English Major

Major Requirements

Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Minimum Credits Required: 120

University Degree Requirements

For complete details on these and other university degree requirements, refer to the Degree and Graduation Requirements section in the University Catalog.

  1. Minimum of 120 semester credits (some programs may exceed this minimum).
  2. Complete the University General Education requirements.
  3. Minimum institutional GPA of 2.00 based on work taken at NDSU.
  4. Minimum of 30 credits in resident at NDSU.
  5. Minimum of 36 upper level credits (courses numbered 300 or higher).
  6. Students with transfer credit must meet the NDSU 30 credits in residence (#4). Of these 30 credits in residence, a minimum of 15 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 credits must be in the student's declared major curricula.

University General Education Requirements

A list of university approved general education courses along with the administrative policies governing the requirement and the categories is available here.

Category C: Communication12
Category R: Quantitative Reasoning3
Category S: Science and Technology10
Category A: Humanities and Fine Arts6
Category B: Social and Behavioral Sciences6
Category W: Wellness2
Category D: Cultural Diversity
Category G: Global Perspectives
Category L: Digital Literacy
Total Credits39

Major requirements

Students must earn a grade of 'C' or better in all courses used to fulfill requirements for the English major. These courses may only be repeated once.

Major Requirements
ENGL 167Introduction to English Studies3
ENGL 272Literary Analysis3
ENGL 275Introduction to Writing Studies3
ENGL 467English Studies Capstone Experience3
Lower Division Elective Courses - Select one of the following:3
Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to Literature
Introduction to Poetry
Introduction to Creative Writing
Literature Survey Courses - Select one of the following:3
World Literature Masterpieces
British Literature I
American Literature I
Select one of the following:3
British Literature II
American Literature II
Cultural Diversity Courses - Select two of the following:6
Women's Writing
Multicultural Writers
Literature and The Environment
19th Century American Fiction
Contemporary American Fiction
Themes in American Culture
The Bible as Literature
Global Seminar
British Fiction
Young Adult Literature in a Multicultural World
Social and Regional Varieties of English
Language Bias
International Technical Writing
Literacy, Culture and Identity
Native American Literature
Upper Division Elective Courses: 300-400 level courses:
Note - AHSS 472 and AHSS 476 may be used to satisfy the 300-400 level and/or 400-level course electives below.
ENGL300-400 Level Courses6
ENGL400 Level Courses9
Total Credits42