English is at the heart of the liberal arts. One of the largest departments in the UW College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English makes major contributions to the intellectual vitality, academic excellence, and educational mission of the University. The many interests and instructional programs of the Department - including literature, rhetoric, culture, theory, criticism, history, pedagogy, and creative writing - are linked by the study of this common language.
The undergraduate English major at the University of Washington offers students a broadly based, historically grounded introduction to the literatures of Britain, the United States, and, increasingly, Anglophone literature from around the world. Courses in literature emphasize techniques of literary analysis, theoretical problems posed by the interpretation of texts, the social, historical, and political context of literary production and reception, and the pleasures of reading. Most require significant written work and stress the development of critical thinking skills. Courses in language study examine the structural, historical, social, and aesthetic dimensions of English. Our Creative Writing Program offers a range of workshops in verse, short story, novel, and creative non-fiction or expository writing.
This program of study leads to the following credentials:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English: Creative Writing
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English
Credential Overview
The English major provides a rigorous course of study in the language, literature, and culture of the English speaking world. The major is structured around three key principles: historical depth, power and difference, and a reflexive awareness of genre, method, and language. These three overlapping areas of study help students see how language, literature, and culture are always intertwined with the movement of history, bound up with questions of power and difference, and shaped by form, genre, and grammar. By giving students the tools to think critically and reflectively about these concepts, the major prepares them to be engaged readers, writers, and thinkers throughout their lives.
Recommended Preparation
Suggested First- and Second-Year College Courses: Foreign languages, classics, English history, American history, and philosophy.
Admission Requirements
Minimum cumulative 2.00 GPA
Minimum cumulative 2.50 English GPA
Enrolled students may declare the English major in the Humanities Advising Center, A2B Padelford, during the first two weeks of autumn, winter, spring, and summer quarters.
Completion Requirements
60 credits
Minimum 2.0 grade in ENGL 202, taken within one quarter of admission to the major.
Minimum 2.0 grade in ENGL 302, taken within two quarters of admission to the major.
Historical Depth Courses (15 credits): Focused on pre-1945 materials, of which at least 5 credits must focus on pre-1700 materials. Refer to department website for list of approved courses.
Power & Difference Courses (15 credits): Refer to department website for list of approved courses.
Genre, Method, and Language Courses (15 credits): Refer to department website for list of approved courses.
Capstone (5 credits): Minimum 2.0 grade in approved 400-level senior capstone English course. Refer to department website for list of approved senior capstone courses.
Maximum 20 credits of 200-level courses and maximum 5 credits of creative writing may apply towards the major.
Minimum 30 credits of English at the 200-level or above must be completed in residence through the UW.
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English: Creative Writing
Credential Overview
The Creative Writing Option prepares students not only to be more effective communicators and artists, but also creative problem solvers and more nuanced critical thinkers. By situating small, student-oriented writing workshops alongside literary models, Creative Writing classes enhance the broader study of literature and critical theory, helping students gain a greater understanding of the social and cultural forces informing their work. A student completing the program is more able to situate themselves in a larger context and make more meaningful, informed decisions about their own artistic practice. In addition, through the intense practice of creative writing students are able to see the world more clearly, in a more nuanced and meaningful manner, and apply these skills to a wide variety of work and life situations.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the English major
Minimum cumulative 2.00 GPA
Minimum cumulative 2.50 English GPA
Minimum 2.0 grade in ENGL 202.
ENGL 283 and ENGL 284 or transfer equivalents
Submission of an unofficial transcript and a writing sample of 3-5 poems and 5-10 pages of fiction (preferably a complete story)
Students interested in the creative writing option should apply to the Creative Writing Office, B-25 Padelford, during the first three weeks of autumn, winter, and spring quarters.
Admission is capacity constrained. Completion of the above requirements does not guarantee admission.
Completion Requirements
Minimum 65 credits
Minimum 2.0 grade in ENGL 202, taken within one quarter of admission to the major.
ENGL 283 and ENGL 284
Historical Depth Courses (15 credits): Focused on pre-1945 materials, of which at least 5 credits must focus on pre-1700 materials. Refer to department website for list of approved courses.
Power & Difference Courses (15 credits): Refer to department website for list approved courses.
Maximum 20 credits of 200-level courses may apply towards the major.
Minimum 30 credits of English at the 200-level or above must be completed in residence through the UW.
Continuation Policy
All students must make satisfactory academic progress in the major. Failure to do so results in probation, which can lead to dismissal from the major. For the complete continuation policy, contact the departmental adviser or refer to the department website.
With an English minor, students will:
Develop familiarity with and deeper appreciation for English-language literary and cultural texts. Gain an understanding of how literary texts and language shape/are shaped by culture and history. Strengthen critical reading skills by learning techniques for parsing, analyzing, and contextualizing a variety of texts and genres. Improve writing, research, and communication skills through explicit attention to constructing arguments, using evidence, crafting prose, and structuring discourse for a variety of audiences, genres, and contexts. Acquire introductory awareness of the variety of methodologies and theories employed by scholars of literature, language, and culture to interpret texts (and their effects).
This program of study leads to the following credentials:
Minor in English
Minor in English: Writing
Minor in English
Credential Overview
The English minor encourages students to develop familiarity with and deeper appreciation for English-language literary and cultural texts, and gain an understanding of how literature and language shape, and are shaped by, culture and history. It also strengthens critical reading skills by learning techniques for parsing, analyzing, and contextualizing a variety of texts and genres, and improve writing, research, and communication skills through explicit attention to constructing arguments, using evidence, crafting prose, and structuring discourse for a variety of audiences, genres, and contexts. Students acquire introductory awareness of the variety of methodologies and theories employed by scholars of literature, language, and culture to interpret texts and their effects.
Completion Requirements
30 credits
Minimum 30 credits of ENGL courses at the 200-level or above, excluding ENGL 295 and ENGL 491
Minimum 20 credits of upper-division ENGL courses
Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in courses applied to the minor
Minimum 20 credits must be completed in residence through the UW
The Writing Minor is designed to provide students with concentrated study of and practice in writing, language, and rhetoric. The minor is most appropriate for students entering writing-intensive careers such as journalism, business, marketing, law, publishing, editing, education, and public relations, or for students interested in enhancing their writing, analytic, and communication skills.
Completion Requirements
25 credits
25 credits, of which 15 must be upper-division, with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in courses applied toward the minor.
15 credits from approved list of courses in academic, professional, and creative writing. 10 credits from approved list of courses in theory, history, and design. See adviser or department website for approved lists. No more than 5 credits from creative writing or courses outside the English Department.
Minimum 15 credits must be completed in residence through the UW.
Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes: Good writing, analytical ability, research skills, and broadened perspectives are among the practical accomplishments majors acquire, all of which can be applied to a range of careers, including, but not limited to advertising, business and marketing, law, library science, the media, public administration, publishing, the social services, and teaching.
The undergraduate program of study in English concentrates on developing students' critical and interpretive abilities with regard to literatures written in English. Students become familiar with the critical developments in the study of language and literary forms, including especially understanding the cultural and historical contexts of various forms of literature. Students are, accordingly, asked to cultivate a habit of self-conscious and careful reading of written texts. Honing a successful habit of reading depends on acquiring an early awareness of the broad range of critical and interpretive methods available to readers of literature, as well as comprehending the basic purpose and effects at stake in different reading methods. Finally, students develop the ability to compose effective and persuasive written analyses of texts in a manner that demonstrates comprehension of the complexities or nuances of language, literature, and culture.
Instructional and Research Facilities: Computer laboratories in Mary Gates Hall for computer-integrated sections.
Honors Options Available: With College Honors (Completion of Honors Core Curriculum and Departmental Honors); With Honors (Completion of Departmental Honors requirements in the major). See adviser for requirements.
Research, Internships, and Service Learning: The English internship program maintains an active list of over 200 local employers, including publishers, arts organizations, the media, advertising agencies, social service groups, schools, and businesses. Credit is available to declared English majors (ENGL 491).
Department Scholarships:
English Department scholarships are available to declared English majors enrolled at the UW for at least two quarters with a 3.50 UW GPA and a 3.70 UW English GPA. Scholarship recipients must enroll for at least two quarters and carry at least 6 credits each quarter during the term of the scholarship. Applications, due in early March, are available in A11 and A2B Padelford.
Additional scholarships and prizes in creative writing are open to UW English majors only. Applications, due in early March, are available in B25 and A2B Padelford.
Student Organizations/Associations:Bricolage is a student literary arts annual published entirely by UW undergraduates and features the works of University students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Students from all majors welcome. See department website for details.
Of Special Note::
Students considering teaching English at the secondary level should consult an English adviser regarding coursework for the English Language Arts endorsement required for entry into the Secondary Teacher Education Program (TEP).
The Department of English offers study abroad opportunities in London and Rome. Students from all majors welcome. See department website for more information.