Literary & Cultural Studies

Students in the Literary & Cultural Studies track hone their skills as attentive readers of literature (poems, plays, literary fiction and nonfiction) and other media (films, comics, television shows, songs, and websites, for example), and as writers engaged in literary analysis and cultural criticism. Our students gain knowledge of literary language, form, genres, and histories through study of national, ethnic, and world literatures. They also sharpen their skills as critical thinkers by drawing on various literary, cultural, and interdisciplinary theories—from psychoanalytic theory and post-structuralism to queer theory and the digital humanities—to analyze texts. In doing so, they engage issues involving culture, identity, language, ethics, race, gender, class, and globalism, among many others.

Critical thinking, close reading, and reflective, analytic, and persuasive writing are among the vital skills you can acquire as an LCS student and readily apply to your other courses and your career. Our students also get practice in conducting effective research, which becomes central to projects undertaken in our senior capstone seminars. The typical LCS course strongly encourages a substantial amount of discussion among students as well as with the teacher. Graduates from our program pursue successful careers in areas such as law, education, writing and editing, publishing, library sciences, arts administration, social justice work, public relations, business, and any field where careful and critical reading and effective communication are valued.

Requirements

Literary & Cultural Studies Checklist
This electronic requirement checklist can be completed and used during advising sessions or utilized to track the progress toward your degree.

A minimum of 36 credit hours is required, with at least 15 hours in the chosen track.
Only courses listed on this checklist count toward the major. If you wish to substitute a course, before taking it you must submit a petition to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
English Composition (ENGL 1001) is prerequisite to any Literary and Cultural Studies coursework.
Although not required, it is highly recommended to complete the composition sequence (ENGL 2089: Intermediate Composition or equivalent) prior to beginning Literary and Cultural Studies coursework.

Core Courses for All English Majors

Reading & Research

ENGL 2100 Ways of Reading Literature

Writing Foundations (choose one)

ENGL 3076 Writing With Style
ENGL 3046 Modern English Grammar

Culture & Diversity (choose one)

ENGL 2025 Catholic Themes in Literature
ENGL 2026 Introduction to Disability Literature
ENGL 2028 Theater & Performance Studies
ENGL 2029 Literature and Gender
ENGL 2030 Lit. & Environment
ENGL 2031 Film & Environment
ENGL 2032 Ecocriticism
ENGL 2041 21st Century American Drama
ENGL 2045 Queer Literatures
ENGL 2051 Outrageous Writings by Women
ENGL 2054 Women’s Literature
ENGL 2056 Holocaust Literature
ENGL 2073 Writing for Justice
ENGL 2074 Social Media & Society
ENGL 2080 Ethnic Literatures of the U.S.
ENGL 2083 African American Literature Survey I
ENGL 2084 African American Literature Survey II
ENGL 2093 Cross Cultural Communication
ENGL 2130 Study Abroad Topics in English
ENGL 2141 Introduction to American Ethnic Literature
ENGL 2142 Topics in American Ethnic Literature
ENGL 2144 Social Media for Social Justice & Activism
ENGL 2161 Black Women Writers
ENGL 2179 Modern Asian Fiction
ENGL 2193 Intro. to Environmental Writing
ENGL 3049 Creative Writing & Social Change
ENGL 3079 Creative Writing and the Environment
ENGL 3081 Romanticism & the Invention of Nature
ENGL 3082 Environment in Literature & Film
ENGL 3083 Environmental Health Literature
ENGL 3103 Creative Writing & the Community
ENGL 3104 Poetic Justice
ENGL 3127 Intro. to Critical Race Theory
ENGL 3137 Queer Theory
ENGL 3177 Global English Fiction

Literary Traditions (choose one)

ENGL 2007 American Literature Survey I
ENGL 2008 American Literature Survey II
ENGL 2134 English Literature Survey I
ENGL 2135 English Literature Survey II
ENGL 2087 Pre-20th Century Literature
ENGL 2021 World Literature I
ENGL 2022 World Literature II
ENGL 2078 Bible Literature I
ENGL 2079 Bible Literature II
ENGL 3006 Introduction to Shakespeare

Fields of English (choose one from outside of your track)

Literary and Cultural Studies (LCS) (for Creative Writing and RPW students)

ENGL 3125 Introduction to Critical Theory
ENGL 2046 Identity, Politics, and Literature
ENGL 2088 20th and 21st Century Literature
ENGL 2035 Contemporary Novel
ENGL 2115 Human Values in Literature
ENGL 2067 Topics in Film
ENGL 2184 Comics/Graphic Novel

Creative Writing (for LCS and RPW students)

ENGL 2010 Intro to CW Multi
ENGL 2011 Intro to CW Fiction
ENGL 2013 Intro to CW Nonfiction
ENGL 2015 Intro to Screenwriting
ENGL 2017 Intro to CW Poetry
ENGL 2027 Intro to CW Drama
ENGL 3085 Forms of Poetry
ENGL 3086 Forms of Fiction
ENGL 3087 Forms of Literary Nonfiction
ENGL 3096 Creative Writing & Literary Publishing

Rhetoric and Professional Writing (RPW) (for LCS and Creative Writing students)

ENGL 2000 Digital Composing
ENGL 2004 Intro to Copyediting & Publishing
ENGL 2005 Topics in Rhetoric
ENGL 2060 Language, Power, & Community
ENGL 2070 Desktop Publishing
ENGL 2159 Intro. to Professional Writing
ENGL 4091 Business Writing
ENGL 4092 Technical and Scientific Writing
ENGL 4093 Environmental Writing
ENGL 4094 Biomedical Writing

Literary and Cultural Studies Track Requirements

ENGL 3125 Intro to Critical Theory
ENGL 3006 - Introduction to Shakespeare
Take One:
ENGL 2007 American Literature Survey I
ENGL 2008 American Literature Survey II
ENGL 2083 African American Literature Survey I
ENGL 2084 African American Literature Survey II
Take One:
ENGL 2134 English Literature Survey I
ENGL 2135 English Literature Survey II
ENGL 2021 World Literature I
ENGL 2022 World Literature II
One ENGL Elective 2000 level or above
One LCS Elective 2000 level or above*
One LCS Elective 3000 level or above* - You may take more than one Capstone (ENGL 4100). The second Capstone will count as an LCS Track elective. See the list below for courses frequently offered.
ENGL 4100 LCS Capstone (Offered in Spring Only) - Prerequisites for the capstone are ENGL 3000 or 2100, ENGL 3125, 6 hours of LCS coursework at the 3000 level or above and at least 75 total credit hours (UC +transfer credit if any).

*See full list of LCS Electives below.

Literary and Cultural Studies Electives

ENGL 2001 Topics in Lit
ENGL 2002 Topics in Lit
ENGL 2003 Harry Potter
ENGL 2006 Topics in Med Hum & Lit
ENGL 2009 American Authors
ENGL 2023 Afrofuturism
ENGL 2026 Introduction to Disability Literature
ENGL 2024 Literary History of Drama
ENGL 2025 Catholic Themes in Lit
ENGL 2026 Introduction to Disability Literature
ENGL 2028 Theater and Performance Studies
ENGL 2029 Lit and Gender
ENGL 2030 Literature & Environment
ENGL 2031 Film & Environment
ENGL 2032 Ecocriticism
ENGL 2033 British Lit Pre1780
ENGL 2034 Contemporary World Drama
ENGL 2035 Contemporary Novel
ENGL 2036 Contemporary Lit Short
ENGL 2037 Contemporary World Poetry
ENGL 2038 British Lit Since 1780
ENGL 2040 Topics in Drama
ENGL 2041 21st Century American Drama
ENGL 2042 Apocalypse v sustain CL
ENGL 2045 Queer Literatures
ENGL 2046 Identity, Politics & Literature
ENGL 2049 Hemingway
ENGL 2051 Outrageous Writings by Women
ENGL 2052 Cinematic Storytelling
ENGL 2054 Women's Lit
ENGL 2055 Science and Literature in the Renaissance
ENGL 2056 Holocaust Literature
ENGL 2057 20th Cent Women AU
ENGL 2059 American Jewish Lit
ENGL 2061 Fantasies Child Lit
ENGL 2063 African Fiction
ENGL 2064 African Drama
ENGL 2065 Fiction of William Faulkner
ENGL 2066 Topics in Musicals & Lit
ENGL 2067 Topics in Film
ENGL 2068 US New Wave Cinema
ENGL 2076 Old Test Lit
ENGL 2077 New Test Lit
ENGL 2078 Bible and Lit I
ENGL 2079 Bible and Lit II
ENGL 2080 US Ethnic Lit
ENGL 2081 Amish Experience
ENGL 2082 African American Poetry
ENGL 2083 African Am Lit I
ENGL 2084 African Am Lit II
ENGL 2085 Pop Fiction
ENGL 2087 Pre 20th Century Literature
ENGL 2088 20th and 21st Century Literature
ENGL 2090 Intro to Nat American Lit
ENGL 2101 Topics in Cult Studies
ENGL 2105 Films of John Huston
ENGL 2106 Classic Film Comedy
ENGL 2107 American Lit and Film
ENGL 2108 Film Noir and Neo Noir
ENGL 2109 Western Films
ENGL 2110 Films of Alfred Hitchcock
ENGL 2111 Genres of Film
ENGL 2112 Major Film Directors
ENGL 2113 The Horror Film
ENGL 2114 Abnormal Psych & Lit
ENGL 2115 Human Values in Lit
ENGL 2118 Intro to Game Studies
ENGL 2141 Intro to American Ethnic Lit
ENGL 2142 Topics in American Ethnic Lit
ENGL 2161 Black Women Writers
ENGL 2170 Irish Literature
ENGL 2179 Modern Asian Fiction
ENGL 2184 Comics/Graphic Novels
ENGL 3009 Early American Fiction
ENGL 3010 American Fic 1860-1910
ENGL 3012 Early American Lit
ENGL 3013 19th-C American Poetry
ENGL 3014 20th-C American Poetry
ENGL 3016 American Fic 1910-1960
ENGL 3018 American Dram & Perf
ENGL 3019 Contemporary American Poetry
ENGL 3020 Contemporary American Fiction
ENGL 3028 Memoir as Lit
ENGL 3132 Toni Morrison
ENGL 3043 Race in African American Lit
ENGL 3044 Interracialism
ENGL 3045 Mod American Drama
ENGL 3047 Jews and Race
ENGL 3048 Appalachian Lit
ENGL 3052 Advanced Topics in Film Study
ENGL 3057 Poetry Cult Studies
ENGL 3058 West Traditions in Lit II
ENGL 3061 Romantic Literature
ENGL 3063 Merchant of Venice
ENGL 3064 Victorian Poetry
ENGL 3065 Victorian Age
ENGL 3073 Modernism
ENGL 3081 Romanticism & Invention of Nature
ENGL 3082 Environment in Literature & Film
ENGL 3083 Environmental Health Lit
ENGL 3088 American Women Writers Pre 20th Century
ENGL 3089 American Women Writers Post 1900
ENGL 3090 Literature and Medicine
ENGL 3094 Issues in Film Studies
ENGL 3095 Race, Ethnicity, and Film
ENGL 3097 Book Arts
ENGL 3110 History of the Book
ENGL 3112 Uncanny Legends
ENGL 3114 18th Cent British Fiction
ENGL 3115 19th Cent British Fiction
ENGL 3116 20th Cent British Fiction
ENGL 3117 Gothic Literature
ENGL 3121 Female Coming of Age Novel
ENGL 3126 Intro to Cultural Studies
ENGL 3127 Intro Critical Race Theory
ENGL 3128 Topics in Theory
ENGL 3130 Humanities/Rights
ENGL 3131 Milton
ENGL 3132 Toni Morrison
ENGL 3137 Queer Theory
ENGL 3138 Intro Medieval Lit
ENGL 3148 Shakespeare's Colleagues & Rivals
ENGL 3152 Age of Donne
ENGL 3157 Western Traditions in Lit I
ENGL 3160 Lit African Diaspora
ENGL 3162 Performing Race
ENGL 3163 African Lit
ENGL 3166 Caribbean Lit
ENGL 3167 Modern British Poetry
ENGL 3168 Modern British Fiction
ENGL 3169 Modern British Drama
ENGL 3174 Contemporary British Fiction
ENGL 3175 Contemporary British Poetry
ENGL 3177 Global English Fiction
ENGL 3178 Transnational American Lit
ENGL 3180 Modern Poetry
ENGL 3181 European Fiction
ENGL 3182 Modern World Fiction
ENGL 4004 AFAM: Major Authors
ENGL 4005 Topics African American Lit
ENGL 4006 Advanced Topics in Med Hum & Lit
ENGL 4008 Native American Women
ENGL 4029 Gender/Sex/Culture
ENGL 4035 Lesbian Lit and Psych
ENGL 4060 Seminar: 20th/21st Century American Lit.