BA in English | College of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Webster's BA in English students engage not only with the aesthetic dimensions of literature, but also with the values, views and dynamics of a given and historical context. In small classes and seminars, students are given multiple opportunities to develop their skills in literary analysis, critical writing and oral expression. Outstanding student essays are selected by faculty to be published each spring in our literary journal, The Mercury. Students interested in focusing on dramatic literature can choose the Drama and Playwriting emphasis.

The Joan McDonald Endowed English Scholarship Recipient

“Literature can constantly change the world for the better, and I plan to be a part of that change by editing and improving works so they can be shared with the public in their best form.”

Anah Crawford-Washington

BA in English, ‘22

Add an emphasis in Drama and Playwriting

The English major with an emphasis in Drama and Playwriting provides students with the literary and analytical skills they will need as teachers, writers, scholars and theatre professionals. Their literature and theatre history classes will ground them in our rich legacy of dramatic literature from the ancient to the modern eras, encompassing classic as well as contemporary dramatic work from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. In all their literature classes, students will engage not only with the aesthetic dimensions of literature, but also with the values, views and dynamics of a given cultural and historical context. Playwriting workshops give them the opportunity to develop their own skills as writers and develop an appreciation for the craft of other writers.

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Details of Webster's English degree programs

The 36 credit hours required for the English major include the following:

Core Courses (12 hours)

ENGL 1900 Introductory Seminar in Literary Analysis (3 hours)
ENGL 2020 British Literature I (3 hours)
ENGL 2030 British Literature II (3 hours)
ENGL 2050 U.S. Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 4600 Portfolio Review (in the final semester of study) (0 hours)

Required Courses by Category* (24 hours)

Genre (3 hours)

ENGL 2035 History of the Novel (3 hours)
ENGL 2300 Worlds of Romance (3 hours)
ENGL 2400 The Short Story (3 hours)
ENGL 2500 Global Dramatic Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 3030 Topics in Poetry (3 hours)
ENGL 3040 Topics in Fiction (3 hours)
ENGL 3050 Topics in Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3100 Modern Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3130 Contemporary Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3190 Comedy and Satire (3 hours)
ENGL 3210 Tragic Themes (3 hours)
ENGL 3300 20th Century American Poetry (3 hours)
ENGL 3900 Myth and Classical Literature (3 hours)

Author (3 hours)

ENGL 4130 Seminar in a Single Author (3 hours)
ENGL 4150 Shakespeare (3 hours)

Social Issues (3 hours)

ENGL 2086 U.S. Literature of Diversity (3 hours)
ENGL 2120 Literature of Oppression and Resistance (3 hours)
ENGL 3140 Women and Literature (3 hours)

Global (3 hours)

ENGL 2300 Worlds of Romance (3 hours)
ENGL 2500 Global Dramatic Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 2600 Introduction to Linguistics (3 hours)
ENGL 3190 Comedy and Satire (3 hours)
ENGL 3900 Myth and Classical Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 4000 Myth and Modern Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 4030 Literature of Latin America (3 hours)

History and Criticism (3 hours)

ENGL 4190 The Story of English (3 hours)
ENGL 4500 Literary Criticism (3 hours)

Advanced Writing (3 hours)

Any course with the WRIT prefix at the 2000-level or above.

ENGL Electives (6 hours)

Any courses with the ENGL prefix.

*ENGL 2110, ENGL 2210 and ENGL 3500 may be used for any category with an appropriate topic.

The 36 credit hours required for the English major include the following:

Core Courses (12 hours)

ENGL 1900 Introductory Seminar in Literary Analysis (3 hours)
ENGL 2020 British Literature I (3 hours)
ENGL 2030 British Literature II (3 hours)
ENGL 2050 U.S. Literature (3 hours)
ENGL 4600 Portfolio Review (in the final semester of study) (0 hours)

Drama and Playwriting Courses (24 hours)

ENGL 2500 Global Dramatic Literature (3 hours)
Playwriting (6 hours):
ENGL 2170 Creative Writing: Playwriting (3 hours)
and/or ENGL 4400 Advanced Creative Writing: Playwriting (1-3 hours)

15 credit hours from the following list*:

ENGL 2110 Perspectives (3 hours)
ENGL 2210 Adaptations (3 hours)
ENGL 2250 Literary London (3 hours)
ENGL 3050 Topics in Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3100 Modern Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3130 Contemporary Drama (3 hours)
ENGL 3190 Comedy and Satire (3 hours)
ENGL 3210 Tragic Themes (3 hours)
ENGL 3500 Contexts (3 hours)
ENGL 4150 Shakespeare (3 hours)
ENGL 4500 Literary Criticism (3 hours)
SCPT 3110 Script Analysis (3 hours)
THEA 2030 History of Theatre: Greeks to Elizabethan (3 hours)
THEA 2040 History of Theatre: Restoration to 1915 (3 hours)
THEA 2050 History of Theatre: 1915 to Present (3 hours)
THEA 3040 Topics in Theatre (3 hours)

*ENGL 2110 and ENGL 3500 may be used with an appropriate topic

Note: Theatre arts courses listed above are considered, for this emphasis, to be in the English department.

A minimum of three hours in a non-native language is required in addition to the requirements for the major. Courses used toward the international language requirement may also be used to fulfill general education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language.
Transfer students who have completed their 3 credits at an institution of higher education are considered to have fulfilled the requirement, as are students who have scored a "3" or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a non-native language.
For students whose native language is not English, a passing grade on the TOEFL will count as their foreign language requirement. Students who are from bilingual families but have no evidence of academic study of the second language on a transcript will need to take one course.

This minor requires 18 credit hours in ENGL courses.

Nancy Powers Pritchard Endowed Creative Writing Scholarship Recipient

“I will change the world with my Webster degree by letting it change me — change is precipitated by education.”

Trinity Locke

BA in English with emphasis in Drama and Playwriting, ‘24

Alumni Success and Job Outlook

English and Creative Writing majors are generalists whose skills qualify them for careers in almost any field. Our alums work in editing, publishing and education but they also work in banking, tech, marketing, law, healthcare, management, sales, the arts and anywhere else where communication, collaboration, creativity, open-mindedness and the ability to learn new things are valued. In other words, everywhere! Our dedicated alumni network can show you the range of places our graduates work and put you in touch with English and Creative Writing Gorloks who can help you get a start in your career. Our careers course, What Next? The English and Creative Writing Major After Graduation, prepares our students by helping them build an individualized plan for their career search and the Webster University Career Planning and Development Center offers students an abundance of resources for success in the job market.