A bachelor’s degree in English from American Public University System (APUS) will help you organize and articulate your thoughts in speech and writing, helping you achieve personal and professional success. You will not only gain skills that help to prepare you for the workplace but you will also build confidence in your ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in all situations.
The English department provides students with courses in Composition, Professional Writing, Linguistics, and World, British, and American Literature. Through a carefully planned program of planned and elective courses, you will hone your professional and personal communication skills by learning to investigate, analyze, and synthesize information. The program culminates in a final senior seminar where you will create your own work of academic research.
Our faculty are not only teachers; they are also active members of their professional fields and organizations. Among them are scholars, novelists, editors, poets, journalists, and bloggers, and as a student, you will have the ability to regularly interact with them. The Trefry Library at APUS gives you 24/7 access to the world with thousands of books and journals, media sources, and research guides. The English department at APUS welcomes you to our family.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Articulate ideas effectively and efficiently in speech and in writing.
- Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of critical theories in the analysis and synthesis of text.
- Analyze themes, multiple interpretations, and critical connections in texts.
- Assess diverse perspectives that challenge personal cultural experiences and expectations.
- Create texts of critical thought by integrating diverse viewpoints.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Major Required | 30 | |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 18 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 3 | |
| Elective Requirements | 39 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Arabic I | ||
| Arabic II | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Survey of Photography | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop® | ||
| French I | ||
| French II | ||
| German I | ||
| German II | ||
| Introduction to Japanese | ||
| Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
| From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
| Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz and Rock | ||
| World Music and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Religion | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Russian I | ||
| Spanish I | ||
| Spanish II | ||
| Thinking and Acting Ethically | ||
| Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| World Archaeology | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Humanities & Education | ||
| Social Media and Society | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Humane Education: A Global Interdisciplinary Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Geography | ||
| Practical Food Safety and Awareness | ||
| International Relations I | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| American Government I | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Race & Religion | ||
| Hope and Resilience | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| American Popular Culture | ||
| Exploring Society and Cultures via Science Fiction | ||
| Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
| COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL101 | Proficiency in Writing | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Making Writing Relevant | ||
| Argumentation and Rhetoric | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Effective Business Communication | ||
| Human Relations Communication | ||
| Information Literacy and Global Citizenship | ||
| Introduction to Information Technology Writing | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| History (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| American History to 1877 | ||
| American History since 1877 | ||
| World Civilization before 1650 | ||
| World Civilization since 1650 | ||
| Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War | ||
| Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War | ||
| African-American History before 1877 | ||
| African-American History since 1877 | ||
| History of the American Indian | ||
| History of Science | ||
| The History and Context of STEM | ||
| Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Accounting for Non Accounting Majors | ||
| Fundamentals of Programming | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| College Trigonometry | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Math for Liberal Arts Majors | ||
| Calculus | ||
| Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Biology | ||
| Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Introduction to Geology | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | ||
| Introduction to Physics | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to STEM Disciplines | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant. |
Major Required (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL210 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| ENGL235 | Take on the World: An Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL402 | WordPlay: A Biography of the English Language | 3 |
| LITR319 | Society, Identity and Politics: Contemporary Topics in Critical Theory | 3 |
| LITR410 | All of the World’s a Stage: Differences in the Dramatic World of Shakespeare | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| America’s Genre: The Art and Genius of the Short Story | ||
| The Work and Life of Ernest Hemingway | ||
| Mark Twain: The Voice of American Literature | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles | ||
| American Poetry from Bradstreet to Bukowski | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Monsters, Heroes, Romance, and the Human Condition Through the Centuries | ||
| British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles | ||
| Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
| From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
| Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a General Concentration, Concentration in Literature, or Concentration in Writing and Communication.
General Concentration (18 semester hours)
The General concentration allows you to choose your own focused area of study. You will select six (6) courses from among World, British, and American literatures and from a wide variety of offerings in professional and creative writing.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Attain a wide breadth of knowledge in analyzing and synthesizing texts.
- Compose texts that incorporate diverse perspectives through critical analysis and evaluation.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6 courses from the following: | 18 | |
| British Literature | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Monsters, Heroes, Romance, and the Human Condition Through the Centuries | ||
| British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles | ||
| American Literature | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| America’s Genre: The Art and Genius of the Short Story | ||
| American Poetry from Bradstreet to Bukowski | ||
| The Past is Always Tense: Contemporary African-American Literature | ||
| The Work and Life of Ernest Hemingway | ||
| Mark Twain: The Voice of American Literature | ||
| World Literature | ||
| Gothic Literature - Nightmare Creators from Lord Byron to Anne Rice | ||
| Women Writers: Finding a Voice, Sharing a Vision and Establishing Identity | ||
| Exploring Relationships through Folk Narrative | ||
| Voices Calling for Identity: Spanish-American Literature from the 19th Century | ||
| Flowers Bloom in the Desert: Literature of the Middle East | ||
| Writing | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Effective Business Communication | ||
| Freelance Writing | ||
| The Personal Essay | ||
| Advanced Creative Writing | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
Concentration in Literature (18 semester hours)
The Literature concentration focuses on developing analysis and synthesis skills. Through the examination of diverse viewpoints in the chosen literature, you will be exposed to the ideas of great thinkers, you will widen your perspective of the world in general, and you will develop the ability to defend spoken and written arguments using primary source. You should take at least one (1) course from each of the World, British, and American offerings, and it is strongly recommended that you take the three (3) remaining from either the World, British, or American offerings.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Explore the themes, multiple interpretations, and critical connections within American, British, and World literatures.
- Critique literary texts using analysis and synthesis.
- Formulate critical insights from texts and articulate them in speech and in writing.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6 courses from the following: | 18 | |
| British Literature | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Monsters, Heroes, Romance, and the Human Condition Through the Centuries | ||
| British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles | ||
| American Literature | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| America’s Genre: The Art and Genius of the Short Story | ||
| American Poetry from Bradstreet to Bukowski | ||
| The Past is Always Tense: Contemporary African-American Literature | ||
| World Literature | ||
| Gothic Literature - Nightmare Creators from Lord Byron to Anne Rice | ||
| Exploring Relationships through Folk Narrative | ||
| Voices Calling for Identity: Spanish-American Literature from the 19th Century | ||
| Flowers Bloom in the Desert: Literature of the Middle East | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
Concentration in Writing and Communication (18 semester hours)
The Writing and Communication concentration focuses on developing your articulation skills through practice of the writing process. This concentration gives you the opportunity to focus on five (5) professional and/or creative writing courses and one (1) course of literature that highlights writing-in-practice. You will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of practical and professional writing.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Examine effective and efficient written and oral communication across industries.
- Interpret diverse viewpoints in written communication.
- Create professional texts that conform to industry-specific expectations and facilitate communication.
Concentration Requirements (18 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 5 courses from the following: | 15 | |
| Research, Analysis, and Writing | ||
| Journalism | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Effective Business Communication | ||
| Freelance Writing | ||
| The Personal Essay | ||
| Advanced Creative Writing | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Women Writers: Finding a Voice, Sharing a Vision and Establishing Identity | ||
| America’s Genre: The Art and Genius of the Short Story | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 18 | |
Final Program Requirements (3 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL498 | Senior Seminar in English (to be taken as the last course before graduation) 1 | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 3 | |
| 1 | Prerequisite: Senior Standing and completion of all major courses prior to enrollment. |
Elective Requirements (39 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select any courses not already taken to fulfill the requirements listed above. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major. | 39 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 39 | |