Program Overview

The study of literature is an inherently practical endeavor, encompassing the processes of reading, analyzing, discussing, and writing. With practice, you'll see your communication and critical thinking skills expand significantly—skills that are immensely valuable in almost any career field. In the courses you study in this concentration, you will learn how to use language creatively, rhetorically, and in various professional contexts.

Curriculum Requirements - Total Credits: 125

 

First Year - Credits: 32

  • Quantitative Reasoning General Education Requirement   (Cr: 3)
  • Science and Technology General Education Requirement  (Cr: 3)
  • American Literature Elective  (Cr: 3)
  • Writing and Rhetoric Elective  (Cr: 3)
  • World Language  (Cr: 6)
  • Elective  (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 102 - Introduction to Literary Studies (Cr: 3)
    Satisfies Literary Perspectives General Education Requirement
  • ENG 111 - Critical Reading and Writing I (Cr: 3)
    Satisfies the Writing Designated Core requirement.
  • ENG 112 - Critical Reading and Writing II (Cr: 3)
    Satisfies the Writing Designated Core requirement.
  • INT 100 - Internship I (Cr: 2)

Second Year - Credits: 32

  • Aesthetic Awareness and Creative Expression General Education Requirement   (Cr: 3)
  • British Literature Elective  (Cr: 3)
  • Global Issues General Education Requirement   (Cr: 3)
  • Individual and Society General Education Requirement   (Cr: 3)
  • Multicultural Literature Elective   (Cr: 3)
  • World Cultures General Education Requirement   (Cr: 3)
  • Writing and Rhetoric Elective  (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 203 - Early American Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 213 - Early British Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 225 - Literary Criticism and Interpretation (Cr: 3)
  • INT 200 - Internship II (Cr: 2)

Third Year - Credits: 31

  • English Elective  (Cr: 6)
  • Elective (Cr: 9)
  • Multicultural Literature Elective   (Cr: 3)
  • Values and Ethical Reasoning General Education Requirement  (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 314 - Early World Literature (Cr: 3)
    or
  • ENG 316 - World Literature: 18th Century to Present (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 365 - Shakespeare (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 379 - Semester Internship Strategies (Cr: 1)
  • IDS 302 - Interdisciplinary Methods of Inquiry (Cr: 3)
    Satisfies Writing Designated Requirement

Fourth Year - Credits: 30

  • General Education Electives   (Cr: 12)
    (two courses must be 200+ level)
  • ENG 480 - Semester Internship (Cr: 12)
  • ENG 489 - Senior Research (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 490 - Senior Thesis (Cr: 3)
    Or
  • ENG 491 - Senior Capstone (Cr: 3)

English Major (Literature and Language) Elective Courses

At least two of the eight courses used to fulfill the requirements below must be at or above the 300 level. Each course may only fulfill one elective category. 

American Literature

Students choose one American literature elective 

  • ENG 204 - American Literature: Civil War to Present (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 224 - Justice and Injustice in American Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 226 - Early American History and Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 240 - Boston in Literature and Film (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 266 - Science Fiction Literature: From Galaxies Far Away (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 310 - Modern American Poetry (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 337 - American Indian Literature (Cr: 3)

British Literature

Students choose one British literature elective

  • ENG 214 - British Literature: 18th Century to Present (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 233 - Other Worlds: Fantasy Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 260 - Gothic Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 361 - Victorian Secrets: Fear and Hypocrisy in Victorian Literature (Cr: 3)

Multicultural Literature

Students choose two multicultural literature electives

  • ENG 224 - Justice and Injustice in American Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 227 - African-American Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 230 - Rebels and Misfits (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 236 - Growing up LGBTQ+ (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 315 - Women Writers (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 337 - American Indian Literature (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 367 - Eastern Literature and Haiku (Cr: 3)

Writing and Rhetoric

Students choose two writing and rhetoric electives

  • ENG 110 - Introduction to Professional Writing (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 217 - History and Structure of the English Language (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 218 - Argument Based Writing (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 250 - Proposal and Grant Writing (Cr: 3)
  • ENG 305 - Writing for Inquiry (Cr: 3)

English Electives

Students may take any two other ENG courses (literature, professional writing, or creative writing based) to fulfill the requirement, provided they are not also used to fulfill other major requirements or the General Education requirements.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the English program, students will be able to: 

  1. Advance coherent, well-reasoned arguments that demonstrate conceptual organization and control over language. 

  2. Analyze literary texts through close reading, attending carefully to language, form, and structure to interpret how meaning is created.

  3. Explain and apply key concepts related to the history, theory, and analysis of literature. 

  4. Through a sustained process of drafting and revision, create work that possesses a distinctive authorial voice, achieved through language and imagery and/or original exploration of topic or theme. 

  5. Interpret texts from diverse cultural, historical, and social perspectives, demonstrating an understanding of how worldview shapes both literary expression and interpretation.

  6. Make connections between their major and professional opportunities through internships.

In addition to fulfilling the outcomes of the English program, students completing the creative writing concentration will:

  • Write expository essays that are polished and that advance coherent, well-reasoned arguments.
  • Use literary theories, terms, and approaches, and properly cite textual evidence, when analyzing literary texts.
  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge of American, British, and World Literatures.
  • Produce a substantial work of scholarship using primary and secondary sources.
  • Demonstrate the critical inquiry and analytical skills needed to engage constructively in intellectual discourse within the discipline.
  • Make connections between their major and professional opportunities through internships.

View academic catalog and learning outcomes

Experiential learning is transformative

The Endicott Experiential Edge

“Learn by doing” isn’t just a motto—it’s our mission. As one of the first schools in the country to require three internships for every student, you'll have opportunities to transform classroom learning into real-world experience, giving you a head start on your career and an edge in the competitive job market. We call this the Endicott Experiential Edge. You’ll graduate with a degree, a resume, and a bold vision for your future.

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Open to all majors and student-athletes, our study abroad program provides life-changing opportunities where you’ll build lasting friendships, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the world around you.

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Our extensive resources and expert staff will support you with career advising, interview skills, networking, and crafting your resume and cover letters, so you can find that job after graduation.

Graduate With a Degree, a Resume & a Job

Endicott provides an outstanding education, along with opportunities to work in your field and build your resume through three internships. Whether you pursue graduate school or embark on your career right after graduation, your time at Endicott will prepare you for the next step. Take a look at what our graduates have been up to lately.

  • Internship Sites

    NBC Universal
    Massachusetts Audubon Society
    Elite Detective Services
    Middlesex County DA’s Office
    Hammond Castle Museum
    Allied Global Marketing

  • Employers

    Eliassen Group
    U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
    Hireclix
    EF: Education First
    Peabody Essex Museum
    Yarmouth Police Department

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