English/EGL - IAI Major Course Recommendations

Bachelor's degree programs in English generally emphasize the study of literature and literary criticism. Some universities also offer specializations in creative or technical writing and/or programs to prepare students for certification as a high school English teacher. Community and junior college students seeking a bachelor's degree in English are strongly encouraged to complete an Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree prior to transfer. A minimum of 60 semester credits is required for transfer as a junior into a baccalaureate English program. Since admission is competitive, completing the courses recommended below does not by itself guarantee admission.

Be sure to consult the institution you plan on transferring to for course articulations.

Major Directive

Click here to see how courses at Illinois public 4-year institutions accept courses in transfer for this major.

English IAI Major Recommendations

Important Note:The English panel recommends that English majors satisfy the Humanities and Fine Arts section of GECC with additional courses other than their English major recommendations that count as major credit rather than GECC credit. To satisfy the GECC section, students may choose to take other literature courses or any other General Education Humanities and Fine Arts course.

To view Literature courses courses in the GECC Humanities and Fine Arts section, follow this link: GECC Humanities and Fine Arts Literature Courses .

• English Major Courses
  (At least 3-9 semester credits)
  Select up to 3 courses from the following core survey courses:
  H3 912 Survey of British Literature I (3 semester credits)
  H 3 913 Survey of British Literature II (3 semester credits)
  H3 914 Survey of American Literature I (3 semester credits)
  
  Competency in a Foreign Language Recommended - 12-16 semester credits
  Competency in a single Foreign Language through the third or fourth college semester Two years in high school may substitute for the first 2 college semesters.
  
  Other Recommendations - 3 semester credits
  It is recommended that students interested in an English major also consider completing:
  H3 915 Survey of American Literature II (3 semester credits)
  As disciplines within the English major are writing intensive, students pursuing the major may want to consider taking literature courses which have a significant writing requirement (9 to 12 pages in total of writing). This will assist students with requirements as they work towards their bachelor's degrees at universities.
  
  
• English IAI GECC Recommendations
  Minimum 37 semester credits
  These are the specific courses in the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) that should be taken for this emphasis.
  
  Communication: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
  Select a two-course sequence in writing (6 semester credits) with a grade of "C" or better and,
  Select 1 course in oral communication (3 semester credits).
  
  Mathematics: 1 course (3 semester credits)
  
  Physical and Life Sciences: 2 courses (7-8 semester credits)
  Select 1 course from Physical Sciences
  Select 1 course from Life Sciences.
  Select at least 1 laboratory course.
  (Students with the appropriate preparation may substitute an initial course designed for science majors for a more general course.)
  
  Humanities and Fine Arts: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
  Select 1 course from Humanities, - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.
  Important Note: The English panel recommends that English majors satisfy the Humanities and Fine Arts section of GECC with additional courses other than the English major recommendations that count as major credit rather than GECC credit.
  To satisfy the GECC section, students may choose to take courses, such as H3 903, H3 902, H3 900 or any other General Education Humanities and Fine Arts course. To view the literature courses available in the GECC Humanities and Fine Arts section, follow this link: GECC Literature Courses.  See above for the specific recommendations for the major which are courses found in this section.
  
  Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
  Select 3 courses from at least 2 different disciplines (e.g., no more than 2 courses from, for example, psychology). - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.

Check the worksheet to see what courses you can take to fulfill your general education requirements
The worksheet allows you to see what courses to take to fulfill the IAI Gen. Ed. package (Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum) at any participating college or university in the State. You will find it helpful to use the major recommended general education courses shown above. You may want to print or copy a hard copy of this page.

Return to the Illinois Baccalaureate Majors' Recommendations (IAI Majors).