“Writing and reading is to me synonymous with existing.” —Gertrude Stein

“Poetry is a way of remembering what it would impoverish us to forget.” —Robert Frost

“The use of literature is to afford us a platform whence we may command a view of our present life, a purchase by which we may move it.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.” —Truman Capote

“Cinema is truth at 24 frames per second.” —Jean-Luc Godard, Filmmaker

“If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” —Emily Dickinson

“The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it.” —Elizabeth Drew

“Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” —Plato

“A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.” —Orson Welles

“Read in order to live.” —Gustave Flaubert

The English Major

At Sierra College, you can complete the lower-division course work required for an English major at most CSU and UC campuses. Coursework in the English major focuses on English, American and world literature within the historical periods of medieval, Renaissance, and the 18th through 20th centuries.

The Sierra College English Major also offers electives in:

  • film
  • creative writing
  • the structure of English
  • literary theory
  • poetry
  • drama
  • short fiction

Each semester, Sierra offers more than 75 classes in more than 15 different English major courses. Many classes are also offered nights, weekends and online. With so many choices, the English major requirements can easily fit your schedule and your location.

Why English?

Because the study of English provides opportunities to explore the worlds of literature and culture, the English major can help you develop the lifelong pleasure of reading and thinking about the culturally and historically diverse texts that have shaped our world and that remake it each day.

The skills you learn as an English major help you develop as a writer, a thinker, and a communicator. These talents are highly desirable in any job. A bachelor’s degree in English provides you with reading and writing expertise integral to success in a variety of positions including:

  • business
  • law
  • education
  • government
  • research
  • publishing
  • entertainment and communications industries.

Law schools, graduate schools and even medical schools report high acceptance rates for English majors because students trained in reading, critical thinking and writing are well-prepared for the challenges of professional schools and careers.

Make a Connection!

English majors at Sierra College study with an outstanding faculty. Our faculty includes working poets, fiction-writers and journalists, published scholars of English and American literature, and experts in the fields of film, theater, literary theory and teaching.

You have the opportunity to be paired with a faculty mentor in your particular area of interest within the major (literature, film, creative writing, or teaching). Your mentor can help you understand more about the course of study you plan to pursue, offer useful advice about English classes, and ultimately become a fruitful source of recommendation letters for four-year schools, graduate work and jobs. So put yourself in touch with someone who shares your passion for literature and learning!

For more information

To learn more about the English Major or to be paired with a mentor, write
english@sierracollege.edu
or call (916) 781-7173

Major Requirements

Core Course:

  • English 1B: Critical Thinking and Writing about Literature (online also)

Plus one course in American Literature:

  • English 30A: American Literature—Beginnings through Civil War (online also)
  • English 30B: American Literature—Civil War to the Present (online also)

Plus one course in British Literature:

  • English 46A: English Literature (online also)
  • English 46B: English Literature (online also)

Plus one Genre Course:

  • English 29: Introduction to Drama as Literature
  • English 32: Introduction to Poetry (online also)
  • English 34: Introduction to the Novel
  • English 35: Introduction to the Short Story

Plus three courses from other courses listed above or from the following elective courses:

  • English 19: Introduction to Creative Writing (online also)
  • English 20: Creative Writing of Poetry (online also)
  • English 21: Creative Writing of Fiction (online also)
  • English 24: Reading Literature: Introduction to Critical Issues and Concepts
  • English 25: African-American Literature
  • English 26: Introduction to Native American Literature
  • English 27: Literature by Women (online also)
  • English 33: Introduction to Shakespeare (The Drama)
  • English 37: American Film Masterpieces
  • English 38: International Film Masterpieces
  • English 40: The Filmed Novel
  • English 42: The Documentary Film
  • English 43: Introduction to California Literature
  • English 47A: World Literature
  • English 47B: World Literature
  • English 48: Literature of Science Fiction
  • Hum. 20: Introduction to the Old Testament
  • Hum. 21: Introduction to the New Testament
Page last updated July 13, 2007
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