Program Requirements (42 hours)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

All English major concentrations require 42 semester hours with 27 hours in the core and 15 hours in the concentration. Students must take an introduction to the major course (ENG 299), three literature survey courses (ENG 385 and either ENG 381 and ENG 392 or ENG 382 and ENG 391), a language course (ENG 204), two writing courses (ENG 203, ENG 306, ENG 307, ENG 401, or ENG 410) AND (ENG 212, ENG 301, or ENG 412), and a capstone (ENG 413, ENG 414, or ENG 416, depending on their concentration).

Creative Writing Concentration

Our Creative Writing program offers courses in a variety of genres: creative nonfiction, fiction, play/screenwriting, and poetry. The curriculum includes a study of literature and emphasizes experimentation to help students find and develop their interests, their skills, and ultimately, their own niche. 

Our Readers Series brings to campus several successful authors each year for public readings, classroom visits, and workshops. CW students are encouraged to pursue publication of original work both by submitting for print publication and participating in readings – and opportunities abound.

Our literacy publication, Zephyrus, is produced by and for WKU students; numerous writing contests (including the English Club's Goldenrod Poetry Contest and a genre-rotating contest accompanying the annual Jim Wayne Miller Celebration of Writing) are offered each year, and the campus and larger community offer a variety of venues for readings, from coffeehouse open-mic nights to more formal occasions, like our annual Senior Reading.

The CW major requires either a second major or a minor, and we invite students to use that requirement to their advantage by selecting one which will contribute directly to their aspirations, whether that may be a career plan (since almost every career field has a place for skilled writers) or a discipline which will better equip them for a specific writing pursuit. Naturally, the CW program—like all other English majors—also offers opportunities to study abroad.

The creative writing concentration requires a minimum of 42 hours and leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. A minor or second major is required. A grade of “C” or higher is required in all courses applying to this major.

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ENG 203 is a required prerequisite to the upper-level creative writing courses.

Literature Concentration

The English literature concentration at WKU is a dynamic program offering a wide range of courses. Our majors not only build a strong, broad foundation in literature in English (British, American, World), they also have opportunities for in-depth study in literature electives such as "Dante's Divine Comedy," "Southern Literature, " and "Mythology" as well as special topics courses such as "Gothic Fiction" and "Literature and the Environment."

In addition to courses offered here at WKU, we offer opportunities to study abroad in far-flung locations such as Cuba, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom; closer to home, recent study away courses have traveled to Chicago, New York City, and Oxford, Mississippi. 

Through the English Club, literature majors engage in extracurricular activities that include attending public readings and plays or serving as Judges for the Goldenrod poetry contest. Our students' talents are showcased in the department's undergraduate scholarly journal, The Ashen Egg, and each year a number of students present their work at local, regional, and even national conferences.

The literature concentration in English requires a minimum of 42 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. A minor or second major is required. A grade of “C” or higher is required in all courses applying to the major. At least one of the restricted literature electives must be at the 400-level.

Professional Writing Concentration

Our PW program emphasizes the kinds of thinking, reading, and writing skills necessary for today's workplaces. Students in our program learn how to write persuasively, edit and publish professional texts, research projects and consult with clients, and use online writing technologies (social media, blogging, etc.) for professional purposes.

In conjunction with the English department, we also offer study-abroad opportunities in locations like the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and Greece. Finally, we strongly encourage Professional Writing students to enroll in our robust internship program and get "on-the-job" writing/editorial experience in publishing houses and presses, local non-profits, and campus organizations. Many of our students have used their successful internship opportunities to secure permanent positions as new editors, journalists,  technical writers in local security firms and environmental consulting organizations, or to pursue advanced degrees in English, Biology, Social Work, and Law to name a few.

The professional writing concentration requires a minimum of 42 hours and leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. A minor or second major is required. A grade of “C” or higher is required in all courses applying to the major. It is strongly recommended that students in the professional writing concentration complete an internship (ENG 369). 

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ENG 306 or ENG 307 is a prerequisite for most professional writing classes.

Finish in Four Plans

Creative Writing

Literature

Professional Writing

 Program Requirements (54 hours)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

The major in English for secondary teachers is intended for those seeking certification to teach in grades 8-12. It requires a minimum of 54 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. No minor or second major is required. (Teacher certification requires an additional 33 hours of education courses specified by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.) A grade of “C” or higher is required in all courses applying to the major.

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COMM 145 and THEA 151 also count as Colonnade courses.

NOTE: A former requirement—either CIS 141 or LME 448—is now recommended only for students who perceive a weakness in their technology skills.

Professional Education Courses

Total English with Secondary Certification: 88 hours

Finish in Four Plans

Finish in Four Plan

Program Requirements (21 hours) 

No more than nine hours of electives may be taken in any one prefix. Because new courses are added and occasionally dropped from the categories below, students should consult the latest information on the website (www.wku.edu/womensstudies) or in the Gender and Women’s Studies office in Cherry Hall 301.

Additional offerings include special topics courses in various disciplines.

Program Requirements (15 hours)

Program Requirements (19 hours)

Only undergraduate courses may be taken to fulfill the undergraduate certificate requirements. A minimum GPA of 2.0 must be earned in total coursework required for the certificate program, in addition to a minimum, cumulative 2.0 GPA in WKU coursework. 

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ENG 407, ENG 408, ENG 469, and ENG 470 may be taken in any sequence.

Program Admission

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• A twenty-page creative writing sample consisting of work in at least one of the following genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or screenwriting. The spacing and formatting of the writing sample should fit conventions of the selected genre.
• A statement of purpose consisting of one or two single-spaced pages describing the applicant’s background and interest in creative writing and how the WKU MFA program could help with the applicant’s literary pursuits.
• A curriculum vita or resumé, maximum two-pages.
• Optional: Students who are interested in applying for one of our funded graduate assistantships must download and submit the GA application along with the required application materials. The completed GA application must include a one-page statement addressing interests, skills, or experiences that make them highly qualified for a graduate assistantship position of teaching introductory college writing classes. The link to the GA application form is found on the department's program website: https://www.wku.edu/english/mfacw/index.php.
• Although not required, undergraduate creative writing courses are highly recommended

Program Requirements (48 hours)

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Students may take the six hours of elective courses from any of the concentration courses so long as they have not counted them as part of the core or secondary concentration. In order to earn TESL certification as a secondary concentration, students must complete one TESL course as one of their free electives.

Composition & Rhetoric Concentration

Literature Concentration

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Concentration

Program Admission

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• 27 credit hours of undergraduate English with a GPA of 3.0 or better. (Conditional admittance is granted on a case-by-case basis.)
• A 2-page statement of purpose describing the reason(s) for pursing an M.A. in English at Western Kentucky University and which may also include academic interests, career goals, relevant paid or volunteer experiences, or other relevant information.
• Optional: Students who are interested in applying for one of our funded graduate assistantships must download and submit the GA application along with the required application materials. The completed GA application must include a one-page statement addressing interests, skills, or experiences that make them highly qualified for a graduate assistantship position of teaching introductory college writing classes. The link to the GA application form is found on the department's program website: https://www.wku.edu/english/graduate-degree-program/.
• Applicants for whom English is their second language must score a minimum of 26 on the TOEFL Speaking and Writing sections for admission and 28 on the Speaking and Writing sections to be considered for the Graduate Assistantship. Equivalent scores on the IELTS of 6 and 7, respectively, are also accepted. Duolingo scores are not accepted.
• Applicants seeking Rank II or Rank I certification must have or be eligible for a secondary school teaching certificate and must include a copy with the application for admission. Applicants whose certificates have expired may be admitted, but they may enroll for only 6 hours before submitting a re-issued teaching certificate. Kentucky applicants will need to contact the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board for reissued certificates. Applicants from out-of-state with expired certificates must complete the requirements for their respective states to renew their certificates.

Program Requirements (30 hours)

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All GTAs required to take ENG 510 as one of their electives. Students who wish to write a thesis will only take 9 hours of electives and 6 hours of ENG 599. No more than 3 hours of creative writing courses (ENG 474G, ENG 475G, ENG 403G, and ENG 501) with permission of creative writing faculty member teaching the course.

Program Admission

• B.A. or equivalent
• 3.0 undergraduate or graduate GPA, or a GAP score of 2200, with minimum of 3.5 on analytical writing portion of GRE
• *GAP=(GRE-V+GRE-Q) +(GPAx100);
• Students who are accepted into the Teaching ESL Graduate Endorsement program must also apply to the TESOL graduate certificate

Program Requirements (16-18 hours)

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Students dually-enrolled in this certificate and the MAT-TESOL must take EDU 589, 6 credit hours, in lieu of 471G

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This program is exempt from the maximum of 12 hours denoted in the Duplication of Coursework policy.  All concentration hours may be duplicated on one additional graduate degree or certificate at the same level.

Student teacher work sample, i.e., portfolio, is required for final assessment.