Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature

The Department of English offers a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature (BAELL).

The degree fosters intellectual inquiry through an integrated approach to language and literature and prepares students to engage with the complex relationship between language, texts, thought and culture. This program emphasizes critical reading skills, the analysis of texts and language in context, and clarity in writing. Students will deepen their appreciation of cultural diversity and increase their understanding of how language and literature function to shape, interpret, and challenge meaning and values. This degree program prepares students for graduate study and careers in diverse fields, including education, media, and professional writing and publishing.

Courses in literature and language analyze global intellectual and cultural traditions, ideals and values in order to: enhance self-understanding and empathy for others; explain how societies are defined in relation to culture, nationality, race, ethnicity and gender; analyze implied and expressed cultural values and attitudes in works of literature; and examine the development of human institutions, ideas and social structures. Literature and linguistics courses are related to diverse disciplines, elucidating ideas in sociology, psychology, history, language theory, political science and cultural studies.

The goals of the Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature are to:

• provide an introduction to the disciplines of language and literature and the complex ways that written and spoken language and diverse texts shape understanding and meaning
• train students in the core concepts, methodologies, and analytical and theoretical approaches in both language and literature
• develop students’ understanding of English language and literature within historical, cultural, aesthetic and structural contexts
• enable students to appreciate cultural diversity through the culturally contextualized study of language and literature
• foster an intellectually stimulating and rigorous environment that encourages critical and ethical interpretations of language and literature

Courses in the BAELL program include such diverse topics as:

• English and Globalization
• Language and Gender
• Development of the English Language
• Psychology of Language
• Contemporary Literature
• Creative Writing
• Postcolonial Literature
• Literature and Film

In addition, the degree program allows majors to enrich their interdisciplinary studies and extend their expertise through taking select electives in other departments. These related electives offer alternative disciplinary perspectives on the topics, methods, and materials of language and literary study; enrich students’ knowledge of the implications of language and literature in other fields; and offer opportunities to explore possible career options in relevant fields. Related elective courses are in the departments of Arabic and Translation Studies, Media Communication, International Studies, and Psychology, as well as in the Performing Arts Program, and include such topics as:

• Literary Journalism
• Ethics and the Environment
• Psychology of Creativity
• Playwriting
• Arabic Linguistics
• Modern Media Translation
• Women’s Voices Across Cultures

Learn more about the BAELL by downloading our brochure.

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