2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog Major in English, Literary and Cultural Studies Sequence (B.A.) Degree offered: B.A.

Major Requirements

Minimum required credit hours: 40

Take 3 credit hours in introductory literary and cultural studies

Take one 3-hour elective from five of the six elective groups:

Take one 3-hour elective from each of these two elective groups:

Take 9 additional hours of literary and cultural studies

Notes

  • At least 6 credit hours must be in the study of historical texts (pre- 1900):   ENG 150, ENG 213, ENG 214, ENG 216, ENG 217, ENG 218, ENG 222, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 250, ENG 251, ENG 252, ENG 310, ENG 311, ENG 320, ENG 378
  • At least 24 credit hours of electives must be at the 200- through 300-level
  • Appropriate courses under the IDS 121 curriculum may be counted if the syllabus is approved by a faculty mentor in the literary and cultural studies sequence.
  • Students should consult an English Department Academic Advisor in choosing their electives.
  • Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours with each course only counting one time in the credit hour total.

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Graduation Requirements

These are general requirements for all students. Students may apply for and receive two bachelor's degrees at the same time. Refer to the Academic Policies and Practices section of the catalog for details.

  • 120 minimum total credit hours
  • A minimum of 40 of the 120 total hours must be senior college hours (200-300 level courses)
  • AMALI requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the AMALI requirement)
  • IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in U.S. Society) requirement (certain courses in General Education and/or major may fulfill the IDEAS requirement)
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Science degree must complete a B.S. - Science, Math, & Technology degree requirement (beyond the General Education requirements) 
  • Students completing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete a B.A. - world language degree requirement: LAN/FRE/GER/SPA/ITA/JPN/POR 115 (or equivalent) 
  • Some majors complete other types of degrees that do not include additional graduation requirements. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.) or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.). 

Specific Program Requirements

General Education Requirements

There are three ways to complete general education requirements for Illinois State University. These three general education programs have different requirements and affect only certain types of students.

  1. The first way is to complete Illinois State University's General Education Program (see below for details).
  2. The second way is to complete the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum available through the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) (see below for details).
  3. The third way is to complete a baccalaureate-oriented Associates Degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution. For those transferring from an Illinois college or university, the A.S. degree must include the complete IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) or the student must complete the GECC to fulfill Illinois State’s General Education requirement.

Illinois State University's General Education Program

The complete General Education Program consists of 13 courses (39 semester hours). Because of laboratory or recitation requirements, some courses are listed as four or five credit hours in this catalog. All four or five hours will be credited toward graduation requirements, but only three hours will be credited in General Education for these courses. Depending on their major, students may be exempted from one General Education category (maximum of one course) because of disciplinary expertise gained in their major.

Program requirements that also fulfill General Education Program Requirements

  • Exempt from Language in the Humanities Category due to disciplinary expertise gained in the major

Illinois Articulation Initiative for Transfer Students

To be eligible for IAI, at least one transfer course must have been articulated to an IAI core requirement. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for a complete list of IAI courses and policies. The Illinois Transferable General Education Core curriculum consists of 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 hours of credit) within a five-category designation.

Program requirements that also fulfill IAI Program Requirements