English BA

Degree and Concentration Course Requirements  

Course Descriptions

Our English degree offers two concentrations and three minor programs. English majors may choose our Creative Writing or Professional Writing concentration in order to pursue more specialized learning goals. Non-English majors may choose our Creative Writing minor, Professional Writing minor, or English minor. Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

Creative Writing Concentration/Minor

Pursuing our Creative Writing concentration/minor means studying and writing in genres such as poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in workshops and literature classes. In these settings you'll focus on the components of craft, questions of genre, and intricacies of art. 

You will also have the opportunity to gain experience with publishing by becoming a contributing writer or staff member of Shoreline, Rhode Island College's literary magazine. In addition, all students, faculty and the Rhode Island Community are invited to celebrate new writing through student readings, faculty readings, and our Visiting Writers Reading Series. 

Professional Writing Concentration/Minor

Pursuing our Professional Writing concentration/minor means that you'll gain the understanding and skills necessary for numerous writing-specific fields, like: editing and publishing, public relations, marketing, digital/multimedia communication and journalism.

Coursework provides students with the opportunity to investigate their professional writing interest areas while gaining practice in both the writing and revising process. All students also participate in an internship at a local organization or business, which will provide them with real-world experiences to help build a professional resume.

Competency in professional writing is acknowledged as an extremely worthwhile skillset, regardless of industry – so choosing our Professional Writing concentration/minor gives you an advantage when it comes to breaking into the job market.

Upon completing the English BA with Creative Writing concentration, students will be able to: 

• analyze both verbal and visual texts from a number of genres and a variety of historical periods
• read texts critically and with sensitivity to the historical and cultural conditions within which they are produced
• demonstrate the ability to produce effective writing in a variety of critical modes, using the conventions of standard American English (In addition, students choosing to focus on creative writing will demonstrate appropriate ability in this area.)
• understand current theory and be able to employ a variety of theoretical approaches in their critical analyses
• incorporate secondary sources and/or traditional and nontraditional research material into the analysis of texts, using correct MLA style
• understand the goals of the major and assess the strengths and weaknesses of their program.​

Upon completing the English BA with Professional Writing concentration, students will be able to:

• understand writing as both an activity (something you do) and a subject of study (something into which you can inquire)
• develop a rhetorical disposition and frame of mind which understands writers as always engaged in the work of making meaning for particular audiences & purposes
• practice “writing-to-learn” in order to understand writing as a knowledge-generating activity & method of critical thinking
• engage with various communicative modes (i.e. visual, linguistic, aural) to meet the exigencies of rhetorical situations
• develop knowledge of and practice with key aspects of document design
• practice reflection as a critical process of writerly self-development
• understand and appreciate the ethical dimensions of writing (i.e. to write is to propose a relationship with other human beings)
• understand and practice writing as an iterative and recursive process and writing development as an ongoing process of life-long learning
• develop critical literacy skills in order to learn how to locate reliable information, learn from it, and write effectively about it