Major in English, Literature Concentration | Colorado State University Catalog

Students and faculty at CSU laugh and talk while seated around table during a class conversation. Text reads “Literature”.

Students in the Literature concentration learn how to analyze and interpret poems, fiction, plays, and works of popular culture, all while gaining exposure to a vast range of historical and contemporary writing. In the same semester students might immerse themselves in iconic classics like Moby Dick or The Canterbury Tales, study popular genres like science fiction or horror, and become familiar with Native American literature.

Students will develop and deepen their research and writing skills, and gain familiarity with a range of literary theories. By the time students graduate they will have a broad set of portable skills, including crafting evidence-based written and verbal arguments, synthesizing and communicating complex information efficiently and clearly, and developing habits of critical and analytical thinking that will help them become thoughtful citizens and careful and enthusiastic readers.

Learning Objectives

Literature students will complete the learning objectives set for all English majors, plus one that is specific to this concentration:

1. Critically analyze varied texts, individually and in community, informed by the methods employed in English studies.

2. Examine how texts are created and interact with local and global systems.

3. Craft written work informed by the genres and methods in English studies and adapted to audience and context.

4. Inquire into and demonstrate intellectual growth in the disciplines of English.

Plus:

5. Demonstrate engagement with literary and cultural theories appropriate to their own analysis and interpretation.

Where can Literature take you?

Students who major in English with a Literature concentration have pursued careers in publishing and editing, communications, marketing & public relations, nonprofit work, education, healthcare, and more.

Literature concentration students have also gone on to graduate programs in literary and cultural studies, creative writing, law school, and more.

Effective Fall 2026

For graduation, an English major must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in all Composition (CO) and English (E) courses. Students may enroll in either the standalone major or (at most) one of the concentrations under the Major in English.

Freshman
		AUCC	Credits
CO 150	College Composition (GT-CO2)	1A	3
E 150	English Studies Symposium		3
Select one course from the following:			3
E 200	Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating	3B
E 202	English Language Use in Society	1C
E 204	Creative Writing as Transformative Practice	3B
E 206	Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing	3B
E 237	Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2)	3B
Select one course from the following:			3
E 236	Short Fiction	3B
E 238	Contemporary Global Fiction (GT-AH2)	1C
E 240	Introduction to Poetry
E 242	Shakespeare's Afterlives (GT-AH2)	3B
E 245	World Drama (GT-AH2)	1C
1B		1B	3
Biological and Physical Sciences		3A	7
Electives			8
	Total Credits		30
Sophomore

E 310	Researching and Writing Literary Criticism		3
Select one course from the following:			3
E 200	Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating	3B
E 202	English Language Use in Society	1C
E 204	Creative Writing as Transformative Practice	3B
E 206	Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing	3B
E 237	Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2)	3B
Select two courses from the following:			6
E 270	Introduction to American Literature (GT-AH2)	3B
E 276	British Literature--Medieval Period to 1800 (GT-AH2)	3B
E 277	British Literature--After 1800 (GT-AH2)	3B
Upper-Division English/Composition Electives¹			6
1C		1C	3
Historical Perspectives		3D	3
Social and Behavioral Sciences		3C	3
Elective			3
	Total Credits		30
Junior

Select one course from the following:			3
E 301	Framing Texts and Critical Theory in Equity	4A,4B
E 305	Principles of Writing and Rhetoric	4A,4B
E 320	Introduction to the Study of Language	4A,4B
E 341	Literary Criticism and Theory	4A,4B
Select one from the following:			3
CO 300	Writing Arguments (GT-CO3)	2
CO 301A	Writing in the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities (GT-CO3)	2
CO 301B	Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3)	2
CO 301C	Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3)	2
CO 301D	Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3)	2
CO 302	Writing in Digital Environments (GT-CO3)	2
Upper-Division English/Composition Elective¹			3
English Elective course			3
Second field²			6
Electives			12
	Total Credits		30
Senior

Select one course from the following:			3
E 465	Topics in Literature and Language	4C
E 466	Integrated English Studies Capstone	4C
Upper-Division English/Composition Electives¹			9
Second field²			6
Electives³			12
	Total Credits		30
	Program Total Credits:		120

¹: Select Upper-Division English/Composition electives in consultation with advisor.
²: The department requires majors to complete a second field. This may be met by completing the equivalent of the second semester of the second year course in a foreign language or by completing 12 hours of upper-division credit in a coherent field of study outside English.
³: Select enough elective credits to bring the program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).

Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
An English major must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in all Composition (CO) and English (E) courses.

*Freshman*
Semester 1		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
CO 150	College Composition (GT-CO2)	X		1A	3
E 150	English Studies Symposium	X			3
1B		X		1B	3
Biological and Physical Sciences			X	3A	3
Elective			X		3
	Total Credits				15
Semester 2		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
Select one course from the following:		X			3
E 200	Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating			3B
E 202	English Language Use in Society			1C
E 204	Creative Writing as Transformative Practice			3B
E 206	Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing			3B
E 237	Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2)		X	3B
Select one course from the following:		X			3
E 236	Short Fiction			3B
E 238	Contemporary Global Fiction (GT-AH2)			1C
E 240	Introduction to Poetry
E 242	Shakespeare's Afterlives (GT-AH2)			3B
E 245	World Drama (GT-AH2)			1C
Biological and Physical Sciences			X	3A	4
Electives			X		5
AUCC 1B and CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2.		X
	Total Credits				15
*Sophomore*
Semester 3		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
Select one course from the following:		X			3
E 200	Inquiry-Based Teaching and Communicating			3B
E 202	English Language Use in Society			1C
E 204	Creative Writing as Transformative Practice			3B
E 206	Language for Activist Rhetoric and Writing			3B
E 237	Introduction to Science Fiction (GT-AH2)			3B
1C		X		1C	3
Historical Perspectives			X	3D	3
Social and Behavioral Sciences			X	3C	3
Elective			X		3
	Total Credits				15
Semester 4		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
E 310	Researching and Writing Literary Criticism	X			3
Select two courses from the following:		X			6
E 270	Introduction to American Literature (GT-AH2)			3B
E 276	British Literature--Medieval Period to 1800 (GT-AH2)			3B
E 277	British Literature--After 1800 (GT-AH2)			3B
Upper-Division English/Composition Electives		X			6
AUCC 3A (Biological and Physical Sciences), AUCC 3B (Arts and Humanities), AUCC 3C (Social and Behavioral Sciences) must be completed by the end of Semester 4.		X
	Total Credits				15
*Junior*
Semester 5		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
Select one course from the following:					3
E 301	Framing Texts and Critical Theory in Equity			4A,4B
E 305	Principles of Writing and Rhetoric			4A,4B
E 320	Introduction to the Study of Language			4A,4B
E 341	Literary Criticism and Theory		X	4A,4B
Select one course from the following:		X			3
CO 300	Writing Arguments (GT-CO3)			2
CO 301A	Writing in the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities (GT-CO3)			2
CO 301B	Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3)			2
CO 301C	Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3)			2
CO 301D	Writing in the Disciplines: Education (GT-CO3)			2
CO 302	Writing in Digital Environments (GT-CO3)			2
Upper-Division English/Composition Elective		X			3
Second Field Course			X		3
Elective			X		3
	Total Credits				15
Semester 6		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
English Elective Course		X			3
Second Field Course			X		3
Electives			X		9
	Total Credits				15
*Senior*
Semester 7		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
Select one course from the following:		X			3
E 465	Topics in Literature and Language			4C
E 466	Integrated English Studies Capstone			4C
Upper-Division English/Composition Electives			X		6
Second Field Course			X		3
Elective			X		3
	Total Credits				15
Semester 8		Critical	Recommended	AUCC	Credits
Upper-Division English/Composition Elective		X			3
Second Field Course		X			3
Electives		X			9
The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study.		X
	Total Credits				15
	Program Total Credits:				120