The English Department's Honors Major provides an opportunity for students with unusual academic ability and interest in English to devote extensive time and effort to a research project, or in the case of a creative writing specialization, a creative writing project. The Departmental Honors Program is not the same as the University's Honors Program; check under Honors Program for details about the latter. The University Honors Program has a specialization in creative writing.
Honors Requirements
The English Department's Honors Major provides an opportunity for students with unusual academic ability and interest in English to devote extensive time and effort to a research project, or in the case of a creative writing specialization, a creative writing project. The Departmental Honors Program is not the same as the University's Honors Program; check under Honors Program for details about the latter. The University Honors Program has a specialization in creative writing.
Curricular and Extracurricular Requirements
Take ENG 399, with Honors Option. Students in the ENG 120/121/204 track must finish ENG 204 before taking ENG 399, with Honors Option. Again, to finish in a timely manner, students should complete ENG 204 or 206H by the fall of the sophomore year.
For the creative writing specialization, in addition to the regular course content, students will begin or continue creative work with an eye toward analysis of the work using critical methods learned in the course.
Take three one-credit reading list sections. The student and the instructor will develop a reading list for the chosen topic that then needs the Honors English Coordinator's approval. Usually a student would take one credit per semester for three semesters because of the reading load in each section; however, two sections may be taken together with the permission of the advisor and the Honors English Coordinator.
Choose two extracurricular experiences, one on campus and one off-campus. For creative writing, select five extracurricular experiences.
Take ENG 493 with an Honors Option.
Take ENG 498H. For creative writing, students will choose one author's body of work for a critical essay (normally this author is a model or influence on the student's own work); develop a body of creative work of one's own; and provide a self-assessment of the body of one's creative work.
Requirements to Continue in the Honors Program
To remain in the program, students must achieve a 3.3 average in English major-level courses.
