Bachelor of Arts in English
A fundamental piece to a liberal arts education is a strong background in the humanities. At Thomas the Bachelor of Arts in English program focuses on writing and literature. Thomas' writing courses are hands-on and interactive; they will push you out of your comfort zone to engage in a higher level of creativity. Exciting projects include developing a writing portfolio which uses mixed media to support your writing; an Autobiography and Memoir course where you will leave with a memoir of yourself; and Drama and Shakespeare courses that provide students the opportunity to perform their favorite scenes. The Bachelor of Arts program in English at Thomas College will tap into your creativity and look for opportunities through technology to share your writing with the world.
Thomas offers a diverse range of literature courses including Literature of the World, Southern Literature, Coming of Age Literature, Human Relationships in Literature, and Literature and Psychology, to name a few. Writing courses include Creative Writing, Life Writing, and Expository Writing. All of these courses allow students to explore many types of writing and both classic and contemporary literature. The Bachelor of Arts in English degree serves as a foundation to pursue many careers from Graduate School majoring in English or Pre-Law to becoming a journalist. Students will learn the skills to think critically, write creatively and critically, and perform through theatre and oral presentations.
A capstone experience for students in this major is a junior-senior level seminar that emphasizes critical reading, research, literary theory and criticism, and oral presentations. Student will complete this course with publishable-quality writing, preparing students for a portfolio for the start of their career or graduate study.
Interested in a double major? The Bachelor of Arts in English pairs well with the Elementary Education program which increases your marketability for the job market.
With small classes Thomas College offers a comfortable classroom environment that is also intellectually challenging. The English program at Thomas is engaging, enlightening, and will definitely expand your world view.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the English program at Thomas, student will be able to:
· - Read critically, evaluating literary works based on evidence in texts and recognizing the potential for misunderstanding that can arise from conflict with personal values and from assumptions about reality and experience.
· - Marshal evidence from texts to articulate understanding, interpretation, appreciation, and evaluation of literary works.
· - Identify concepts and conventions of literary form and language (such as characterization, figurative language, plot, tone, symbolism, motif, setting, and point of view) and apply these to specific texts.
· - Identify recurrent themes in literature, recognizing literature as an art that expresses the diversity and universality of human experience.
· - Demonstrate familiarity with major authors of the literary canon, as well as emerging literary voices.
· - Understand how knowledge of culture, history, science, psychology, philosophy, literary periods, biography, and the fine arts can enhance appreciation of a literary work.
· - Research literary works and authors, and incorporate research into oral and written discussions of literature.
· - Apply knowledge of literary theory and criticism to their own work.
· - Demonstrate mastery of expository prose, including the ability to use a variety of rhetorical techniques.
· - Develop a portfolio of their own exemplary writing (diverse in content, style, and purpose).
· - Prepare for career opportunities and/or graduate studies.
· - Use their knowledge and skills to enhance their personal lives and contribute to their communities.
