As a general rule of thumb, the English Department recommends the following for students who wish to study off campus.
- English majors must take ENGL 290 Approaches to the Study of Literature prior to their third year.
- Fall semester is the best semester for English majors to study off-campus because all of the preparation meetings for the senior year occur in the spring semester of the junior year, including submission of honors thesis proposals.
- In order to be eligible to apply to write a creative thesis, students need to have completed the entire sequence of creative writing courses in the genre in which they intend to write the thesis by the spring of their junior year. Students should note that advanced writing courses (320, 321, 322) are only offered in the spring. Students should also meet with the potential adviser for a creative thesis about their intended project by the spring of their junior year.
Which requirements can English majors fulfill while off campus?
- Elective major credit with the approval of the major adviser and department.
- We prefer that majors complete specific required courses (such as the period courses) on campus, but will consider granting credit for some courses based on the syllabi, papers, and other course materials presented by students on their return from off-campus study.
- We will accept for credit in the major only courses with reading lists comparable to those in our 300-level courses and in which the student has done at least 18 pages of graded formal writing.
- In some cases, through the world literature option, students taking literature in another language (e.g. French literature in France) may obtain permission from the English department to apply the course to the English major as elective major credit.
- General Studies distribution credit
- General degree credit
What are the types of OCS programs recommended by the English department?
- Direct enrollment in a foreign university with local students
- Study at a study abroad center with U.S. students that includes excursions and field studies in the local community
Which Partner Programs are recommended by the English department?
For students who wish to pursue English literature courses abroad:
- University of St Andrews (St Andrews, Scotland)
- IES: University College London (UCL) (London, England)
- IFSA: University of Oxford Partnership (London, England)
Students may also wish to further their foreign language skills and enroll in Spanish, French or other non-English literature courses while abroad. Please consult with an OCS adviser and your major adviser if you wish to pursue literature courses in the non-English speaking world.
