English Focus Courses

After completing your core courses, you will select one of our nine focus areas to continue your studies. Each focus area consists of a selection of courses designed to work together to build a focused set of skills or knowledge you can apply to your career or life goals. You will choose four courses from this selection to complete your focus.

Fall 2026 Focus Courses

For a complete list of all courses for each focus, please consult the English Major's Handbook.

Note:
English B.A. Distributive Requirements: Diversity = (D); Geographical = (G); Historical/Genealogical = (H)

General Education Requirements: Diverse Communities = (J); Ethics = (E); Interdisciplinary = (I); Speaking Emphasis = (S)

Archives, Power, & Making the Present

  • CLS 270: Life, Death, and Disease (D) (I)
  • LIT 207: Life & Times of Frederick Douglass (D)

Creativity, Aesthetics, & Design

  • CRW 201: Introduction to Creative Writing
  • CRW 202: Creative Writing I
  • CRW 301: Poetry Workshop I
  • CRW 302: Poetry Workshop II
  • CRW 304: Short Story Workshop II
  • CRW 305: Creative Nonfiction Workshop I
  • LIN 333: Conversation Analysis (I)

Identity & Representation

  • ENG 340: Sociolinguistic Aspects of English (D)
  • ENG 345: Women Writing: Autobiography (D)
  • LIT 220: Children's Literature
  • LIT 398: Young Adult Literature (pending Ethics attribute)
  • WRH 301: The Rhetorics of Black Americans (D) (J)

National & Transnational Cultures

  • CLS 201: Classical Greco Roman Myth in 20th Century Arts (I)
  • ENG 340: Sociolinguistic Aspects of English
  • FLM 201: American Film

Popular Culture & Cultural Studies

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • FLM 200: Introduction to Film
  • JRN 305: Documentary Filmmaking (S)
  • LIT 398: Young Adult Literature (pending Ethics attribute)
  • WRH 320: Writing for the Web

Public & Professional Writing

  • ENG 368: Business and Organizational Writing
  • ENG 371: Technical Writing
  • JRN 225: Newswriting
  • WRH 350: Grant and Proposal Writing

Social Justice and Activism

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • JRN 200: Introduction to Journalism
  • JRN 399: Special Topics in Journalism
  • LIT 203: African American Literature II (D)
  • LIT 207: Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (D)
  • LIT 360: Special Topics in Children's/Young Adult Literature

Sustainability & Environmental Humanities

  • CLS 270: Life, Death, and Disease (D) (I)
  • WRH 350: Grant and Proposal Writing

Visual and Digital Rhetoric

  • DHM 210: Introduction to Gaming
  • DHM 260: Digital Storytelling (J)
  • DHM 280: Introduction to Digital Humanities (I)
  • FLM 200: Introduction to Film
  • JRN 212: Digital Journalism
  • LIT 219: Literature for Young Children
  • WRH 320: Writing for the Web