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WVU Potomac State College Catalog

English, A.A.

  • Overview
  • Faculty
  • Admissions Requirements
  • Major
  • Learning Outcomes

Department website: https://academics.potomacstatecollege.edu/majors/two-year-programs/english

Degree Offered

  • Associate of Arts

Nature of the Program

Why Study English? To Major in Versatility. 

It’s an excellent liberal arts degree. You’ll become a more proficient and intelligent reader and writer, and develop a deeper, broader understanding of cultures. Majoring in English will enable you to develop skills in writing, analytical reading, and critical thinking, communication, and focused creativity in preparation for numerous career paths.

Many students are finding it valuable to earn two certified majors or to “double major.” An English degree, when combined with certain other majors, is exceptional preparation for the job market. It is unlikely that you’ll hold a single job from graduation until retirement. Rather graduates are likely to find employment in four to six different fields before retirement. Majoring in English will provide the foundation for a lifetime’s education.

Career Opportunities

A degree in English offers many opportunities. Four-year graduates continue their education by attending graduate school or use their English degree as a pre-professional degree for medical or law school. Still others become associated with writing in media-related fields, creative writing, or management positions. Business and industry leaders consistently call for applicants with a solid command of written and spoken English. 


Faculty

Chair

  • Cassandra Pritts - M.A. History (Duquesne University)
    Year @ PSC (2011)

Professors

  • Deanna Armentrout - M.A. English (University of South Dakota)
    Year @ PSC (1998)
  • Steve Oberlechner - M.F.A. Creative Writing (West Virginia University)
    Year @ PSC (2008)
  • Tom Sydow - M.F.A. Creative Writing (California State University - Long Beach) University)
    Year @ PSC (2007)

Assistant professors

  • Rachel Del Signore - M.A. English (West Virginia University)
    Year @ PSC (2022)
  • Caitlin Hudgins - Ph.D. English (Temple University)
    Year @ PSC (2017)
  • Julia Leverone - Ph.D. Comparative Literature (Washington University - St. Louis)
    Year @ PSC (2021)
  • Mia Martini - Ph.D. English (Purdue University)
    Year @ PSC (2017)

Admissions

Entering freshmen are admitted directly into the major. 

Benchmark Expectations

Students in the English major must maintain a 2.0 GPA overall and a 2.0 in the major. Students must earn a C- or better in all required English courses for graduation. All majors must meet with an English department adviser each semester. Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.

General Education Foundations

Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.

NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.

Course List
Code Title Hours
General Education Foundations
F1 - Composition & Rhetoric3-6
ENGL 101
& ENGL 102
Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric
and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research
or ENGL 103
Accelerated Academic Writing
F2A/F2B - Science & Technology4-6
F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning3-4
F4 - Society & Connections3
F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past3
F6 - The Arts & Creativity3
F7 - Global Studies & Diversity3
F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree)9
Total Hours31-37

Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.

Curriculum Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all English courses is required.
GEF Elective Requirements (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8)24
ENGL 101
& ENGL 102
Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric
and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1 - Minimum grade of C- is required)
6
WVUE 191First Year Seminar1
ENGL 200Foundations of Literary Study3
Select three of the following ENGL Historical Breadth courses (GEF 6 - Minimum grade of C- is required):9
ENGL 241
American Literature 1
ENGL 242
American Literature 2
ENGL 261
British Literature before 1800
ENGL 262
British Literature 2
Foreign Language6
Elective11
Total Hours60

Suggested Plan of Study

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENGL 101 (GEF 1)3ENGL 102 (GEF 1)3
WVUE 1911ENGL Historical Breadth Course (GEF 6)3
Foreign Language3Foreign Language3
Elective2GEF 23
GEF 23ENGL 2003
GEF 43 
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENGL Historical Breadth Course3ENGL Historical Breadth Course3
GEF 33GEF 73
GEF 53GEF 83
GEF 83Elective3
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Total credit hours: 60

Major Learning Outcomes

English

Upon successful completion of the A.A. degree, English majors will be able to:

1. Locate and interpret texts within diverse literary, cultural, and historical contexts.

  • Identify genre conventions and analyze their effects;
  • Identify and analyze effects of complexity or ambiguity in texts, culture, and discourse;
  • Situate texts in social, economic, political, and literary histories;
  • Connect texts to other literary or cultural texts.

2. Demonstrate a general knowledge of the social and structural aspects of the English language.

  • Articulate the role of social forces on language variation;
  • Analyze natural language, predominantly English.

3. Demonstrate a range of contextually effective writing and communication strategies.

  • Child Development and Family Studies
  • Communication Studies
  • Criminology
  • Elementary Education
  • English
  • General Studies
  • History
  • Integrated Studies
  • Mental Health and Addiction Studies
  • Physical Education-​Coaching and Performance Science
  • Physical Education-​Physical Education Teacher Emphasis
  • Physical Education-​Sport Management Emphasis
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Secondary Education
  • Sociology
  • Pre-​Social Work

WVU Potomac State College

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P.O. Box 6878
Morgantown, WV 26506
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Phone: 304-293-5355

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