Department website: http://english.wvu.edu
Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
- BA in English/Secondary Education
Nature of the Program
Tailor your degree in English to your interests by focusing on literature and cultural studies, creative writing, English secondary education, or professional writing. Explore the power of language to open doors, shape worlds, and realize dreams. How will you contribute to the world?
Focusing on Literature and Cultural Studies allows you to immerse yourself in the books, films, and other texts that define our global culture. Cultivate critical thinking, communication, and research skills to fill your tool box for a lifetime of learning and engagement while preparing for a variety of professional schools and career paths.
An emphasis on Creative Writing lets you study the craft of writing fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction with accomplished authors. Take workshops on writing for children, writing and photography, and writing about place. Meet the many authors invited to read on campus and help produce Calliope, WVU’s undergraduate literary journal.
With an emphasis on Professional Writing and Editing you will learn to translate complex information into clear prose for diverse audiences and analyze how information flows through organizational structures. Apply these skills in a capstone internship with a local business, non-profit, or government agency to see your writing come alive.
Can you name a teacher who made a difference in your life or a book that changed how you think? With a Bachelor of Arts in English/Secondary Education you can bring those experiences to others. You’ll complete all the requirements for teacher certification in WV and gain valuable classroom experience. Please see the English/Secondary Education listing for more information.
Students who earn a degree in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences must complete the University requirements, the College requirements for their specific degree program, and their major requirements. English is a SpeakWrite certified program.
3+3 Program
The Department of English participates in the 3+3 Program with the WVU College of Law, which is an opportunity for qualified undergraduate students to earn their bachelor's degree and law degree in six years instead of seven years. Students accepted into the 3+3 program begin taking classes at WVU Law in what would be their senior year of college. Students participating in this program must meet certain eligibility criteria and progress benchmarks. For questions regarding your eligibility, please contact your department advisor.
Minors
All students have the possibility of earning one or more minors; follow the link for a list of all available minors and their requirements. Please note that students may not earn a minor in their major field.
Publications
Calliope, a publication of WVU student writing, is sponsored by the Department of English.
Hellbender Magazine is a literary magazine edited by MFA students and the Council of Writers of the West Virginia University MFA program.
Resilience is a digital, peer-reviewed journal of the Environmental Humanities. It provides a forum for scholars from across the humanities disciplines to speak to one another about their shared interest in environmental issues and to engage in an evolving conversation about what the humanities contributes to living and thinking sustainably in a world of dwindling resources.
Faculty
Chair
- Brian Ballentine - Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)
Assistant Chair
- Christine Hoffmann - Ph.D. (University of Arkansas)
M.A. & PH.D. Supervisor
- Adam Komisaruk - Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
M.F.A. Program Supervisor
- Mark Brazaitis - M.F.A. (Bowling Green University)
M.A. P.W.E. Program Supervisor
- Brian Ballentine - Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)
Professors
- Brian Ballentine - Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)
Technical and Professional Communication, Rhetoric - Gwen Bergner - Ph.D. (Princeton University)
African-American and Multi-ethnic Literatures, Post-colonial Studies - Mark Brazaitis - M.F.A. (Bowling Green University)
Creative Writing: Fiction - Cari Carpenter - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
19th-century American Literature, Native American Literature - Lara Farina - Ph.D. (Fordham University)
Medieval Literature and Culture, History of Sexuality and Reading - Stephanie Foote - Ph.D. (University of Buffalo)
Jackson and Nichols Professor of English, Gender and Women's Studies, Critical Theory - Michael Germana - Ph.D. (University of Iowa)
American Studies, 19th and 20th-century American Literature, Popular Culture - Catherine Gouge - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Professional Writing, Medical Rhetoric - Adam Komisaruk - Ph.D. (University of California Los Angeles)
British Romanticism, 18th-century British Literature - Kathleen O’Hearn Ryan - Ph.D. (University of Massachusetts)
20th-century American Literature - Mary Ann Samyn - M.F.A. (University of Virginia)
Creative Writing: Poetry - Natalie Singh-Corcoran - Ph.D. (University of Arizona)
Writing Center Theory and Practice, Writing Program Administration, Writing Assessment - Timothy Sweet - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota)
Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of American Literature, American Studies, Literature and Environment, Native American Literature
Associate Professors
- Anna Shannon Elfenbein - Ph.D. (University of Nebraska)
American Literature, Women’s Studies, Southern Literature, African-American Fiction, Popular Culture - Christine Hoffmann - Ph.D. (University of Arkansas)
Early Modern British Studies - David Stewart - Ph.D. (Oxford University)
Associate Vice President for International Outreach. British Romanticism, Literary Theory - Glenn Taylor - M.F.A. (Texas State University)
Creative Writing: Fiction, Appalachian Literature - Lisa Weihman - Ph.D. (New York University)
Modern British and Irish Literature and Culture
Assistant Professors
- Erin Brock-Carlson - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Professional Writing and Editing - Brian Broome - M.F.A. (University of Pittsburgh)
Creative Writing: Non-fiction - Rose Casey - Ph.D. (Cornell University)
Modern British Literature - Jenny Johnson - M.F.A. (Warren Wilson College)
Poetry - Sarah Morris - Ph.D. (University of Maryland)
Human Science Phenomenology, Embodiment, Writing Process, and Student-centered Teaching - Christa Parravani - M.F.A. (Rutgers University)
Creative Writing: Non-fiction - Douglas Phillips - Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon University)
Professional and Technical Writing - Amanda Berardi Tennant - Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon University)
Composition and Rhetoric - Johanna Winant - Ph.D. (University of Chicago)
Modern American Poetry and Poetics - Jill Woods - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Business and Technical writing - Omar Yacoub - Ph.D. (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
Composition and Applied Linguistics
Professors Emeriti
- Gail Galloway Adams - M.A. (University of Texas)
- Rudolph Almasy - Ph.D. (University of Minnesota)
- Patrick Conner - Ph.D. (University of Maryland)
- Kirk Hazen - Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Ellesa High - Ph.D. (University of Ohio)
- Elizabeth Juckett - Ph.D. (Penn)
- John Lamb - Ph.D. (New York University)
- Byron Nelson - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin)
- Carolyn Nelson - Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin)
- Kevin Oderman - Ph.D. (University California, Santa Barbara)
- Ethel Morgan Smith - M.A. (Hollins College)
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First-Time Freshmen are admitted directly into the major.
- Students transferring from another major at WVU must have a 2.0 GPA in all ENGL classes taken and a 2.0 overall GPA.
- Students transferring from another institution must have a 2.0 GPA in all ENGL classes taken and a 2.0 overall GPA.
Major Code: 1442
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
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.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.A. requirements, major requirements, and electives to total a minimum 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements,visit the B.A. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in English
- Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. English majors choose, depending on focus, ENGL 418, ENGL 491A or ENGL 496 to meet this requirement. Students should consult with an adviser regarding the Capstone course.
- Writing and Communication Requirement: The English Bachelor of Arts is a SpeakWrite Certified ProgramTM. SpeakWrite Certified programs incorporate and develop students’ written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills across the curriculum.
- Calculation of GPA in the major: A minimum grade of C- is required in all courses applied to the major, including ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, or ENGL 103. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
- Area of Emphasis: in addition to the major requirements, students must select an emphasis in Creative Writing, Literature and Cultural Studies, or Professional Writing and Editing. Please see below for course and grade requirements for each emphasis. A maximum of 42 hours in English, exclusive of ENGL 199, ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, or ENGL 103, ENGL 491 may be included within the 120 hours (minimum) required for graduation.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 78 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
| English Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 | 30 | |
| ENGL 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 47 | |
| Total Hours | 78 | |
ECAS Bachelor of Arts Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 6 | |
Fine Arts Requirement | ||
Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |
English Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Course | 3 | |
| Foundations of Literary Study | ||
| Historical Breadth Courses | 6 | |
Select two of the following: | ||
| American Literature 1 | ||
| American Literature 2 | ||
| British Literature before 1800 | ||
| British Literature 2 | ||
| English Language course | 3 | |
| The English Language | ||
| Gender/Multicultural/Transnational courses | 6 | |
Select two of the following, at least one of which must be at the 300-level: | ||
| World Literature | ||
| Appalachian Fiction | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Multiethnic Literature | ||
| Images of Women in Literature | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Literature and Film | ||
| Topics in Appalachian Studies | ||
| Topics in Multiethnic Literature | ||
| Topics in Native American Literature | ||
| Global Anglophone Literature | ||
| American Women Writers | ||
| British Women Writers | ||
| Topics in Women's Literature | ||
| Topics in Gay/Lesbian Studies | ||
| Study of Major Author Courses | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Study of a Major Author | ||
| Chaucer | ||
| Shakespeare 2 | ||
| Milton | ||
| Area of Emphasis | 12 | |
Select an Area of Emphasis in Creative Writing, Literature and Cultural Studies, or Professional Writing and Editing. | ||
| Capstone Experience | 3 | |
Select one of the following based on the Area of Emphasis selected: | ||
| Creative Writing Seminar | ||
| Professional Field Experience | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 191 | 1 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 2 | 3 |
| GEF 2 | 3 | GEF 4 | 3 |
| ENGL 200 | 3 | ENGL Historical Breadth 1 (GEF 6; ECAS Fine Arts Requirement) | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 3 | 3 | ECAS Global Studies & Diversity Requirement (GEF 7) | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| ENGL Historical Breadth 2 | 3 | ENGL Gender/Multicultural/Transnational 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 221 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 8* | 3 | GEF 8* | 3 |
| ENGL Gender/Mlt Cult./Transnat. 2 | 3 | ENGL Major Author | 3 |
| AoE Course 1 | 3 | AoE Course 2 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| AoE Course 3 | 3 | ENGL Capstone | 3 |
| AoE Course 4 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
- *
Students completing a minor, a double major or a dual degree fulfill the GEF 8 requirement.
3+3 Program Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 191 | 1 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| ENGL 199 | 1 | Foreign Language 102 | 3 |
| GEF 2B | 4 | ENGL Historical Breadth 1 (ECAS Fine Arts Req.; GEF 6) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| ENGL 200 | 3 | GEF 4 | 3 |
| Foreign Language 101 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEF 5 | 3 | ECAS Global St. and Div Requirement (GEF 7) | 3 |
| Foreign Language 203 | 3 | Foreign Language 204 | 3 |
| ENGL Historical Breadth 2 | 3 | ENGL GMT 2 | 3 |
| ENGL Language Course | 3 | ENGL Major Author Course | 3 |
| ENGL GMT 1 | 3 | AoE Course 1 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| AoE Course 2 | 3 | AoE Course 4 | 3 |
| AoE Course 3 | 3 | ENGL Capstone | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| LAW 641 | 1 | LAW 675 | 1 |
| LAW 686 | 4 | LAW 703 | 4 |
| LAW 700 | 3 | LAW 707 | 4 |
| LAW 705 | 3 | LAW 711 | 2 |
| LAW 709 | 4 | LAW 725 | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
Creative Writing Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum grade of C- or higher is required. | ||
| Select one course in each group: | ||
| Group 1: | 3 | |
| Creative Writing: Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing: Non-Fiction | ||
| Group 2: | 3 | |
| Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing Workshop: Non-Fiction | ||
| Group 3: | 3 | |
| Topics in Creative Writing | ||
| Group 4: | 3 | |
| Creative Writing: Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing: Non-Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing Workshop: Non-Fiction | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Literary and Cultural Studies Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum grade of C- or higher is required. | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Environmental Criticism | ||
| Contemporary Literary Theory | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Studies | ||
| Introduction to American Studies | ||
| Literature Electives 300 level or above * | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- *
Excludes courses required for the Creative Writing and Professional Writing and Editing Areas of Emphasis.
Professional Writing and Editing (PWE) Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum grade of C- or higher is required. | ||
| WRIT 301 | Writing Theory and Practice | 3 |
| WRIT 302 | Editing | 3 |
| WRIT 303 | Multimedia Writing | 3 |
| or WRIT 306 | Topics in Digital Humanities | |
| WRIT 304 | Business and Professional Writing | 3 |
| or WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Degree Progress
- At the end of their second semester in the program, students will have completed ENGL 101, 102, 191, 199, and 200.
- After three semesters students will have completed 9 additional credits of ENGL courses above ENGL 200.
- After four semesters in the program, students will have completed 12 additional credits in ENGL.
- All majors must meet with an English department adviser each semester.
Students who do not meet these benchmarks may be removed from their major.
Major Learning Outcomes
English
Upon successful completion of the B.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.
- Analyze diachronic and synchronic language variation;
- Articulate the role of social forces on language variation;
- Apply linguistic concepts to solve language problems;
- Analyze natural language, predominantly English.
3. Demonstrate a range of contextually effective writing and communication strategies.
Literature and Cultural Studies:
- Demonstrate awareness of academic discourse and research on a literary topic;
- Apply research, analysis, argumentative development, and critical thinking skills;
- Create and revise communications with the appropriate tone, style, and sentence structure found in academic writing, including incorporation of research;
- Demonstrate command of academic written English and conventions of documenting research.
Creative Writing concentration:
- Situate work within the historical and literary development of the appropriate genre;
- Create and revise a thoughtful, sophisticated work of art that is the product of a careful process of invention and revision;
- Demonstrate a personal and coherent artistic style;
- Demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of and engagement with (or clear challenge of) conventions of the genre.
Professional Writing and Editing concentration:
- Demonstrate an awareness of, and response to, the particular rhetorical needs of audience and purpose;
- Demonstrate an awareness of genre and argument, including appropriate information and persuasive techniques. In addition, the portfolio demonstrates a critical engagement with the process of writing and with the intern’s learning process;
- Demonstrate an awareness of professional tone, style, and sentence structure;
- Understand and apply layout, visual design, audience cues, and information structure; adheres to the written conventions of professional writing.