IMPORTANT NOTE

The requirements below apply to those students with a 2024-2025 catalog year. Students are required by college policy to follow the major (and minor) requirements found in the catalog in effect at the time they declared their first major. To find your catalog year, please visit your Grades and Academic Records found in myOxy and access the catalog that matches your catalog year.

Placement Information

No placement exams are specifically required for the English major.

Sample 4-Year Plan

Major no concentration


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Fall FYS course

  • Foreign Language (4 or 5 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Spring FYS course

  • ENGL 287(CPRF & CPPE)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 2

  • ENGL 290

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • (CPGC)ENGL 288

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 3

  • ENGL 390

  • Group Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • (CPUD)ENGL 289

  • Group Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 4

  • (Senior Seminar)ENGL 490

  • Group Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Group Requirement

  • English Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Major with a concentration in Creative Writing


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Fall FYS course

  • Foreign Language (4 or 5 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Spring FYS course

  • ENGL 287 (CPRF & CPPE)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 2

  • ENGL 290

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • ENGL 288 (CPGC)

  • Creative Writing Elective

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 3

  • ENGL 390

  • Group Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • ENGL 289 (CPUD)

  • Creative Writing Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 4

  • ENGL 490 (Senior Seminar)

  • Group Requirement

  • Creative Writing Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Group Requirement

  • Creative Writing Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Curricular Notes:

  • Only one of the Group requirements may be at the 200-level
  • Two of the Creative Writing electives must be within the ENGL department

English Transfer Student Advice

Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: No Limit

Designated Transfer Adviser


Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in English:

  • No specific preparation required, though prior literature courses may be helpful.


General advice for transfer students wanting to major in English:

  • ENGL 490: Senior Seminar must be taken at Occidental.


What courses should a transfer student take during their first semester at Occidental?

  • Junior transfers should take ENGL 290 and ENGL 390 unless equivalent courses have been approved for transfer; in that case, appropriate alternative courses should be chosen with guidance from an adviser. Spring transfers should contact the transfer adviser or department chair as early as possible to discuss their plans.

  • Transfer students starting mid way through their sophomore year should take one or two of the historical survey courses: ENGL 287, ENGL 288, ENGL 289.

  • Sophomore transfer students should take ENGL 290.

Contact English
Swan Hall 233