爱荷华大学

Learning Outcomes

The goal is for students who graduate from the Department of English to demonstrate the skills of reflective reading, critical thinking, effective speaking, compelling writing, and engaged citizenship.

Reflective readers:

• analyze literary and cultural texts through close reading;
• gain broad knowledge of several fields of literature;
• grasp formal elements of key literary genres; and
• learn to read comparatively to illuminate aesthetic, social, and cultural contributions of texts.

Critical thinkers:

• approach texts with a spirit of critical inquiry and flexibility;
• formulate productive questions;
• use textual evidence to support individual interpretations; and
• draw upon several different critical approaches to literature in English.

Effective speakers:

• express opinions about the texts they read through discussion and written assignments;
• listen respectfully to others’ opinions; and
• work in class whether through active listening or discussion to learn by synthesizing a range of texts, insights, and opinions.

The Department of English challenges students to strive for excellence as writers. It provides instruction in and opportunities for writing in all of its classes. Students in the English major pursue a concentration in one of six areas, which may include a historical period, a theoretical focus, or creative and nonfiction writing. The department also offers an honors program in which students work closely with a faculty member to complete a major critical or creative project.

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in English requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 36 s.h. (usually 12 courses) of work for the major. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. They also must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core.

Students must earn at least 21 s.h. of credit for the major at the University of Iowa. Transfer students may count a maximum of 15 s.h. of approved transfer credit toward the major.

The English major prepares students for a wide variety of career paths including teaching, medicine, law, graduate school, and jobs in the private and nonprofit sector where writing, organization, research, and communication is highly valued. Within a year of graduation, over 92 percent of Department of English students are employed or in graduate programs.