English Department

Undergraduate Advising

New! View descriptions of the upper-division English and linguistics courses offered in Fall 2008.

• Overview
• Core Area Requirements
• Transfer Credits
• Advisors
• Choosing and Following a Catalog
• Registering
• Adding and Dropping Classes
• Departmental Emphases and Programs
• Check Sheets for English Emphases
• Internships
• Scholarships
• Campus Activities
• Applying for Graduation
• The English Major and the Job Market

Overview

A University degree consists of three parts: general education components, referred to at Boise State University as "the Core," requirements for a major, and electives. The Core requirements at Boise State are intended to develop:

1. critical thinking/problem solving skills
2. communication skills
3. cultural perspective
4. breadth of knowledge and intellectual perspective

See the Undergraduate Catalog for further information on these objectives.

Students matriculating in fall 2006 or afterward must also complete Boise State University's Diversity Requirement.  This requirement does not alter the number of credits needed for the baccalaureate degree.  All diversity approved course are designated "diversity" in catalog course descriptions, and your approved diversity course may fulfill core, elective, or major content area requirements.

Core requirements vary depending upon the type of degree (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Sciences, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Business Administration, etc.). The Department of English offers only a Bachelor of Arts degree, so its Core Requirements follow the pattern listed in the catalog for that degree. Those requirements have been included in the check sheets provided for each emphasis.

The Core requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Boise State University include six credits of writing courses, normally, ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 or  ENGL 112. National test scores are used to determine the course level at which you need to begin and any potential exemption from the writing requirement. The chart below shows the correspondence between test scores and the writing requirement.

The English Composition Course Requirement

The Core also requires 12 credits in each of three Areas: the Arts and Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural Sciences.

Core Area Requirements

The list of approved Core classes is in your undergraduate catalog. It is also available on the registrar's website.

Area I. Arts and Humanities

You must take twelve credits (four courses), with representation from at least three disciplines. Those disciplines are denoted by the course prefix: ART, ARTHIST, ENGL, ENGR (one approved course: 102), HUM, MODERN LANGUAGES (ARABIC, ASL, BASQUE, CHINESE, FRENCH, GERMAN, JAPANESE, SPANISH), MUS, PHIL, or THEA. Only specific courses approved by the University Curriculum Committee fulfill these requirements.

TIP: Normally, English majors take two literature survey courses and one course from each of two other disciplines. In choosing the non-literature courses you might want to consider possible minors. In some cases, the literature courses also fulfill major requirements. ENGL 102 is the prerequisite for the literature survey courses.

Note: ENGL 275, which students must take before enrolling in upper-division (300- or 400-level) literature courses, is not a core course.

Area II Social Sciences

You must take twelve credits (four courses) with representation from at least three disciplines. Those disciplines are denoted by the course prefix: ANTH, CJ, COMM, ECON, ED-CIFS, GEOG, HIST, POLS, PSYC, SOC, or SOCWRK. Only specific courses approved by the University Curriculum Committee fulfill these requirements. (See pages 43-44 of the 2006/2007 catalog.)

Note: The English department has not specified course requirements in Area II. English Education majors, students preparing to teach in junior high or high school, must take ED-CIFS 201, a core course in history, either COMM 101 or 112, and a course in another Area II field to complete the Area II requirement.

Area III Natural Sciences

You must take twelve credits (three courses) with representation from at least two disciplines. Those disciplines are denoted by the course prefix: BIOL, CHEM, ENGR, GEOL, MATH, PHYS. Only specific courses approved by the University Curriculum Committee fulfill these requirements.

TIP: All students must take at least one core-approved course in mathematics. Area III math courses include MATH 124, 130, 143, and certain higher-numbered courses. MATH 108 counts as 3 credits of electives, but it does not count toward Area III.

Transfer Credits

Credits taken at other accredited institutions are accepted at Boise State University, although each credit taken at an institution on the quarter system is transferred as two-thirds of a semester credit, so a three credit quarter course equals a two credit semester course.

Transfer credits may be equated with a specific course at Boise State; an evaluated transcript will indicate the BSU course equivalency.

Or, transfer credits may be accepted as an area elective. The transcript will indicate a general course number, probably 100, followed by coding XF and either C1, C2, or C3, signifying the core area to which the credit has been applied.

Or, transfer credits may be accepted as general electives, meaning that the credits were accepted but the course did not fulfill a specific BSU requirement.

TIP: If you believe you have not been given appropriate credit for transfer courses, you may consult with the Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising. If you wish to consult the Coordinator, make an appointment and bring to the appointment course descriptions, syllabi etc, which will help to substantiate your case.

TIP: The Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising may also be able to help you begin the process of making an appeal to other departments if appropriate.

Advisement

Obtaining Advisement

If you are officially declared as an English major by the start of fall or spring classes, you should automatically be assigned to a faculty advisor.  You can obtain the name of your assigned advisor through your BroncoWeb account; obtain your advisor's contact information by consulting the "Faculty" listing of the English department web site.  Boise State University does not require you to seek advisement, though at the very least you should make a point of consulting with your advisor at the time you declare your major as English, and at the start of your senior year.  Transfer students might wish to consult with an advisor to make certain that they understand how the credits they earned at other institutions integrate with the program at Boise State.  It is also important to check with your advisor any time you have a question about the program that is not answered by this web site: for example, what courses from one emphasis fulfill requirements in another or which courses in other departments fulfill major requirements?

If you have just recently declared English as your major and do not have an advisor, contact the Coordinator of English Undergraduate Advising for an assignment. The current Coordinator is Russell Willerton, LA 211B, at 426-1218 or e-mail russellwillerton@boisestate.edu.

TIP: Analyze your program and note specific questions before meeting with an advisor.

TIP: If you plan to do an exchange, or to take courses overseas, consult with the Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising  and the International Programs office to obtain course equivalencies before you leave.

Meeting with an Advisor

If you plan to meet with an advisor, it is always best to make an appointment. While faculty attempt to keep office hours, other obligations do interfere. Also, be sure to print and fill out a check sheet of the requirements in your emphasis before meeting with an advisor.

Choosing and Following a Catalog

You may choose to graduate under any catalog in force during a period of six years of registration. That is, if you begin your degree in 2002/2003 you may graduate under any catalog through 2007/2008 for a year in which you were enrolled. The purpose of the policy is to prevent you from having to meet new requirements put in place after you have begun your degree. Following a catalog is a matter of paying close attention and keeping good records. Whereas advisors are available to provide guidance and answer questions, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to make sure that all university and major requirements are fulfilled for graduation.  Once you have chosen an emphasis (see Choosing an Emphasis) you may go to the appropriate section and download a check-sheet. Normally students do best when they complete Core requirements before they concentrate on major requirements and electives.

It is important to plan ahead. That means looking not only at the courses that are required but at prerequisites. For instance, ENGL 275 is a prerequisite for all upper division (300 and 400 level) literature courses, so you want to take that course in your third or fourth semester.

Note: Not all courses are offered each semester. In fact a few are offered alternate years. The catalog entry for each course indicates whether it will be offered in the Fall (F) or Spring (S) or both (F/S). The entry will also indicate alternate year courses.

Note: ENGL-393 History of Literary Criticism is offered only in the Fall.

TIP: Try to register in LING-305 as soon as you reach upper division status (60 credits) because the course is often full.

TIP: You will be given a registration time each semester. You may not register before that time, but you may register any time after that time. To get your best choices, register as soon as you are able.

Registering

If you are a continuing, degree-seeking student you may register during priority registration (April for summer and fall; November for spring). Students register by appointment on BroncoWeb according to a schedule established by the Registrar's office. You will be notified of your time.

TIP: Register as early as possible to have the best change for the courses you want.

Adding and Dropping Classes

You may add courses before the semester begins and for a short time after it begins on BroncoWeb. (See the current Boise State University Directory of Classes for more information.) You may drop classes through the sixth week of the semester. If you drop a class before the 10^th day of the class, it will not appear on your transcript, but after the 10^th day, it will. (See the current Boise State University Catalog for more information.)

Departmental Emphases

Choosing an Emphasis

The English Department offers emphases in English Teaching, Linguistics, Literature, Technical Communication, and Writing.  Most of the emphases are structured to incorporate basic or critical areas while allowing latitude of choice. The ability to choose among courses in categories permits students to cluster courses around an area of interest should they choose to do so.

Students choose an emphasis for a number of reasons including interest and employability (see The English Major and the Job Market). If you wish to teach secondary school English or if you want to be a technical writer, your choices are clear. You might also want to consider how quickly you wish to complete your program.

There is no formal process for choosing an emphasis. You merely indicate it when you register. The critical point occurs when you apply for graduation. The emphasis you declare determines which list of requirements is matched against the courses you take.

Currently the department offers five emphases: Linguistics, Literature, Teaching, Technical Communication, and Writing.

There are, however, a few matters for attention in planning course schedules. Some courses are not offered every semester. Look at the end of the course title in the BSU catalog. The sign (F) or (S) at the end of the title indicates that the course is offered only one semester a year. A few courses are offered in alternate years. Attending to these notations will help in your planning.

Check Sheets for English Emphases

Check sheets of requirements for each emphasis are available below.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files below, you may download the reader from Adobe.

Note: The appropriate catalog year for each checksheet is printed at the top of each one. Your catalog year is that in which you started at BSU or transferred in. ENGL 198 is a required course for all English majors under the 2007/08 catalog; it is not required for students with previous catalogs. Your catalog is identified under your student information in Broncoweb.

• English Teaching (32k PDF file)
• Linguistics (66k PDF file)
• Literature (66k PDF file)
• Technical Communication (82k PDF file)
• Writing (65k PDF file)

If your catalog year is not listed on the appropriate checksheet, look up your requirements in the appropriate undergraduate catalog.

Additional Programs

The department also offers an English Minor, an English Minor with Teaching Certificate Endorsement, a Certificate in Technical Communication, and an Advanced Certificate in Technical Communication. The department also cooperates with the Department of Communication in degrees in Communications/English, Journalism Emphasis, and Communications/English Humanities/Rhetoric Emphasis.

TIP: You must be certified in another major in order to obtain a Minor Teaching Certificate in English.

Applying for Graduation

You should apply for graduation during the semester before you intend to graduate, but no later than the end of the first week of the semester you intend to graduate (see the Academic Calendar for the exact date). Apply for graduation by obtaining a form from the Registrar's office, Room 102 of the Administration Building and completing it. Once you identify the program (English emphasis) in which you wish to graduate, the Registrar's office will compare the courses you have taken with the degree requirements. If the report they send you does not agree with your calculations, see your advisor.

Note: You must apply for graduation to complete your degree. It is not enough to complete the required classes and the appropriate number of credits. Apply even if you do not intend to participate in your graduation ceremony.

TIP: Only courses in which you have a "C" or higher count toward the Core or toward your major.

Graduation ceremonies are held in December and May. You will be notified how to obtain a gown and of the times and procedures should you wish to participate.

Campus Activities

Employers often look to see he extent to which candidates have involved themselves in their profession. Having activities on your resume may give you an edge in the job market. It will certainly introduce you to new people, ideas, and activities while you are at Boise State. The English Majors Association and Sigma Tau Delta offer you those opportunities. The English Majors Association is open to any English major and offers chances for students to develop leadership skills and service experiences. Sigma Tau Delta is the English majors honorary society. Membership is extended to students who have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.33 for undergraduates of at least junior standing, and 3.5 for graduate students. The two organizations work together on a variety of projects.

Each year English majors, and those interested in teaching English are invited to judge the essay contest portion of the high school Academic Decathlon. College student volunteers, along with faculty members, judge local, regional, and state entries. For further information, contact Dr. Bruce Robbins.

Students may also judge an Irish American essay contest. Contact Dr. Helen Lojek.

The English Major and the Job Market

If your emphasis is English Teaching or Technical Communication, there exists a fairly direct relationship between the emphasis and particular employment opportunities.

For other majors the relationship is not as clear because the skills gained are not as concretely described in the emphasis title. At the point at which you decide to seek employment, you may feel frustrated, but you do have strengths that are desirable to an employer, though you may need to prepare a plan to present yourself in a manner that helps potential employers realize those strengths.

Most obviously English majors develop abilities to communicate, to research and complete complex projects, to interpret the intention behind received communication, and to understand other people. What may not be as obvious is that a well-read English major understands that factual knowledge can be complex and require interpretation, interpretation leads to the recognition of coexisting realities in differing spheres of reference, and the acceptance of multiple perspectives contributes to a tolerance for the ambiguity inherent in partial information and the confidence to make decisions, knowing that additional information or new perspective might alter the situation. In other words, English majors acquire the analytic and creative skills necessary to do problem solving.

In practice, it is good policy to research the requirements of positions for which you intend to apply and to anticipate those skills and characteristics employers and interviewers might want. Internships, which are available through the Career Center and the English department, provide a valuable way to develop skills and knowledge suitable for the world of work.

Last reviewed on 8 January 2008