Undergraduate English courses at BU are small, discussion-based classes that encourage interactions between students and professors. Only a few classes per semester have more than 25 students. The English department has a tradition and culture of devoted teaching. Student ratings of our professors typically average 4.5 (out of 5), and English faculty have won 11 teaching and advising awards at BU, including three Metcalf awards.

Prospective freshman majors can choose from a variety of 100-level seminars on Shakespeare, modern and American literature, and key literary genres—poetry, drama, and fiction. Students planing to major in English may wish to enroll in EN 120 and EN 220, both literature seminars that are field-specific substitutes for WR 100 and WR 150.

The department offers creative writing and playwriting courses for undergraduates available through application with a writing sample. Students can also concentrate their studies on film and visual culture, with a variety of courses on the literary aspects of film and the relationship between literature and the visual arts.

For the most reliable, up to date course information, please see the Courses page of this website.

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BU’s English Department recently voted to approve updated learning outcomes for the English major. We continue to emphasize our traditional goals of deep reading, careful writing, and critical thinking. We also feel that the skills and knowledge we teach are more valuable than ever in an age of shrinking attention spans, artificial intelligence, and challenges to democratic citizenship.

English Department Learning Outcomes

  1. Through intensive reading of literary works in their entirety, including long texts, students develop a critical understanding of English and American literary cultures, histories, genres, and traditions.
  2. Students develop a critical understanding of at least one area of literary study outside of the English and American canons and explore how power, identity, and difference shape diverse literatures in English.
  3. Students hone their skills in written literary analysis, interpretation, and research as they craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI.
  4. Students develop proficiency in the oral discussion of literary works, advance their ability to discuss challenging topics relevant to civic, democratic societies, and learn to cultivate intellectually diverse and collaborative communities of learning.
  5. Students explore literary and cultural theories, research methods, and historical narratives as they participate in humanist knowledge production