This list is provided as a service to current and prospective
undergraduate English majors in the Department of English.
Note: The OSU Catalog is the definitive reference for all
curriculum questions.
Q: Do I have to have a minor?
A: No, the English major does not require a minor, although many
English majors do opt for one. A minor is especially handy if used
with a specific career option in mind. For example, one of our
majors has a minor in Agricultural Science, with a goal of writing
and editing agricultural publications.
Q: What are some minors that work well with the English
Major?
A: Some English majors take a foreign language minor, especially
those who are preparing for either graduate school or a career in
public school teaching. Many choose business, science, or others as
a complement.
Q: How can it be an advantage to have a liberal art's
education in today's world of specialization?
A: We're actually moving into an era that could be called
"post-specialization." People change jobs two, three, or more times
over a lifetime. A person's cutting-edge technical skills today may
be unneeded tomorrow. The ability to think clearly and share
knowledge is unlikely to become obsolete any time soon.
Q: I've never understood exactly how a university works?
How many different lists of requirements am I following,
anyway?
A: This can be confusing at first. All OSU students must fulfill
university (Baccalaureate Core) requirements. Then, students also
fulfill their own college requirements (an English Major is in the
College of Liberal Arts). Of course, students fulfill their major
departments' requirements. So, for an English major there are three
separate lists of requirements that must be satisfied.
Additionally, a student who chooses a minor or a double major must
complete that coursework. Finally, there is room for electives;
completely of your choice, these are the courses that broaden your
education.
Q: What is that WIC requirement I keep hearing
about?
A: Every student at OSU, no matter what major, takes a Writing
Intensive Course (WIC) in the major. WIC means the course has been
university approved to use writing as a special learning tool; it
doesn't mean you just write a lot in that class. The WIC
requirement for every student attests to OSU's belief in the
importance of good writing in all disciplines.
Q: Is the WIC a Baccalaureate Core or a departmental
requirement?
A: The WIC is a Baccalaureate Core requirement, but it is taken in
your major department. With a little planning, the WIC can fulfill
a major requirement while it fulfills the Baccalaureate Core. Your
English department advisor can help you with this and other
planning.
Q: Who is my primary advisor? What can he do for
me?
A: The undergraduate advisor in the English Department is Steven
Kunert and he is your primary advisor, although at key times
you may go elsewhere for special situations. You can expect to get
the attention you need through him. Besides help with deciding upon
courses and navigating through your major, the advisor can provide
information on department events, internships, volunteer
opportunities related to the major, and general advice.
Q: Can major and Baccalaureate Core requirements be met
with the same courses?
A: With the exception of WIC, no.
Q: Can major and minor requirements overlap?
A: No.
Q: Can minor and Baccalaureate Core requirements
overlap?
A: Yes.
Q: I've heard about some English majors taking writing
minors? How would that work?
A: Some majors want more writing courses in their programs than the
classic literature-based program allows for (about 9 credits). A
writing minor, then, satisfies these students' desire for more
writing practice. Major and Minor requirements cannot overlap.
Q: Is foreign language study an English Department
requirement, a Baccalaureate Core requirement, or what?
A: Technically, neither. To receive a B.A. degree in any major at
OSU, you must demonstrate proficiency equivalent to that held at
the end of two years of foreign language study (college level);
this is a College of Liberal Arts requirement. The B.A. is the only
undergraduate degree offered in English.
Q: I had two years of high school Spanish. Is that going
to help me?
A: It depends upon your proficiency. The Department of Foreign
Languages and Literature makes the determination as to what
constitutes proficiency. By far, most students take two years of
college language (with a grade of C- or better in the last term) to
demonstrate proficiency. There are several other less common ways
to demonstrate proficiency as well. Your high school Spanish may
help you to "place" into a more advanced course when you start at
OSU, however, you will be informed about this placement test; if
you aren't informed, ask your primary advisor about it.
Q: What is Methods and Materials of Literary Criticism
(Eng 345), and why it is required?
A: This course will introduce you to the variety of ways people
have thought about literature and art through the centuries, and
provide perspectives necessary for all students of literature.
Majors planning graduate study will especially benefit from Eng
345.
Q: What kind of an internship program does the English
department have?
A: We offer internships for juniors and seniors in good standing.
With their advisor, students can arrange to get real work
experience for academic credit. There is an assortment of excellent
internships that have been available in the past, many of which
offer first-rate experience--Corvallis Gazette-Times; Sister City
Newsletter; College of Science publication; Crescent Valley High
School; The Majestic Theater; Corvallis Community Outreach; OSU
Office of Development; Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife;
The Oregon Stater; OSU Office of Publications; Calyx Literary
Journal; and many more. These internships are typically very
satisfactory to both parties. Contact Steven Kunert for more
information.
Q: What is the core of the English major?
A: The foundation of the major is the study of six survey of
literature courses, and six pre- and post-1800 literature courses.
The student has a wide selection of courses within the overall 52
hour requirement, ranging from John Milton to Women and
Literature.
Q: Is the English department a place where professors
are available to students?
A: Yes! Students should feel free to drop into professors' offices
to talk about their classes and their academic progress. Professors
can provide invaluable guidance and support.
Q: I want to be a teacher, but there is no English
Education degree. What's a MAT degree?
A: The Master of Arts in Teaching is teacher training at its most
professional. While a student used to get a combined English and
Education degree, she now gets a B.A. degree in English, and then
proceeds to apply to graduate school for teacher training. A person
with a B.A. in English has strong content area preparation.
This list is provided as a service to current and prospective graduate English majors in the Department of English.
Q: When is the deadline for applying? Does this deadline
pertain to the MAIS degree as well as to the MA and MFA
degrees?
A: The deadline is February 1 of each year, for admission the
following fall. The English Department does not admit new graduate
students in the winter or spring terms. The February 1 deadline
applies to all degree programs, the MA, the MFA, and the MAIS.
Q: Can I transfer credits from another graduate program
to my program of study at OSU?
A: Up to 15 hours of credit may transfer to OSU from other
institutions. These credits must be approved by the English
Department and by the OSU Graduate School. Creative writing
workshop credits normally will not transfer to OSU from another
institution.
Q: Do I need to take the GRE to be admitted into
graduate study in the English Department?
A: No.
Q: Is there a foreign language requirement?
A: For the MA degree, two years of study in a foreign language is
required. There is no foreign language requirement for the MFA
degree.
Q: Can I complete a graduate degree on a part-time
basis? Can I complete a graduate degree by taking courses
on-line?
A: Currently, the English Department does not offer enough graduate
courses on-line for a student to be able to complete a graduate
degree. It is possible to enroll as a part-time student.
Q: What kind of Writing Sample is required with my
application? What kind of Personal Statement of objectives is required with the
application? What should Letters of Recommendation cover?
A: The writing sample should represent your best academic or
creative work. Page maximums vary for our two tracks (MFA:
(Non)Fiction Writing 15-20 (double-spaced) pages and/or Poetry
Writing 12-15 (single-spaced) pages of poetry; MA/MAIS: 8 pages).
The sample can be a complete essay or story, or part of a longer
piece, or a series of excerpts, a series of poems, etc. It is up to
you to decide how best to present yourself. The personal statement
of objectives should be approximately 500 words maximum, and should express why
you want to pursue graduate studies at OSU, and why you feel you
are a good candidate for graduate school. Letters of Recommendation
on your behalf should address your academic and teaching experience
(if any), and should speak to your work habits, your discipline,
and your dedication to your studies.
Q: Who will be my primary advisor?
A: The Graduate Advisor in the English Department is Evan Gottlieb, and he is
the primary advisor for MA and MAIS students. Keith Scribner is the
Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, and serves as the
primary advisor for MFA students.