Bachelor of Arts in English
Mission
The BA in English at the Lebanese American University aims at providing students with literary, linguistic, and creative writing competence, preparing them for graduate studies in related fields as well as widening their range of career opportunities.
Program Educational Objectives
Graduates of the program shall be able to:
- Work in field-related careers in Lebanon and abroad.
- Pursue graduate programs in English Studies and other related fields.
- Contribute ethically and productively to their community in pursuit of life-long learning.
Student Outcomes
At the completion of the program, students should be able to:
- Analyze texts from multiple points of view in the context of history, society, culture, and politics.
- Appraise the allusive qualities of texts.
- Evaluate different theories in literature and language
- Interpret a variety of texts from different linguistic perspectives.
- Develop the creative writing skill-set appropriate to a variety of literary genres
- Produce individual scholarly research projects
Curriculum
A total of 92 credits are required to graduate, distributed as follows:
- Program Core Courses (24 credits)
- Program Elective Courses (24 credits)
- LAS Core Courses (13 credits)
- LAS Elective Courses (21 credits)
- Free Elective Courses (10 credits)
A senior project is required of all students in addition to successful completion of the course of study.
Program Core Courses (24 credits)
- ENG213 Introduction to Language (3 cr.)
- ENG216 Introduction to Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG303 Literary Linguistics (3 cr.)
- ENG354 Theories of Literature & Culture (3 cr.)
- ENG366 Creative Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG372 Comparative & World Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG381 Corpus Linguistics (3 cr.)
- ENG499 Senior Study (3 cr.)
Literature Track (3, 6 or 15 credits)
Students must choose 15 credits from the following if Literature is their first option, 6 credits if it is their second option, and 3 credits if it is their third.
- ENG323 Renaissance Drama (3 cr.)
- ENG324 Medieval Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG325 Renaissance Poetry (3 cr.)
- ENG326 Restoration & Neoclassical Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG328 Early Novel (3 cr.)
- ENG336 Romantic & Victorian Poetry (3 cr.)
- ENG339 19th Century British Novel (3 cr.)
- ENG342 Modernism & Beyond (3 cr.)
- ENG345 20th Century British Novel (3 cr.)
- ENG346 Contemporary Culture (3 cr.)
- ENG348 Postcolonial Anglophone Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG351 Early American Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG352 20th Century American Novel (3 cr.)
- ENG376 Gender in Literature (3 cr.)
- ENG479 Topics in Literature & Culture (3 cr.)
- ENG487 Topics in Drama & Theater (3 cr.)
Language Track (3, 6 or 15 credits)
Students must choose 15 credits from among the following if Language is their first option, 6 credits if it is their second option, and 3 credits if it is their third.
- ENG281 Language and Change: Past, Present, & Future (3 cr.)
- ENG282 Language & the Media (3 cr.)
- ENG283 Language & Gender (3 cr.)
- ENG308 Semantics & Pragmatics (3 cr.)
- ENG380 Language & the Law (3 cr.)
- ENG480 Discourse & Power (3 cr.)
- ENG488 Topics in English Language (3 cr.)
Writing Track (3, 6 or 15 credits)
Students must choose 15 credits from among the following if Writing is their first option, 6 credits if it is their second, and 3 credits if it is their third.
Students will ideally choose courses in a consistent fashion that will enable them to specialize in one of four areas: non-fiction writing, creative writing, writing for the media, and writing for organizations.
- ENG301 Food and Travel Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG331 Poetry Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG332 Life Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG333 Fiction Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG334 Illness Writing (3 cr.)
- ENG335 Playwriting (3 cr.)
- ENG489 Topics in Creative Writing (3 cr.)
LAS Requirements (34 credits)
Free Electives (10 credits)
Sample Study Plan
The following three-year study plan represents only one of many possible study plans, since each course map — at least with regard to the courses in the major — will correspond to the profile of the individual student (for additional study plans related to Language and Creative Writing tracks, kindly check out our departmental website).
In the sample case below, the student is most interested in literature, then in writing, and relatively least in language. Thus her/his course map presents the 31 credits for LAS, the 24 credits of the major core, the 15 credits of the literature option, the 6 credits of the writing option, the 3 credits of the language option, and the 13 credits of free electives. Total = 92cr. of which 48 credits in the major.
- Program Core Courses (24 credits)
- Literature Track (15 credits)
- Writing Track (6 credits)
- Language Track (3 credits)
- LAS (31 credits)
- Free Electives (13 credits)
Year One
Fall (16 credits)
- ENG202 Advanced Academic English (3 cr.)
- ENG213 Introduction to Language (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- ENG216 Introduction to Literature (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Literature Elective (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
- CSC201 Computer Applications (1 cr.)
Spring (15 credits)
- COM203 Art of Public Communication (3 cr.)
- ENG366 Creative Writing (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- ENG372 Comparative & World Literature (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
- Free Elective (3 cr.)
Year Two
Fall (15 credits)
- ENG303 Literary Linguistics (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Literature Elective (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Writing Elective (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
Spring (15 credits)
- ENG381 Corpus Linguistics (Major Core)(3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Literature Elective (3 cr.)
- ENG354 Theories of Literature and Culture (Major Core) (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Writing Elective (3 cr.)
- Free Elective (3 cr.)
Year Three
Fall (15 credits)
- ENG- Major Literature Elective (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Writing Elective Poetry (3 cr.)
- ENG- Major Language Elective (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
- LAS- LAS Elective (3 cr.)
Spring (16 credits)