Portfolio -- Monmouth College Catalog -- Checklist of English Requirements

 Education Department Requirements -- Minimum Standards Policy

Objectives of the major in English are to enable students to:

1. Demonstrate skills enumerated in the General Education “Language Rubric Communications Skills Goals,” with special reference to rhetorical development and organization strategies.

2. Understand and use process writing strategies in composing thesis-focused essays.

3. Understand and use library resources for research papers.

4. Appreciate the special uses of language in literature and understand and appreciate figurative language and literary structures.

5. Read, explicate, analyze and interpret works of literature.

6. Recognize and appreciate literary genre and sub-genre distinctions, literary movements, critical approaches to texts, and diverse cultural and historical literary traditions.

7. Understand and appreciate cultural and historical contexts in the study of English and American literatures.
 

The English Major
The English major requires at least 10.5 courses: ENGL 200; 220; 221; 224; 225; 361 or 362; 400; plus 3.5 additional courses which might substantially follow one of these three tracks or reflect a combination of them:

• Literature: ENGL 337; 347; 339; 349; plus 250 and 350 as offered (when topics change, courses can be taken more than once).
• Teaching: ENGL 201.
• Writing: ENGL 210; 299; 301; 310.

In addition, all English majors are required to submit in the senior year a completed English studies portfolio. The English senior seminar (ENGL 400) is the culminating experience for majors, whose candidacy for departmental honors is based upon their GPA in the major and their performance in the seminar.  All seniors must obtain a minimum of a C- on the senior thesis to pass the course.

English Minor
A minor in English consists of at least six courses: ENGL 220 or 221; 224 or 225; 361 or 362; and three other courses at the 200 or 300 level. (Students whose major is Elementary Education and who wish to minor in English must take ENGL 201.)

Teacher Certification
Those students seeking secondary certification are required to complete the course work for a major in English and must include ENGL 201. ENGL 110 may be counted toward the certification requirement in the field. The additional requirements for certification are cited in the Education Department section and must include TEDP 371 (Methods of Teaching Secondary English). A second teaching area in speech is also recommended.

The Portfolio Requirement
First year students and sophomores majoring or concentrating in English are required by the department to begin an English Studies Portfolio. A completed portfolio must be presented to the department for final review during English 400, the Senior Seminar; a copy of the Seminar paper will be added to the portfolio upon completion of the course. In addition to the Senior Seminar paper, this portfolio is a requirement for graduation with an English major.  

Faculty advisors in the English Department will discuss your portfolio with you throughout your career at Monmouth College, particularly during Mentoring Week and before you register for your classes.