Through this plan, we seek to prepare you for any future that demands competence in literature, language, and writing. Our plans help you recognize the importance of logical thought in effective expression. They also help you strive for more persuasive or creative uses of English and appreciate the truth and quality of literature.
By studying the literature of different times and peoples, you can develop your historical and cultural imagination. Our plans can also prepare you to teach English in middle- and senior-high schools, pursue careers in the corporate world, and compete successfully in graduate and professional schools.
The study of English is more than just literature. Critical reading skills are crucial in any job, and writing skills are in demand from employers in many fields. You can apply the broad nature of the English degree to many arenas, including education. An English degree will also prepare you for graduate study, excellent rhetorical skills are a must in the law profession, and communication skills are vital in fields like counseling and advertising.
You'll enjoy our English department for many reasons--strong undergraduate degree programs, outstanding faculty, a wide range of courses, and more. Our friendly, mountain-town setting gives you the support you need to succeed. You can focus on creative writing, English education, general English studies, linguistics, literature, technical writing, or rhetoric.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | C |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| Foreign Language | Required |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
| Emphasis Required | An emphasis is required for this major. |
Purpose Statement
The Bachelor of Arts in English prepares graduates for any future that demands proficiency in literature, language, and writing, as well as general excellence in resourceful, well-informed communication. Our graduates recognize the close weave of logical thought and effective expression, strive for more persuasive or more creative uses of English, possess the sense and insight to appreciate the value and quality of literature, have developed their historical and cultural imaginations by studying the marks of other times and diverse peoples in language and text, and recognize the global contexts of English as well as the social, civic, and environmental responsibilities that come with a liberal education. Our graduates have attained the high-level literacy skills and have practiced the research methods needed to compete in graduate and professional schools and to succeed in the workplace. With our help, they have prepared themselves to become productive, responsible members of the communities in which they live and work.
The Comprehensive Emphasis encourages students to explore multiple exciting fields of English study. Students practice creative, linguistic, literary, and rhetorical modes of analysis, and they have opportunities to engage with digital media studies and professional and technical writing. The Comprehensive Emphasis offers a well-rounded undergraduate experience and allows students to select their own path of study.
The Creative Writing Emphasis provides experience and stimulation to advance students’ writing and reading skills, as well as their discipline and habits. We offer techniques to deepen students’ talents, and we demonstrate how to make writing creatively a part of students’ lives and careers.
The Literature Emphasis engages students in the study of the literary arts. Students gain an understanding of the sociohistorical context of literary production and reception and have the opportunity to study specific eras, cultural traditions, genres, and critical and interpretative methods, while simultaneously refining their skills in literary analysis. Students become well-versed in historical and contemporary discourse within the field and in the terminology used in literary studies. This work deepens their knowledge of how various texts (film, comics, video games, novels, poems, drama, etc.) evince meaning by using particular language structures, forms, and rhetorical strategies. Among other widely transferable skills, students learn how to write fluently and eloquently. They also learn how to make effective use of primary textual sources in their analyses and develop a repertoire of skills that includes the search for and incorporation of scholarly sources in support of their own analytical arguments.
The Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis engages students with a curriculum that prepares them as writers and scholars. The program emphasizes the importance of critical reading, reflection, writing, digital media, and spoken language to educate knowledgeable citizens who understand and appreciate their civic, professional, and personal responsibilities in an increasingly global community. We specialize in preparing students for intercultural and interdisciplinary communication practices in digital and traditional work settings to further global engagement, diversity, and social participation. Students gain experience with rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, social media literacy and multimedia writing, and professional workplace writing through theory-based application projects. In addition, our courses provide a foundation for M.A. programs in rhetoric, writing, digital media, communication, and composition studies.
The Linguistics emphasis introduces students to the scientific/analytic study of language, including such topics as how language is constructed, and acquired, and processed and how language use is affected by social and cultural factors, context, and goals of communication.
Student Learning Outcomes
General Knowledge of English
This major requires 58 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 42 units with a Grade of "C" or better:
Take at least 18 units at Northern Arizona University.
Core requirements (24 units):
Emphasis Requirements - Select One (18 units)
Comprehensive Emphasis (18 units)
If you select the Comprehensive Emphasis, you may only declare Comprehensive as your emphasis. You may not declare multiple emphases.
Creative Writing Emphasis (18 units)
Linguistics Emphasis (18 units)
Literature Emphasis (18 units)
English courses that may be used to fulfill diversity requirements and major requirements simultaneously include:
You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)
This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.
While completing the Bachelor of Arts in English, students can start a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language at NAU.
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:
Major Requirements
This major requires 58 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 42 units with a Grade of "C" or better:
Take at least 18 units at Northern Arizona University.
Core requirements (24 units):
Comprehensive Emphasis (18 units)
If you select the Comprehensive Emphasis, you may only declare Comprehensive as your emphasis. You may not declare multiple emphases.
Creative Writing Emphasis (18 units)
Linguistics Emphasis (18 units)
Literature Emphasis (18 units)
English courses that may be used to fulfill the diversity requirements and major requiremments simultaneously include:
You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)
Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.