...about the English Concentration
What is a concentration?
A concentration consists of five courses connected to each other in an interesting, conceptually coherent fashion. It is not a minor; rather, it is a rubric that justifies a particular selection of English major, Liberal Studies, and Free Elective courses. A student pursuing a B.A. in English or Pre-Law or a minor can choose to concentrate in any historical, generic, regional, or issue-oriented field as agreed upon by the student and their advisor and approved by the director of the B.A. Program in English (W. Carse). The concentration is designed to be flexible and reflect individual student style and interests. See below for examples.
What are the requirements?
Five courses are the requirement for a concentration: four of the courses must be in English, one from non-English Liberal Studies or Free Elective courses, and two must be 300-level or above. Again, see below for examples.
These are in addition to the normal IUP and English Department requirements?
No. The concentration requires no additional courses.
What good is a concentration?
First, it helps students and advisors choose a course of study and meets the needs of students who want a stronger sense of “focus” in their undergraduate studies. It’s especially appropriate for students seeking minors or program certificates. Second, the concentration is a nice plum for a resume or recommendation letter, offering admissions committees and potential employers more and more interesting information to consider and a clearer sense of the applicant’s expertise and experience.
Where is the “master list” of concentrations?
No such thing. Students and advisors can invent the concentration that fits their schedule, their interests, and available courses, as long as the focus is intellectually credible and coherent. Final approval belongs to the director of the B.A. program in English (W. Carse).
What if a student has already taken all their Liberal Studies, Free Electives, or English major courses?
No problem. A concentration can be devised retroactively.
Is it mandatory?
No.
How will the concentration be officially recognized?
Successful completion of concentration requirements will be acknowledged with a certificate and an announcement at the English department’s Spring graduation ceremony.
How does a student declare a concentration?
Fill out the Concentration Declaration form (pdf), make two copies of it, keep one for the student’s advising file, and submit one to the English Department for approval of the B.A. director and for filing.
What if a student wants to change concentrations?
Fill out another form (available in the forms file), make two copies, keep one for the student’s advising file, throw out the old one, and submit a new one to the English Department for approval by the B.A. director and for filing. Please notify the department that this is a new declaration.
Other Questions?
E-mail Mike Sell at msell@iup.edu.
A Few Examples of Concentrations
Remember that concentrations should be devised to reflect the individual interests and experience of the student—so don’t mistake these as the only possibilities.
For non-English courses, we’ve listed only those that fulfill Liberal Studies requirements. Free electives are eligible if they fit the specific concentration concept, whether it be an historical period, a genre, a geographical region, or an issue. Other courses that might be appropriate for the specific example are not listed here, including independent studies and LS499. These courses, along with topic courses, would count toward the concentration only if their focus were relevant. This principle applies to survey courses, too.
To clarify: A student who wishes to concentrate in, say, African-American Studies, cannot include ENGL 212 American Literature to 1900 even though the syllabus generally includes texts by African-American writers. On the other hand, that student could include ENGL 348 African American Literature or ENGL 317 American Literature 1880-1940 if it focused primarily on African American texts. A student concentrating in the more general field of American Studies could include ENGL 212, 317, and 348, given that all courses have an American focus.
Film
- English: 208 Art of the Film (req. for advanced film courses; fulfills Category B), 322 Advanced Film (G) and/or 356 Film Theory (G) and/or 357 Major Figures in Film (G) and/or 460 Topics in Film and/or 399 Global Genres (D)
- Liberal Studies Elective: COMM 380 History of African-Americans in Film
Globalization and Literature
- English: 396 Literature of Emerging Nations (C), 397 Global Literatures (D or G), 398 Global Authors (D or G), 399 Global Genres (D)
- Social Science Requirement: ANTH 110 Contemporary Anthropology, ANTH 211 Cultural Anthropology, PLSC 101 World Politics, GEOG 104 Geography of the Non-Western World
- Liberal Studies Elective: JRNL 375 World News Coverage, RLST 210 World Scriptures, SOC 337 World Societies and World Systems
Modernist Studies
- English: 213 British and American Literature Since 1900 (Requirement), 306 Modern British Literature (A), 307 Contemporary British Literature (A), 317 American Literature 1880–1940 (A), 319 American Literature 1940–present (A), 430 Major British Author (E), 436 Major American Authors (E), 461 Topics in British Literature (G), 462 Topics in American Literature (G), 401 Advanced Theory (G).
- HIST 195 The Modern Era
- Liberal Studies Elective: ARHI 211 Modern Art, HIST 364 Thought and Culture in Modern America, PHIL 326 Phenomenology and Existentialism, RLST 440 Modern Christian Thought, SPAN 244 Modern Mexico, SPAN 344 Twentieth-Century Spanish-American Civilization and Culture
Literary Approaches to Latin America:
- English: 396 Literature of Emerging Nations (C), 397 Global Literatures (D or G), 398 Global Authors (D or G), 399 Global Genres (B)
- Foreign Language: SPAN 102 and 201
- Liberal Studies Elective: PLSC 387 Political Systems of Latin America, SOC 274/ANTH 274 Cultural Area Studies: Latin America, LAS 480 Latin American Studies Seminar, GEOG 252 Geography of Latin America, SPAN 244 Modern Mexico, SPAN 344 Twentieth-Century Spanish-American Civilization and Culture, SPAN 364 Survey of Spanish American Literature.
