, Gwendolyn Brooks, W. S. Merwin, Denise Levertov, Mark Strand, Jorie Graham, and Robert Bly.
CAREER OPTIONS Graduates with a B.A. in English pursue careers in such fields as advertising, public relations, computer programming, publishing, business, and editing, teaching, writing and corporate management. Students also pursue post-baccalaureate study in graduate or professional school (law, medicine, business). Students contemplating graduate study should confer with their faculty advisers about special preparation. Students interested in primary or secondary education careers may obtain certification by completing the appropriate professional courses in teacher education.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES There are no formal clubs or organizations, although a number of majors contribute to Periphery, the annual campus literary magazine, participate in the monthly Drake Writers Night, and assist with our Writers and Critics series of speakers.