<p>JHS has very good insight into the program. </p>
<p>I want to break down the English major requirements, and how I chose to fulfill them:</p>
<p>1) 2 quarters of a language other than English above the college’s requirements. You can exempt out of this through AP or placement exams. (I chose to pursue Italian and am still taking classes, even though the English major no longer requires me to do so. It’s also pretty easy to major in English and minor in a language.)
2) an arts, music, or drama course in addition to the core requirement (I chose Drama 101)
3) Critical Perspectives or a class in literary theory (I took Critical Perspectives)
4) One English course before 1650, one between 1650 and 1830, and one between 1830 and 1940 (this is a recent change. With old requirements, I took Amorous Play in Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Chapman; American Classics; and Elizabethan Low-life Literature)
5) One English course in fiction (I took Detective Fiction-- this can also be a creative writing course)
6) One English course in poetry (I will take in the fall-- this can also be a creative writing course)
7) One English course in drama or film (I used Chinese Drama from the Eastern Asian Languages and Civilizations Major. You can petition up to two classes from other departments to be used towards your English degree)
8) One course in British Literature (I cross-listed Elizabethan Low-Life. You can cross-list classes, as long as you take a minimum of 13 overall classes in English)
9) One course in American Literature (I took Postwar U.S. Literature)
10) 0-7 English elective courses (I’ve taken Academic and Professional Writing; Writing Description; and Documentary Radio)</p>
<p>Visit english.uchicago.edu for more information. Also, check out the offered classes for both English and Creative Writing (at creativewriting.uchicago.edu).</p>