The minor in English Literary Studies offers the opportunity to study literature, develop critical thinking, writing, and research skills alongside the enjoyment of literature. The minor is structured to allow students to choose courses of greatest interest and/or to create an area of specialization. For example, if you have a strong interest in myth, you could choose more than one course in that area.
Whether we are analyzing Shakespeare’s plays, Lord of the Rings, or deconstructing commercials according to symbolic content, etc., we read deeply and closely. Our program is exceptionally interdisciplinary – including choices from theatre, the arts, creative writing, communication, history, and professional writing. Students may choose to focus their elective courses on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to the following:
- African American/Africa Diaspora Studies
- American Literature & Culture
- British Literature & Culture
- Children’s Literature
- Creative Writing
- Cultural Studies
- Drama/Theater
- Feminisms, Genders, & Sexualities
- Film & Media Studies
- Folklore/Fairy Tale
- Genre studies (e.g., from epic to romance, and from film noir to the sitcom)
- Historical contextualization
- Mythology
- Popular Culture
- Postcolonial Studies
