2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/las/english-balas/english-teaching/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/

for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English, English Teaching Concentration

In an age when information is everywhere, the real challenge is knowing what questions to ask—and how to evaluate the answers. The English major develops precisely these capacities. Students learn to cultivate imagination, analyze texts and contexts critically, and understand how meaning shifts depending on perspective and framing. They gain facility with language as a creative and analytical tool, strengthening their ability to craft persuasive arguments and communicate with clarity, nuance, and impact.

Coursework spans eight centuries of literature and media, from novels, poems, and films to video games, digital texts, and emerging genres. Students explore topics as varied as Afrofuturism, lexicography, and linguistic change, while engaging interdisciplinary connections to history, philosophy, music, science, art, law, and technology.

Above all, studying English fosters independence of mind and a strong individual voice. Through sustained practice in reading and writing, students develop interpretive insight, creative and critical thinking, self-awareness, and sensitivity to audience. These skills empower graduates to adapt, innovate, and pursue fulfilling careers across a wide range of fields.

Undergraduate Degree Programs in English

Majors:

• English, BALAS with concentrations:
• English, English Concentration, BALAS
• English, English Teaching Concentration, BALAS
• English, Topics in English Concentration, BALAS
• Creative Writing, BALAS

for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Major in English, English Teaching Concentration

This concentration fulfills state certification requirements to teach high school (grades 9-12) English Language Arts through the AP/honors level.

Minimum required concentration and supporting coursework normally equates to 78 hours: 39 hours of English department courses and 39 hours of courses from the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching. Students must complete at least 15 hours of coursework at the 300-level or above (ENGL 301, ENGL 350, and 9 more hours). Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.

General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements including the campus general education language requirement.

Time to degree completion varies. Minimum time to completion is eight semesters, with some students requiring ten semesters. Transfer students may need ten total semesters combined to complete the program. Please see the LAS Transfer Handbook for more information.

To remain in good standing in this program and be recommended for licensure, candidates are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (A=4.0).

Prerequisites to transfer to the English Teaching concentration: Students must complete ENGL 200, the two required historical surveys, and ENGL 301 (Intro to Critical Theory). In addition, it is strongly recommended that students complete five additional ENGL courses (chosen in consultation with an English advisor) appropriate to the English Teaching Concentration.

Departmental Distinction: Students interested in graduating with distinction or high distinction are encouraged to consult the departmental honors adviser. In addition, students interested in the departmental honors program should contact the English department advising office.

English Teaching Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.

Minimum hours required major and supporting course work: 78 hours: 39 hours of English department courses and 39 hours of courses from the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching. Students must complete at least 15 hours of coursework at the 300-level or above (ENGL 301, ENGL 350, and 9 more hours). Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.

University Requirements

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Composition I | | 4-6 | | Advanced Composition | | 3 | | fulfilled by ENGL 350 and EDUC 202 | | | | Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by ENGL 200, ENGL 209, ENGL 255, and EDUC 202 | | | | Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | | 6 | | Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by EPSY 201 and any other course approved as Social & Behavioral Sciences | | | | Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | fulfilled by EDUC 201 | | | | Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | fulfilled by ENGL 209 and ENGL 255 | | | | Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | | 6-10 | | Language Requirement (Completion of the fourth semester or equivalent of a language other than English, or completion of the third semester in two different languages other than English is required) | | 0-20 |

Major Requirements

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Core Courses | | 9 | | ENGL 200 | Introduction to the Study of Literature and Culture (prerequisite for other English courses; can be taken at the same time as a course that satisfies the Composition I requirement) | | | ENGL 301 | Introduction to Critical Theory | | | ENGL 350 | Writing about Literature, Text, and Culture | | | Historical Surveys | | 6 | | Students are encouraged to take these required survery courses as early as possible after completing ENGL 200 | | | | ENGL 209 | Early British Literature and Culture | | | ENGL 255 | Early American Literature and Culture | | | Period Courses (American, British, Anglophone, etc.) 1 | | 15 | | 3 hours: At least one course in one of the following categories: | | | | Medieval Literature & Culture (before 1550) | | | | Early Modern Literature & Culture (1550-1660, other then Shakespeare) | | | | Eighteenth-Century Literature & Culture (1660-1800) | | | | 3 hours: Shakespeare | | | | 3 hours: At least one course in Nineteenth-Century Literature & Culture | | | | 3 hours: At least one course in Twentieth-Century Literature & Culture | | | | 3 hours: At least one course in Contemporary Literature & Culture | | | | Language, Composition, & Pedagogy Courses | | 9 | | ENGL 402 | Descriptive English Grammar | | | ENGL 481 | Composition Theory and Practice | | | Select at least one of the following (3 hours): | | | | ENGL 311 | History of the English Language | | | ENGL 380 | Topics in Writing Studies | | | ENGL 482 | Writing Technologies | | | BTW 490 | Special Topics Prof Writing | | | One course in Difference & Diaspora. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking an appropriately focused course from among ENGL 350, the historical surveys, or the period courses. 1 | | | | Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching | | 39 | | Total Hours | | 78 |

1 : Chosen from the list maintained in the Department of English. Note: ENGL 350 can serve as a period course, a cluster course, an elective course, and/or a Difference and Diaspora course only when it is not also being used to fulfill a core requirement. Students who wish to use ENGL 350 in this way must thus take the course a second time (and with a different topic than the first time).

for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English, English Teaching Concentration

Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a fourth level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.

Total Hours: 120

for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English, English Teaching Concentration

1. Capacity to understand and interpret multimodal texts by using a variety of methods including close reading, genre theory, and formal and rhetorical analysis.
2. Capacity to understand multimodal texts in a variety of contexts, including cultural, historical, philosophical, and theoretical ones. Ability to understand texts in relation to diachronic processes, including histories of literature, genre, culture, or media.
3. Ability to create clear, focused, rigorous, and well-supported arguments that demonstrate awareness of audience.
4. Ability to develop research questions, to carry out research into primary and secondary sources, and to smoothly integrate these findings into student work, such as presentations and essays.
5. Capacity to understand the ways in which forms of difference (including racial, ethnic, gendered, sexual) inform the production and reception of multimodal texts.

for the degree of Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences Major in English, English Teaching Concentration

Department of English

Department of English faculty\ Department of English advising

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Overview of Admissions & Requirements for the College of LAS\