Literature
The undergraduate major in English literature
The English literature program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in a wide-ranging study of literature written in English. Our students may experience not only complete coverage of the major periods and genres of English, American and Anglophone literature, but also the variety of critical approaches and concerns that characterize the field today, such as nation, gender, race and sexuality. In addition to researching literary traditions and analyzing works of imagination, such as poetry, drama and fiction, literary studies also focuses on popular culture, oral traditions, folklore, film studies and digital media. Literary studies as a discipline is uniquely positioned to be a force for interdisciplinarity in the humanities, having strong links with research centers and programs on campus, including Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS), Women’s Studies, African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Chicano/a Studies, Humanities, Justice Studies and the Honors College. Students who major in English literature are enthusiastic about engaging with other historical periods and cultures through the imaginative writings produced in those eras and locales. They want to examine their own time and place more deeply by studying creative responses to them. They want to think critically and creatively about their own place in the world. They want to express their perceptions about these matters clearly and persuasively in writing. They want to read, write and think about literature and culture in a more intelligent and disciplined way. While our students may initially be attracted to English literature because they are following their passion, they also find that this area of study trains them in skills necessary in the job market: writing ability, critical thinking, research and problem solving. It also prepares them for advanced study in graduate or professional schools. The study of English literature ultimately prepares students for a life of self-reflection, critical engagement with the world at large and meaningful employment.
Specific information on our curriculum and requirements.
Graduate programs in English literature
Our department offers both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in literature. These degrees provide students the opportunity to do advanced work in literary study—British, American and Anglophone—with a distinguished faculty. They also prepare students for a variety of academic careers, from high school to university teaching.
The graduate English literature faculty at ASU consists of some of the top scholars in their fields, award-winning teachers and writers at the cutting edge of the discipline. Faculty members at the Tempe campus work closely with graduate students in the classroom, on their theses and dissertations, and on the other requirements leading to their degrees.
The ASU English department also offers opportunities for advanced work in such interdisciplinary areas as cultural studies (including visual cultures), performance studies, colonial and postcolonial studies, and gender and sexuality studies. Literary studies as a discipline is uniquely positioned to be a force for interdisciplinarity in the humanities, having strong links with research centers and programs on campus, including Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS), Women’s Studies, African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Chicano/a Studies and Justice Studies.
The English department is in a period of phenomenal faculty growth, and is committed to seeking out the best senior scholars as well as the most promising newcomers to the field, and our graduate students are among the primary beneficiaries. They are encouraged to achieve both a wide-ranging coverage in the subcategories of literature in English and in critical approaches, and a depth of expertise in their fields of specialization. ASU’s graduate faculty model also allows graduate student the opportunity to work closely with numerous distinguished scholars from outside the English department.
Graduate students in the literature programs are trained to become leading researchers in their fields, and are encouraged in the skills necessary to professionalization: conference presentations, publication, job-seeking skills, etc. Beginning immediately, they can apply for positions as teaching assistants, and thus gain valuable professional experience in a wide variety of classroom situations. This training pays off: our students are successful in finding academic jobs at all levels.
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