English & textual studies
Major Requirements
 
 
 

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

To declare ETS as your major, you need to meet with the ETS Coordinator. To make an appointment, stop by 401 Hall of Languages or phone or email our Undergraduate Studies Coordinator, Daphne Stowe (443-2173, dstowe@syr.edu). At your meeting, you will learn about the major requirements, put together a first semester schedule, be appointed a faculty advisor, and be subscribed to the ETS major listserv.

Lower Division Requirements

ETS majors must take six credit hours (generally, two courses) numbered at the 100 or 200 level, including the following required course:

ETS 242: Reading and Interpretation

ETS 242 introduces you to fundamental questions of textuality and representation, making use of some theoretical material. It acquaints you with multiple ways of reading and provides experience in techniques of close textual analysis.

Your second lower division course must be chosen from among the following gateway courses:

ETS 113: Survey of British Literature to 1789

ETS 114: Survey of British Literature since 1789

ETS 115: Topics in British Literary History

ETS 117: Survey of American Literature to 1865

ETS 118: Survey of American Literature since 1865

ETS 119: Topics in American Literary History

ETS 121: Introduction to Shakespeare

ETS 142: Narratives of Culture

ETS 145: Reading Popular Culture

ETS 151: Interpretation of Poetry

ETS 152: Interpretation of Drama

ETS 153: Interpretation of Fiction

ETS 154: Interpretation of Film

ETS 181: Class and Literary Texts

ETS 182: Race and Literary Texts

ETS 184: Ethnicity and Literary Texts

ETS 192: Gender and Literary Texts

Advanced Placement credits do NOT count toward this requirement.

Upper Division Requirements

ETS majors must take 24 credit hours (generally, eight courses) in courses numbered 300 or above, including the following:

ETS 305: Critical Analysis

Five of the courses must be chosen from within the ETS group headings Historical Modes of Inquiry, Theoretical Modes of Inquiry, and Political Modes of Inquiry. The five courses may come from any of the three groups, but two of the five must focus on content before 1900.

Two remaining elective courses may be chosen from any upper division ETS courses, or from among upper division creative writing courses (ETS), or one Literature in Translation course (LIT) or one Writing Program courses (WRT).  

Summary of Requirements

Lower Division: 1 gateway course

ETS 242

Upper Division:  ETS 305

5 ETS courses at level 300+, 2 of which must focus on pre-1900 content

2 electives at level 300+, drawn from ETS or ETS Creative Writing. One level 300+ Literature in Translation course (LIT) or WRT course may count toward the elective requirement.

TOTAL REQUIRED CREDIT HOURS FOR THE MAJOR: 30