English concentrators can pursue either the Elective Program or the Honors Program. The Elective Program allows more scope for course selection within and outside the English Department. Students in the Honors Program engage in more intensive study through seminars and thesis options. A GPA of 3.40 or higher in the concentration is required in the Honors Program, beginning in the junior year. A third option, for honors candidates only with a GPA of 3.60 or higher, is a joint concentration, which culminates in a thesis supervised jointly by a member of the English Department and a member of the allied department. Concentrators (both honors and elective) must take all three of our Common Ground courses, described below; these may be taken in any order, and are best taken early on. Note: Ordinarily, at least one of the three Common Ground courses shall be taken before the second semester of the junior year.

While the study of great literature is rewarding for its own sake, and while English concentrators have no need to justify their course of study by appeal to the job market, our graduates have an impressive track record in finding satisfying jobs. They have moved into rewarding careers in law, advertising, marketing, consulting, finance, real estate, journalism, and many others. The record is impressive.