Discover our three majors and chart your path
Interdisciplinary Program Elective Credit:
Students who finish the entire Enduring Questions sequence receive one elective credit toward the English major. ID 258: Theater in London also functions as an English elective.
Off-Campus Study:
Students may transfer a maximum of two study-abroad/away courses completed at another institution to fulfill their major requirements. St. Olaf credit will not be awarded more than once in the case of two or more similar transfer courses. Interested students should consult with the English Department chair prior to their departure.
*By completing this major, the student also satisfies the OLE Core Writing in the Major requirement.
Students may double-count the requirements below:
- Pre-1800 literary studies: The pre-1800 requirement can be fulfilled concurrently with one of the category requirements—American, Anglophone, British—or the antiracism requirement.
- Two 300-level courses: At least one of the level III requirements must be fulfilled with a literary studies course (not a level III creative writing workshop.) Independent research (ENGL 398) cannot count as one of a student’s two level III major requirements.
Credits (10 total)
| Degree Requirements | |
| 1.0 | ENGL 185: Literary Studies |
| 1.0 | One 200-level course in American literature |
| 1.0 | One 200-level course in Anglophone literature |
| 1.0 | One 200-level course in British literature |
| 1.0 | Antiracism (The antiracism requirement cannot be fulfilled concurrently with one of the category requirements: American, Anglophone, British). |
| 5.0 | Five electives |
Interdisciplinary Program Elective Credit:
Students who finish the entire Enduring Questions sequence receive one elective credit toward the English major. ID 258: Theater in London also functions as an English elective.
Off-Campus Study:
Students may transfer a maximum of two study-abroad/away courses completed at another institution to fulfill their major requirements. St. Olaf credit will not be awarded more than once in the case of two or more similar transfer courses. Interested students should consult with the English Department chair prior to their departure.
Rotation of English Department Core Courses for Licensure:
ENGL 150 and 185 are offered every semester, ENGL 205 in the fall, and ENGL 242 in spring.
Students may double-count the requirements below:
- Pre-1800 literary studies: The English major’s pre-1800 requirement is fulfilled concurrently by completing a Shakespeare course for (CAL) teaching licensure.
- Antiracism: The English major’s antiracism requirement is fulfilled concurrently by ENGL 205.
- 300-level: At least the Shakespeare course, the Anglophone literature course, or one of the two elective courses in English must be a Level III course in literary studies.
Credits (8 total)
| Degree Requirements | |
| 1.0 | ENGL 150: Craft of Creative Writing |
| 1.0 | ENGL 185: Literary Studies |
| 1.0 | ENGL 205: American Racial and Multicultural Literature |
| 1.0 | ENGL 242: Children’s and Young Adult Literature |
| 1.0 | One Shakespeare course: ENGL 256, 260 (when the topic is “Shakespeare and Material Culture”), 272, 380 |
| 1.0 | One course in Anglophone literature |
| 2.0 | Two electives |
Interdisciplinary Program Elective Credit:
Students who finish the entire Enduring Questions sequence receive one elective credit toward the English major. ID 258: Theater in London also functions as an English elective.
Off-Campus Study:
Students may transfer a maximum of two study-abroad/away courses completed at another institution to fulfill their major requirements. St. Olaf credit will not be awarded more than once in the case of two or more similar transfer courses. Interested students should consult with the English Department chair prior to their departure.
Rotation of Creative Writing Workshops:
ENGL 150 is offered every semester. Fall workshops include: ENGL 291 (Nonfiction), ENGL 293 (Fiction), and ENGL 371 (Advanced Poetry). Spring: ENGL 292 (Poetry), ENGL 373 (Advanced Nonfiction), and ENGL 372 (Advanced Fiction).
Students may double-count the requirements below:
- Pre-1800 literary studies: The pre-1800 requirement can be fulfilled concurrently with one of the category requirements (American, Anglophone, British) or the antiracism requirement.
- Antiracism: Among the ten courses for the major, one course must fulfill the antiracism requirement. It can be fulfilled concurrently with any other requirement for the major.
Credits (10 total)
| Degree Requirements | |
| 1.0 | ENGL 150: Craft of Creative Writing or an additional 200-level creative writing workshop |
| 1.0 | ENGL 185: Literary Studies |
| 2.0 | Two 200-level creative writing workshops (ENGL 274, 282, 291, 292, 293) |
| 2.0 | Two 300-level creative writing workshops (ENGL 371, 372, 373, 374) |
| 2.0 | One course in two of three categories:
|
| 2.0 | Two electives |
Why did you choose an English major?
I chose to be an English major because of my love of literature and language. I knew that I wanted to study either English or History and the more English Literature classes I took as I progressed, I knew that English was the right fit for me. The classes were interesting, and my professors also had a passion for literature that mirrored my own.
Celeste Maus, ’11