Most English courses require at least one course on William Shakespeare.
There are many things an English major can study on the way to an English degree, but there are generally four areas a student can focus on: English literature, composition, linguistics, or education. The area a student focuses on may depend on her interests or career goals. While there are general courses that virtually all English courses must complete, the area of focus often dictates the other courses the student must take.
Literature and composition are areas of focus for English courses.
English is generally considered a liberal arts major, so students are typically required to complete classes in other subjects, including science and math. There are also often required English courses that a student majoring in English must also take, regardless of the area the student plans to focus on. Once these required courses are completed, the student can focus on English courses that are specific to her goals.
Some English graduates teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in foreign countries.
The courses generally required of all students of English are surveys of American and British literature, covering a wide period of time and a wide variety of writers. A Shakespeare course is also usually a requirement for all students majoring in English. However, the specific requirements of the English course may vary from university to university.
An English learner with a focus on literature, for example, will need to take courses that consist of reading novels, plays, poetry, and short stories by writers in English. Students must often examine what is read and develop an opinion about the work. Some ways in which a literature-focused English learner may need to show knowledge of literature is by writing articles and participating in course discussions. Within a literary focus, students of English can often refine their focus by looking at a specific author or literary period.
English graduates often focus on a specific author or time period.
With a focus on education, on the other hand, an English learner will be required to take courses on how to teach students in English classes. This could include lessons on how to develop English lesson plans, for example. Students who focus on composition will take English writing courses, and students who focus on linguistics may take courses that study the history, usage, and structure of the English language, for example.
Many students of English also need to take a theory or criticism course. Depending on the focus, it could be a literary criticism class or a composition criticism class. These courses cover different ways of interpreting works and are important for developing critical thinking skills.
In addition to the compulsory English courses, students also have the opportunity to take elective courses and a wide range of options is available to students. For example, they might take courses in creative or technical writing or journalism if the focus is composition. If the focus is literature, electives may include romance literature, women’s literature, or world literature courses. Other possible elective options include speech and philosophy.