The English Major

Declaring an English Major

To declare a major, you must fill out this form. This form requires a departmental signature, which you may obtain by emailing the form to [email protected]. You will, in addition, be given an advisement form, which lists the requirements of the major. A major should be declared immediately.

Additional guidance in choosing courses within the major and supplementing the major can be provided by our Undergraduate Faculty advisors. If you have not spoken to any other advisor, you can contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Associate Chair.

Requirements for the Major in English

After fulfilling the college’s EC1 requirement (ENGL 110), prospective English majors should plan to take ENGL 130 to satisfy their EC2 requirement. You must complete English 110 and English 130 before beginning the major.

The English major itself (Major code: ENGL-BA) requires 41 credits. See below for an explanation of required and elective courses.

Required courses (five 4-credit courses)
  • ENGL 170W: Introduction to Literary Study (4.0CR)
    Pre-req. ENGL 130; may be taken with 241, 242, 243; pre-req. for ENGL 244 AND all classes above 300
  • ENGL 241: The Text in its Historical Moment (4.0CR)
  • ENGL 244: Theory (4.0CR)
  • Choose either ENGL 243: Genre (4.0CR) or ENGL 242: Literary History (4.0CR)
  • ENGL 391W: Senior seminar (4.0CR) or 399W: Honors seminar (4.0CR)
    (GPA of 3.3 or higher needed; department consent required)
Electives (seven 3-credit courses)
  • One elective in Literature before 1820 (3.0CR)
  • One elective in Literature after 1820 (3.0CR)
  • One elective Global, Ethnic, or Post-colonial literature (3.0CR)
  • Four additional 200-300 level English electives
    (no more than three Creative Writing electives may be applied for credit toward the major; students taking the Honors seminar, ENGL 399W, must complete both semesters of 399W, where one semester counts as an elective)
Checklist: Before You Graduate
  • Have you fulfilled the requirements of your English major?
    If you have opted into the new English major or started under this major, (effective Fall 2020), use this list of requirements (TBU).
    If you are unsure about your requirements, or which major you fall under, please email the Director of Undergraduate Studies to set up an appointment.
  • Do you have any ENG 499 (3.0CR) electives on your transcript? If you do, make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to have them assessed before you apply to graduate.
  • Have you taken more than three creative writing classes (ENG 200W, 201W, 210W, 211W, 301W, 302, 303W, 304)? If you have, you also need to take three literature electives to be eligible to graduate.
  • If your graduation request has been turned down, contact Siân Silyn Roberts in Klapper Hall 601 or [email protected].

Four-Year Academic Program Map

Want to know more about the English major and how to navigate it? Queens College has created an Academic Program Map that offers suggested four-year course and/or requirement combinations based on each undergraduate annual catalog year, keeping you on track for timely progress to graduation. You may also want to consider its suggested plan as you choose which courses to take.