CAL English Department
Virtual Visit Request info Apply
MENUMENU
  • Degrees & programs
    • Undergraduate
      • Bachelor of Arts in English
      • Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in English & Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language
      • Bachelor of Science English Education
      • English Minor
    • Masters
      • Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
      • Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics & Teaching English as a Second Language
      • Master of Arts in Literature
      • Master of Arts in Professional Writing
      • Master of Arts in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies
    • PhD
      • PhD in Applied Linguistics
    • Undergraduate certificates
      • Creative Writing
      • Literature
      • Linguistics
      • Rhetoric, Writing, & Digital Media Studies
    • Graduate certificates
      • Professional Writing
      • Rhetoric, Writing, & Digital Media Studies
      • Teaching English as a Second Language
      • Environmental Narrative
  • Resources
    • Graduate assistantships
    • Advising
    • Scholarships
  • University writing
    • University Writing Program
    • Lumberjack Writing Center
  • About
    • Faculty & staff
      • Faculty by area
      • Emeritus faculty
    • Clubs & organizations
    • Events
    • News
  • NAU
  • CAL
  • English Department
  • English


English, Bachelor of Arts

  • Available Emphasis Areas:
  • Comprehensive - Emphasis
  • Creative Writing - Emphasis
  • Linguistics - Emphasis
  • Literature - Emphasis
  • Rhetoric and Professional Writing - Emphasis

Through this plan, we seek to prepare you for any future that demands competence in literature, language, and writing. Our plans help you recognize the importance of logical thought in effective expression. They also help you strive for more persuasive or creative uses of English and appreciate the truth and quality of literature.

By studying the literature of different times and peoples, you can develop your historical and cultural imagination. Our plans can also prepare you to teach English in middle- and senior-high schools, pursue careers in the corporate world, and compete successfully in graduate and professional schools.

  • Degree Info Tab Open

  • Faculty Tab Closed

  • Requirements Tab Open

  • Overview Tab Closed

  • Details Tab Closed

  • Availability Tab Closed

Requirements Accordion Open

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's general studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 42 units of major requirements which includes 18 units of emphasis requirements.
  • 16 units of Foreign Language Requirements.
  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.
  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion120
Major GPAC
Highest Mathematics RequiredMAT 114
Foreign LanguageRequired
University Honors ProgramOptional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate PlanOptional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-ARecommended
Progression Plan LinkView Progression Plan
Emphasis Required

An emphasis is required for this major.

Purpose Statement

The Bachelor of Arts in English prepares graduates for any future that demands proficiency in literature, language, and writing, as well as general excellence in resourceful, well-informed communication. Our graduates recognize the close weave of logical thought and effective expression, strive for more persuasive or more creative uses of English, possess the sense and insight to appreciate the value and quality of literature, have developed their historical and cultural imaginations by studying the marks of other times and diverse peoples in language and text, and recognize the global contexts of English as well as the social, civic, and environmental responsibilities that come with a liberal education. Our graduates have attained the high-level literacy skills and have practiced the research methods needed to compete in graduate and professional schools and to succeed in the workplace. With our help, they have prepared themselves to become productive, responsible members of the communities in which they live and work.

The Comprehensive Emphasis encourages students to explore multiple exciting fields of English study. Students practice creative, linguistic, literary, and rhetorical modes of analysis, and they have opportunities to engage with digital media studies and professional and technical writing. The Comprehensive Emphasis offers a well-rounded undergraduate experience and allows students to select their own path of study.

The Creative Writing Emphasis provides experience and stimulation to advance students' writing and reading skills, as well as their discipline and habits. We offer techniques to deepen students' talents, and we demonstrate how to make writing creatively a part of students' lives and careers.
 
The Literature Emphasis engages students in the study of the literary arts. Students gain an understanding of the sociohistorical context of literary production and reception and have the opportunity to study specific eras, cultural traditions, genres, and critical and interpretative methods, while simultaneously refining their skills in literary analysis. Students become well-versed in historical and contemporary discourse within the field and in the terminology used in literary studies. This work deepens their knowledge of how various texts (film, comics, video games, novels, poems, drama, etc.) evince meaning by using particular language structures, forms, and rhetorical strategies. Among other widely transferable skills, students learn how to write fluently and eloquently. They also learn how to make effective use of primary textual sources in their analyses and develop a repertoire of skills that includes the search for and incorporation of scholarly sources in support of their own analytical arguments.
 
The Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis engages students with a curriculum that prepares them as writers and scholars. The program emphasizes the importance of critical reading, reflection, writing, digital media, and spoken language to educate knowledgeable citizens who understand and appreciate their civic, professional, and personal responsibilities in an increasingly global community. We specialize in preparing students for intercultural and interdisciplinary communication practices in digital and traditional work settings to further global engagement, diversity, and social participation. Students gain experience with rhetorical theory and persuasive argumentation, social media literacy and multimedia writing, and professional workplace writing through theory-based application projects. In addition, our courses provide a foundation for M.A. programs in rhetoric, writing, digital media, communication, and composition studies.
 
The Linguistics emphasis introduces students to the scientific/analytic study of language, including such topics as how language is constructed, and acquired, and processed and how language use is affected by social and cultural factors, context, and goals of communication.

Student Learning Outcomes

 

  • General Knowledge of English
    • Know about language as a system and about language change and variation. 
      • Identify, describe, explain, or interpret such features as grammar, language patterns, language differences, the history of English, dialects, semantics, dictionaries and lexicons, idioms, or semiotic structures.
    • Know how effective writers and speakers adapt language to various purposes in school, the workplace, civic life, creative work, and elsewhere, and to the varying circumstances of interpersonal communication. 
      • Describe and explain such discourse features as rhetorical situation (speaker, purpose, audience), performative language, orality vs. literacy, print literacy vs. media literacies, style, or word-choice. 
    • Know basic concepts and terminology in the study of literature, linguistics, rhetoric, and creative writing.
      • Use appropriate disciplinary and professional language.
    • Know about forms, designs, and genres, including appropriate traditions and histories. 
      • Know how formal conventions, social contexts, and audience expectations affect purposes of discourses.
      • Describe and explain such things as literary and creative genres, canons, practical and professional writing formats and genres, types of rhetorical discourse, types of linguistic phenomena, or media and web formats and genres. 
    • Know how social, cultural, and historical contexts affect personal expression; the reception, comprehension, or study of texts; and specific communication purposes for both writers and readers. 
      • Be conversant with English in global settings and with the increasing impact of international forces¿the history and politics of cultural and linguistic diversity, of environmental sustainability, and of globalization¿on the discipline of English.
  • Proficiencies
    • Read and think critically in response to a variety of texts, drawing on appropriate knowledge, concepts, and terms from the study of literature, linguistics, rhetoric, and creative writing. 
      • Focus these skills on the close interpretation of texts (which could include film, signs, encoded cultural forms or messages, or graphic art, in addition to printed works) or extend these skills to the close study of empirical data or information. 
      • Draw inferences or conclusions from their reading or to formulate interpretive hypotheses or arguments from primary sources or researched information.
    • Write effectively in several genres and for various purposes¿with appropriate design, fluency, voice, style, vividness, self-awareness, and awareness of audience or reader. 
      • Invent, find, develop, and support content relevant for their writing purposes.
    • Critique and to augment, rework, or revise both their own writing and the writing of others. 
      • Edit for style, for grammar, and for correct spelling and punctuation according to a work's purpose, audience, and level or manner of discourse.
    • Use appropriate principles and methods of research for a variety of purposes in literature, rhetoric, writing, and linguistics. 
      • Determine effective research scope, to apply and refine search strategies, to analyze and evaluate information, to synthesize and apply information, and to use information responsibly.
  • Applications and Attitudes
    • Apply advanced academic training in English to further schooling or to public, professional, or workplace settings that demand clear, efficiently organized information-sharing; lucid expressions of imaginative thinking; persuasive, well-documented discourse; or concise, accessible expository communication. 
      • Know where and how to seek opportunities for employment, publication, continued education, public service, or personal enrichment.
    • Benefit from the experience of English as a liberal arts discipline in studies that impart intellectual growth, empower imagination, and attune responsiveness to creative expression and artful communication. 
      • Cultivate habits of empathy, introspection, and ethical reasoning. Students will develop resourcefulness in communication, aptitude for creative problem solving, and openness to change, adaptation, and opportunity.

Detailed Student Learning Outcomes for English BA Emphases

Details Accordion Closed

Major Requirements
  • This major requires 58 units distributed as follows:

    • Core Requirements: 24 units
    • Emphasis Requirement - Select one: 18 units
      • Comprehensive Emphasis
      • Creative Writing Emphasis
      • Linguistics Emphasis
      • Literature Emphasis
      • Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis
    • Foreign Language: 16 units


    Take the following 42 units:
    The following coursework must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.
    At least 18 units must be completed at NAU.

  • Core Requirements (24 units)

    • Creative Writing Course
      • Select from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 174, ENG 179, ENG 270, ENG 271, ENG 272, ENG 373
    • Linguistics Course
      • Select from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 121, ENG 220, ENG 223, ENG 308, ENG 321
    • Literature Course
      • Select from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 130, ENG 230, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 242, ENG 243, ENG 245, ENG 247, ENG 253, ENG 261, ENG 266, ENG 327, ENG 333, ENG 335, ENG 337, ENG 340, ENG 341, ENG 345, ENG 346W, ENG 351, ENG 358, ENG 360W, ENG 361, ENG 362, ENG 364W, ENG 365, ENG 366W, ENG 368
    • Rhetoric and Professional Writing Course
      • Select from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 110, ENG 118, ENG 120, ENG 210, ENG 211, ENG 218, ENG 302W, ENG 305W, ENG 310W, ENG 313W
    • Additional ENG coursework at any level (6 units)
    • Additional upper-division ENG coursework (3 units)
    • Additional 400-level ENG coursework (3 units)
  • Emphasis Requirements - Select One (18 units)
    • Comprehensive Emphasis (18 units)
      If you select the Comprehensive Emphasis, you may only declare Comprehensive as your emphasis. You may not declare multiple emphases.

      • Additional lower-division ENG coursework (3 units)
      • Additional ENG Junior-Level Writing Course (3 units)
      • Additional ENG 300-level coursework (3 units)
      • Select from the following which fulfill the senior capstone requirement (3 units):
        • ENG 410C, ENG 411C, ENG 420C, ENG 469C, ENG 479C
      • Additional upper-division ENG coursework (3 units)
      • Additional 400-level ENG coursework (3 units)
    • Creative Writing Emphasis (18 units)

      • Select from the following (6 units):
        • Two ENG 200-level courses
        • (ENG 174 or ENG 179) and one ENG 200-level course
      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 370W, ENG 372W
      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 370W, ENG 371, ENG 372W, ENG 373
      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 470, ENG 471, ENG 472, ENG 473
      • ENG 479C (3 units)
    • Linguistics Emphasis (18 units)

      • Select additional from the following (6 units):
        • ENG 121, ENG 220, ENG 223, ENG 308, ENG 321
      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 308, ENG 321
      • Any ENG junior-level Writing course (3 units)
      • ENG 420C (3 units)
      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 420C (May be repeated with different topics)
        • ENG 485 (Topics in Linguistics)
    • Literature Emphasis (18 units)

      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 230, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 242, ENG 243, ENG 245, ENG 247, ENG 253, ENG 261, ENG 266
      • Select from from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 346W, ENG 360W, ENG 364W, ENG 366W
      • Select additional from the following (6 units):
        • ENG 327, ENG 333, ENG 335, ENG 337, ENG 340, ENG 341, ENG 345, ENG 346W, ENG 351, ENG 358, ENG 360W, ENG 361, ENG 362, ENG 364W, ENG 365, ENG 366W, ENG 368
      • Select from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 431, ENG 435, ENG 441, ENG 445, ENG 451, ENG 460, ENG 461, ENG 467
      • ENG 469C (3 units)
    • Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis (18 units)

      • Select additional from the following (3 units):
        • ENG 110, ENG 118, ENG 120, ENG 210, ENG 211, ENG 218
      • Select additional from the following (9 units):
        • ENG 302W, ENG 305W, ENG 310W, ENG 313W
      • ENG 410C, ENG 411C (6 units)
Foreign Language Requirement
  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program
    • This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.

    • Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Arts in English and start a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language at NAU.

    • Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.

      Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.
    • Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:

    • Major Requirements

      This major requires 58 units distributed as follows:

      • Core requirements: 24 units
      • Select an Emphasis: 18 units
        • Comprehensive
        • Creative Writing
        • Linguistics
        • Literature
        • Rhetoric and Professional Writing
      • Foreign Language: 16 units


      Take the following 42 units:
      The following coursework must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.
      At least 18 units must be completed at NAU.

    • Core requirements (24 units):

      • Creative Writing Course
        • Select from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 174, ENG 179, ENG 270, ENG 271, ENG 272, ENG 373
      • Linguistics Course
        • Select from the following (3 units)
          • ENG 121, ENG 220, ENG 223, ENG 308, ENG 321
      • Literature Course
        • Select from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 130, ENG 230, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 242, ENG 243, ENG 245, ENG 247, ENG 253, ENG 261, ENG 266, ENG 327, ENG 333, ENG 335, ENG 337, ENG 340, ENG 341, ENG 345, ENG 346W, ENG 351, ENG 358, ENG 360W, ENG 361, ENG 362, ENG 364W, ENG 365, ENG 366W, ENG 368
      • Rhetoric and Professional Writing Course
        • Select from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 110, ENG 118, ENG 120, ENG 210, ENG 211, ENG 218, ENG 302W, ENG 305W, ENG 310W, ENG 313W
      • ENG 504, ENG 528, ENG 518 (9 units)
      • Additional ENG coursework at any level (3 units)
    • Emphasis Requirements (Select One):
      • Comprehensive Emphasis (18 units)
        If you select the Comprehensive Emphasis, you may only declare Comprehensive as your emphasis. You may not declare multiple emphases.

        • Additional lower-division ENG coursework (3 units)
        • Additional ENG Junior-Level Writing Course (3 units)
        • Additional ENG 300-level coursework (3 units)
        • Select from the following which fulfill the senior capstone requirement (3 units):
          • ENG 410C, ENG 411C, ENG 420C, ENG 469C, ENG 479C
        • Additional upper-division ENG coursework (3 units)
        • Additional 400-level ENG coursework (3 units)
      • Creative Writing Emphasis (18 units)

        • Select additional from the following (6 units):
          • Two ENG 200-level courses
          • (ENG 174 or ENG 179) and one ENG 200-level course
        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 370W, ENG 372W
        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 370W, ENG 371, ENG 372W, ENG 373
        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 470, ENG 471, ENG 472, ENG 473
        • ENG 479C (3 units)
      • Linguistics Emphasis (18 units)

        • Select additional from the following (6 units):
          • ENG 121, ENG 220, ENG 223, ENG 308, ENG 321
        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 308, ENG 321
        • Any ENG Junior-Level Writing course (3 units)
        • ENG 420C (3 units)
        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 420C (May be repeated with different topics)
          • ENG 485 (Topics in Linguistics)
      • Literature Emphasis (18 units)

        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 230, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 242, ENG 243, ENG 245, ENG 247, ENG 253, ENG 261, ENG 266
        • Select from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 346W, ENG 360W, ENG 364W, ENG 366W
        • Select additional from the following (6 units):
          • ENG 327, ENG 333, ENG 335, ENG 337, ENG 340, ENG 341, ENG 345, ENG 346W, ENG 351, ENG 358, ENG 360W, ENG 361, ENG 362, ENG 364W, ENG 365, ENG 366W, ENG 368
        • Select from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 431, ENG 435, ENG 441, ENG 445, ENG 451, ENG 460, ENG 461, ENG 467
        • ENG 469C (3 units)
      • Rhetoric and Professional Writing Emphasis (18 units)

        • Select additional from the following (3 units):
          • ENG 110, ENG 118, ENG 120, ENG 210, ENG 211, ENG 218
        • Select additional from the following (9 units):
          • ENG 302W, ENG 305W, ENG 310W, ENG 313W
        • ENG 410C, ENG 411C (6 units)
  • Foreign Language
  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)

  • Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

    • Secondary Education - English, BSEd
General Electives
  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information
  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

Availability Accordion Closed

  • Flagstaff

directory photo
Nancy Guerra Barron
Professor
Department of English
Nancy.Barron@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0456
Liberal Arts , room 126
directory photo
Jeff Berglund
Professor
Department of English
Jeff.Berglund@nau.edu
+1 928 523-9237
Liberal Arts , room 103
directory photo
Sherwin Jay Bitsui
Associate Professor
Department of English
Sherwin.Bitsui@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5651
Liberal Arts , room 132
directory photo
William J Crawford
Academic Director PIE, English; Professor, English
Department of English
William.Crawford@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5987
Babbitt Academic Annex , room 322
directory photo
Ryan Oliver Drendel
Lecturer
Department of English
Ryan.Drendel@nau.edu
directory photo
Vedran Dronjic
Associate Professor
Department of English
Vedran.Dronjic@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6273
Babbitt Academic Annex , room 318
directory photo
Jesse A Egbert
Professor
Department of English
Jesse.Egbert@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6265
Babbitt Academic Annex , room 315
directory photo
Marinela Golemi
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of English
Marinela.Golemi@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6188
Liberal Arts , room 343
directory photo
Laura A Gray-Rosendale
Professor
Department of English
Laura.Gray-Rosendale@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0956
Liberal Arts , room 106
directory photo
Angie Hansen
Chair, English; Professor, English
Department of English
Angie.Hansen@nau.edu
+1 928 523-4837
Liberal Arts , room 115C
directory photo
Kim Hensley Owens
Professor
Department of English
Kim.HensleyOwens@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6745
Liberal Arts , room 102
directory photo
Scott Jarvis
Professor
Department of English
Scott.Jarvis@nau.edu
directory photo
Erika L Konrad
Teaching Professor
Department of English
Erika.Konrad@nau.edu
+1 928 523-9064
Liberal Arts , room 115G
directory photo
Tove E Larsson
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Tove.Larsson@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6841
Babbitt Academic Annex , room 319
directory photo
Lawrence M Lenhart
Associate Professor
Department of English
Lawrence.Lenhart@nau.edu
+1 928 523-1587
Liberal Arts , room 140D or 315C
directory photo
Oscar Mancinas
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Oscar.Mancinas@nau.edu
Liberal Arts , room 112
directory photo
Jess Martini
Lecturer
Department of English
Jess.Martini@nau.edu
directory photo
Meghan Kerry Moran Wilson
Interim Director, University Writing Program; Associate Teaching Professor, English
Department of English
Meghan.MoranWilson@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0574
Liberal Arts , room 336
directory photo
Beatriz Perez
Lecturer
Department of English
Beatriz.Perez@nau.edu
+1 928 523-0315
Liberal Arts , room 133
directory photo
Luke Doyle Plonsky
Professor
Department of English
Luke.Plonsky@nau.edu
+1 928 523-8392
Babbitt Academic Annex , room 325
directory photo
Karen J Renner
Associate Professor
Department of English
Karen.Renner@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6012
Liberal Arts , room 331
directory photo
Corina Laine Roche-Baron
Lecturer
Department of English
Corina.Roche-Baron@nau.edu
Liberal Arts , room 105
directory photo
Donelle Ruwe
Associate Dean of Professional Education Programs; Professor, English
Professional Education Programs
Donelle.Ruwe@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6729
Eastburn Education , room 119
directory photo
KT Thompson
Assistant Director, University Ombuds Program; Associate Professor, English
Department of English
KT.Thompson@nau.edu
+1 928 523-5140
Liberal Arts , room 115A
directory photo
Nicole Walker
Professor
Department of English
Nicole.Walker@nau.edu
+1 928 523-6207
Liberal Arts , room 107
Department of English
Location
Room 140 Building 18
Liberal Arts
705 S. Beaver Street
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 6032
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032
Email
english@nau.edu
Phone
928-523-4911