English and Professional Writing B.L.S.
The Department of English, Writing & Journalism seeks to enlarge and refine the imaginative intelligence of its students—to enrich their intellectual lives as well as to help them develop their professional ones. The disciplined study of both literature and professional writing and speaking provides the means to those ends. Although the variety of the curriculum makes possible a student-determined emphasis on one or the other of these concentrations, the program requires competence in both. The English major offers both a humane and a liberalizing experience, while at the same time making available to its students the opportunity to acquire and practice the skills in professional writing and speaking that will enhance their careers.
For students who select the study of literature as their major track, the Department seeks to give an introduction to the most formative traditions—generic, historical, and critical—of British and American letters. Critical and analytical skills are developed by courses and seminars which offer an in-depth examination of a single author or specific topic. Because of their innate value in fostering intellectual maturity and as a preparation for more advanced study, the fundamentals of research will be systematically made available.
For those who choose the Professional Writing track, the program stresses the study of the theories and techniques of rhetoric as they are applied in particular professional fields including business communications, advertising, public relations, and journalism. Frequent practice in these techniques encourages students to communicate coherently, imaginatively, and with impact.
Goal 1: Acquire knowledge of significant texts in the British, Irish, American, and Anglophone literary traditions.
Outcome 1.1: Students will demonstrate a familiarity with British, Irish, American, and Anglophone key texts and an understanding of the historical continuities among literary conventions and imaginative traditions.
Goal 2: Develop rhetorical skills.
Outcome 2.1: Students will recognize and use various rhetorical modes, including (but not limited to) narrative, exposition, analysis, and argument.
Goal 3: Develop creative abilities.
Outcome 3.1: Students will exercise their imaginations in crafting their own creative works and performances, particularly through creative writing workshops and theatre courses.
Goal 4: Acquire knowledge of significant schools of literary theory.
Outcome 4.1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of literary theory and draw upon these models for their own literary analyses.
Outcome 4.2: Students will formulate their own theories about what literature is and does.
Goal 5: Acquire knowledge of research fundamentals in English.
Outcome 5.1: Students will locate, assess, and incorporate secondary sources (including electronic ones) into their own arguments.
Goal 6: Develop revision strategies and editing skills.
Outcome 6.1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of revision.
Outcome 6.2: Students will practice editing skills through examining their own writing and the writing of their peers.
The General Education Program (GEP) at Saint Joseph’s University involves a distinctive liberal arts education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. General education is essential to the University’s mission, providing all students with the broad knowledge, essential skills, appreciation of diversity, and ethically informed perspective needed by those who would aspire to be “men and women for others.” The GEP ensures mastery of skills required for further study, exposes students to the principal achievements and problems of the major fields of human learning, and introduces them to new disciplines that they may or may not wish to pursue. The Major Concentration component gives depth in a particular field and is thus a preparation for an effective career or for graduate study in that field. Free or general electives allow students to pursue interests, explore new fields, or to continue concentration in their major.
The Adult Learner General Education Program (GEP) applies to students who are completing a bachelor's degree offered through the SJU Adult Learner Program. These degrees include the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees (BBA).
The Adult Learner GEP is comprised of Signature Core, Variable Core, Integrative Learning courses and a Diversity Overlay.
Signature Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHL 154 | Moral Foundations | 3 |
| THE 154 | Catholic Theological Tradition (or THE 153 Encountering the New Testament, or THE 155 Catholic Social Tradition) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Texts & Contexts | 3 |
| HIS 154 | Forging the Modern World | 3 |
| Any course certified as Faith & Reason | 3 | |
| Any course in written and oral communication | ||
Variable Core
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One approved course in Art, Literature, or Music, Theater, Film.
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One course in the Natural Sciences (lab-based or lecture based) in biology, chemistry, environmental science, or physics.
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Two courses in Mathematics. BLS degee majors require MAT 101 or higher; BBA degree majors require MAT 103 (or MAT 120 precalculus) and MAT 123 (or an alternate calculus course).
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One course in a Non-Native Language (e.g., SPA 111-SPA 112) or one approved alternative course in Literature in Translation or Classics. Students who are bilingual may request an exemption for the language requirement.from the Department of Modern & Classical Languages.
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One course in the Social-Behavioral Sciences including Political Science, Economics, Sociology, and Psychology. Please note that some majors require a specific course.
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One course that is certified as a Philosophical Anthropology course.
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One course from Religious Studies or Theology that is certified as a Religious Difference course.
- ENG 101 Craft of Language.
Integrative Learning Courses
(2 courses required)
- Courses approved for ILC requirements will vary by major. Some majors have specific courses that must be taken.
Overlay
- Adult Learner Program students are required to complete one couse that is certified as a diversity overlay.
Free Electives
Except for Early Childhood/Elementary Pre K-4 Education majors, all students must complete a minimum of 18 free elective credits. Elective credits may be used to pursue a minor or secondary major.
GEP Integrative Learning Component
Two courses
Any two courses offered through the College of Arts & Sciences (not English Courses). Students are encouraged to discuss these choices with their faculty advisor in the Department of English, Writing & Journalism.
Major Requirements
In addition to Craft of Language ENG 101 and Texts and Contexts ENG 102, English majors are required to take ten more courses:
One course in British Literature before 1832 or American Literature before 1860
One course in British/Irish/World Literature
One course in American Literature
One Writing course (creative writing, journalism, rhetoric)
Six major Electives. Students may choose to pursue a track in Literature or a track in Professional Writing.