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.

Student Resources

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.

(1) Core Courses for All English Majors

►ENGL 3000 Intro to English Studies
►ENGL 3006 Intro to Shakespeare
►ENGL 2007 or ENGL 2008 Survey: American Literature
►ENGL 2134 or ENGL 2135 Survey: British Literature
►English Course in Global, Ethnic, and Minority Literature in English
 (see below for list of approved courses)

(2) Literary and Cultural Studies Track Requirements

►ENGL 3125  – Intro to Critical Theory

►Literary and Cultural Studies Track 3000+ Electives- take any three 3000 level or higher Literary & Cultural Studies courses. You may take more than one Capstone (ENGL4001). The second Capstone will count as Literary and Cultural Studies Track elective. See the "Literary and Cultural Studies Track 3000+ Electives" list below for courses frequently offered.
  
►Capstone Course* – ENGL 4100 LCS Capstone
  *Prerequisites for the capstone are ENGL 3000, 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).

(3) English Electives

►Choose 2 English courses, at the 2000 level or above, for a total of 6 hours (No English elective credit is given for 2000 level composition courses - (ENGL 2089 or it equivalent)

English Courses in Global, Ethnic, & Minority Literature

See advisor for approval of courses not on the list; then, fill out a petition to substitute a course form and submit to Undergraduate Director.

ENGL 2021 - World Literature I
ENGL 2022 - World Literature II
ENGL 2034 - Contemporary World Literature: Drama
ENGL 2037 - Contemporary World Literature: Poetry
ENGL 2045 - Lesbian and Gay Literature
ENGL 2054 - Women's Literature
ENGL 2057 - Twentieth-Century Women Authors
ENGL 2059 - American Jewish Literature
ENGL 2080 - Ethnic Literatures of the United States
ENGL 2083 - African American Literature Survey I
ENGL 2084 - African American Literature Survey II
ENGL 3041 - Introduction to American Ethnic Literature
ENGL 3042 - Topics in American Ethnic Literature
ENGL 3044 - Interracialism
ENGL 3047 - Jews and Race
ENGL 3088 - American Women Writers to 1900
ENGL 3089 - American Women Writers after 1900
ENGL 3095 - Race, Ethnicity, and Film
ENGL 3127 - Introduction to Critical Race Theory
ENGL 3161 - Black Women Writers
ENGL 3166 - Caribbean Literature
ENGL 3177 - Global English Fiction
ENGL 3178 - Transnational American Literature
ENGL 3182 - Modernism and Postmodernism in World Fiction
ENGL 4004 - African American Literature: Major Authors
ENGL 4035 - Lesbian Literature and Psychology

Literary and Cultural Studies Track 3000+ Electives

This list is not comprehensive. This is just a selection of the courses we offer most often. Make sure you check the English course guide located on the department website.

ENGL 3009 - Early American Fiction
ENGL 3010 - American Fiction 1860-1910
ENGL 3019 - Contemporary American Poetry
ENGL 3020 - Contemporary American Fiction
ENGL 3028 - Memoir as Literature
ENGL 3035 - The Films of John Huston
ENGL 3036 - Classic Film Comedy
ENGL 3037 - American Literature and Film
ENGL 3038 - Film Noir and Neo Noir
ENGL 3039 - Western Films
ENGL 3040 - Intro to the Study for Language for Students of Literature
ENGL 3042 - Topics in American Ethnic Literature
ENGL 3044 - Interracialism
ENGL 3046 - Modern English Grammar
ENGL 3047 - Jews and Race
ENGL 3050 - Bible and Literature I
ENGL 3051 - Bible and Literature II
ENGL 3052 - Advanced Topics in Film Studies
ENGL 3053 - Writing Fiction in the Digital Age
ENGL 3061 – Romantic Literature
ENGL 3065 – Victorian Age
ENGL 3078 - The Films of Alfred Hitchcock
ENGL 3088 - American Women Writers to 1900
ENGL 3089 - American Women Writers after 1900
ENGL 3090 - Literature and Medicine
ENGL 3116 – Twentieth-Century British Fiction
ENGL 3126 – Intro. to Cultural Studies
ENGL 3161 – Black Women Writers
ENGL 3162 – Performing Race
ENGL 3177 – Anglophone/Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 3182 – Modernism & Postmodernism in World Fiction
ENGL 4035 - Lesbian Literature and Psychology