Majoring in English 

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT CO-CHAIRS

 

Michelle Crooks, Comp Coord and Dept. Co-Chair

 

 

Michelle Crooks, Co-Chair

Alan Traylor, Interim Dept. Co-Chair 

Alan Traylor, Co-Chair

Grossmont is one of the few Community Colleges in California with an English major. The English major fulfills lower division requirements at most four-year colleges and universities and thus provides a broad-based foundation for transfer. For particular requirements, transfer students should consult the catalog of the transfer institution for specific requirements. The study of English gives life-long pleasures to students in exploring and understanding how language works to express human ideas and feelings. English course work also helps people succeed in such diverse fields as teaching, writing,editing, journalism, advertising, public relations, law, insurance, communications, film and video work, politics, business, and medicine. 

 

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Career Opportunities

*Bachelor’s Degree or higher required.

Advertising Manager*

Announcer (Radio and TV)

College English Professor*

Fiction/Nonfiction Writer

Foreign Service Officer

Freelance Writer*

Fund Raiser*

Media Planner*

Reporter*

Researcher*


Associate in Arts in English for Transfer Degree (A.A.-T) 

The Associate in Arts in English for Transfer (A.A.-T) degree is designed to facilitate transfer to a California State University in keeping with SB 1440. This degree reflects the Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC) supported by the Statewide Academic Senate. A total of 18 units are required to fulfill the major portion of this degree. Students must also complete the California State University (CSU) General Education Breadth requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) for CSU requirements (see the “General Education Requirements and Transfer Information” section of the catalog). Students planning to transfer to SDSU should consult with a counselor. The following requirements must be met to be awarded an Associate in Arts in English for Transfer (A.A.-T) degree:

  1. Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:
    1. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirement.
    2. A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
  2. Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Students are also required to earn a “C” grade or higher in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis.

The discipline of English assists students in appreciating literature and in developing skills in varied forms of communication. The ability to understand and use English effectively is necessary for success in diverse fields such as creative and technical writing, journalism and telecommunications, advertising and marketing, teaching, editing, public relations, law, politics, medicine, and business.

Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)

The Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) below are outcomes that students will achieve after completing the specific degree requirements in this program. Students will:

  1. Read a variety of genres and texts critically.
  2. Write persuasively in a variety of genres and contexts.
  3. Investigate ideas effectively through sound research and writing techniques.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse cultural perspectives.

Associate Degree Major Requirements
Note: All courses must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or higher.

 

Required Core
 Subject/Number Title Units
 English 122 Introduction Literature 3
 English 124 Advanced Comp: Critical Reasoning and Writing
  Total Units Required 6 Units

 

List A (6 units)
Subject/Number Title Units
 English 221 British Literature I 3
 English 222 British Literature II
 English 231 American Literature I
 English 232 American Literature II 3
  Total Units Required 6 Units

 

List B (3 units)  

Any course from List A not already used
 

or

English 126 Creative Writing 3
  Total Units Required 6 Units

 

List C (3 units)
Any course from List A or List B not already used

OR any of the following courses:
Subject/Number Title Units
English 130 Short Fiction Writing I 3
English 131  Short Fiction Writing II 3
English 132  Short Fiction Writing III 3
English 133  Short Fiction Writing IV 3
English 134 Creative Nonfiction Writing I 3
English 135  Creative Nonfiction Writing II 3
English 136  Creative Nonfiction Writing III 3
English 137  Creative Nonfiction Writing IV 3
English 140 Poetry Writing I 3
English 141  Poetry Writing II 3
English 142  Poetry Writing III 3
English 143  Poetry Writing IV 3
English 145 Acorn Review: Editing and Production I 3
English 146 Acorn Review: Editing and Production II 3
English 147  Acorn Review: Editing and Production III 3
English 148  Acorn Review: Editing and Production IV 3
English 160 Drama Writing I 3
English 161  Drama Writing II 3
English 162  Drama Writing III 3
English 163  Drama Writing IV 3
English 175  Novel Writing I 3
English 176  Novel Writing II 3
English 177  Novel Writing III 3
English 178  Novel Writing IV 3
English 201 Images of Women in Literature 3
English 215 Mythology 3
English 218 Shakespeare and the Theatre of His Time 3
English 236 Chicano Literature  3
English 237 American Indian Literature 3
English 238 Black Literature 3
English 225

Bible as Literature: Narratives of the Hebrew People

3
English 226

Bible as Literature: Old Testament History/Writings of the Prophets

3
English 227

Bible as Literature: The Literary Forms of the Old Testament

3
English 228

Bible as Literature: The Literary Forms of the New Testament

3
Business 128 Business Communication 3
Communication 135 Oral Interpretation of Literature 3
Humanities 120  European Humanities 3
Theatre 110 Introduction to the Theatre 3
Arabic 120 Arabic I 5
Arabic 121 Arabic II 5
Arabic 220 Arabic III 5
Arabic 221 Arabic IV 5
Chinese 120 Chinese I 5
Chinese 121 Chinese II 5
Chinese 220 Chinese III 5
Chinese 221 Chinese IV 5
French 120 French I 5
French 121 French II 5
French 220 French III 5
French 221 French IV 5
German 120 German I 5
German 121 German II 5
German 220 German III 5
German 221 German IV 5
Italian 120 Italian I 5
Italian 121 Italian II 5
Italian 220 Italian III 5
Italian 221 Italian IV 5
Japanese 120 Japanese I 5
Japanese 121 Japanese II 5
Japanese 220 Japanese III 5
Japanese 221 Japanese IV 5
Russian 120 Russian I 5
Russian 121 Russian II 5
Russian 220 Russian III 5
Russian 221 Russian IV 5
Spanish 120 Spanish I 5
Spanish 121 Spanish II 5
Spanish 220 Spanish III 5

Spanish 221

Spanish IV

5
  Total Units Required from List C 3 Units

 

 Units for the major 18
 Units for CSU GE or IGETC-CSU GE 37-39
 Total units required for the degree 60
     

Complete transferable units as needed to reach 60.

 


Associate of Arts Degree in English (AA Degree)

Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)

The Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) listed below are outcomes that students will achieve after completing specific degree/certificate requirements in this program. Students will:

  1. Read a variety of genres and texts critically.
  2. Write persuasively in a variety of genres and contexts.
  3. Investigate ideas effectively through sound research and writing techniques.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of diverse cultural perspectives.

Core Requirements

24 units (Plus General Education and Elective Requirements)

Find out more about our literature courses, including course of special topics and studies in English and literature, in Literature Courses.  Note: All courses in the major must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or higher.

 

 Subj/Number  Title  Units
 English 120 College Composition and Reading  3
 English 122 Introduction to Literature  3 
 English 124 Advanced Comp: Critical Reasoning and Writing  3 
 English 126 Creative Writing  3 
   Total Units Required 12 Units

  

Select SIX (6) units from the following:

 Subj/Number  Title  Units
 English 221 British Literature I  3
 English 222  British Literature II  3 
 English 231 American Literature I  3 
 English 232 American Literature II  3 
 English 241 Literature of the Western World I  3 
 English 242 Literature of the Western World II  3 
   Total Units Required  6 Units
 
Select THREE (3) units from the following:
 Subj/Number  Title  Units
 English 215 Mythology  3
 English 236 Chicano Literature   3 
 English 237  American Indian Literature  3 
 English 238 Black Literature  3 
 Cross Cultural Studies 236 Chicano Literature   3
 Cross Cultural Studies 237 American Indian Literature  3 
 Cross Cultural Studies 238 Black Literature  3 
   Total Units Required  3 Units

 

Select THREE (3) units from the following:

 Subj/Number  Title  Units
 History 100 Early World History  3
 History 101  Modern World History  3 
 History 105  Early Western Civilization  3 
 History 106   Modern Western Civilization  3 
 Humanities 120  European Humanities  3 
 Humanities 170  World Humanities  3 
 Philosophy 112  The Classical Mind  3 
 Philosophy 114 The Medieval Mind  3 
 Philosophy 116 The Modern Mind  3 
 Philosophy 118 The Contemporary Mind  3 
   Total Units Required  3 Units  

 


Recommended Electives

10 units

Students planning to transfer to four-year institutions to complete a bachelor’s degree in English are STRONGLY urged to complete 10 units in TWO (2) sequential semesters of a single foreign language, depending on the requirements at those schools. (At Grossmont College, Spanish 120A and 120B are equivalent to one semester of Spanish 120.)

 


Certificate of Achievement in English

Any student who completes only those courses required for the above major (i.e., 24 Core Curriculum units) with a letter grade of "C" or higher qualifies for a Certificate of Achievement in English.  An official request must be filed with the Admissions and Records Office prior to the deadline as stated in the Academic Calendar.

 


Area of Emphasis Creative Writing

30 units (Plus General Education and Elective Requirements)

Any student who chooses to complete only those courses required for the above major (i.e., 24 units) and six (6) additional units of the Creative Writing Program courses listed below qualifies for a Certificate of Achievement in English–Creative Writing.

 

An official request must be filed with the Admissions and Records Office prior to the deadline as stated in the Academic Calendar. See Creative Writing Courses for course descriptions and additional info. 

 

Note: All courses taken for the Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or higher.

 

Select SIX (6) additional units from the following :

 Subj/Number  Title  Units
English 130   Short Fiction Writing I 3
English 131   Short Fiction Writing II 3
English 132   Short Fiction Writing III
English 133   Short Fiction Writing IV
English 134   Creative Nonfiction Writing I
English 135   Creative Nonfiction Writing II
English 136   Creative Nonfiction Writing III
English 137   Creative Nonfiction Writing IV
English 140   Poetry Writing I
English 141   Poetry Writing II
English 142   Poetry Writing III
English 143   Poetry Writing IV
English 145   Acorn Review: Editing/Production I
English 146  Acorn Review: Editing/Production II
English 147   Acorn Review: Editing/Production III
English 148   Acorn Review: Editing/Production IV
English 160  Drama Writing I
English 161   Drama Writing II
English 162   Drama Writing III
English 163   Drama Writing IV
English 175   Novel Writing I
English 176   Novel Writing II 
English 177   Novel Writing III
English 178   Novel Writing IV
   Total Units Required 6 Units