https://www.uwplatt.edu/department/english

Department Chair: David Gillota
Office: 518 Pioneer Tower
Phone: 608.342.1928
E-mail: gillotad@uwplatt.edu

About the English Program and Major

The English program allows students the flexibility to choose from the following three English majors and five minors according to individual preference and career choices. Students may also obtain a writing certificate and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate.

Literature Emphasis

This traditional English major prepares the student for careers and graduate work in English, law, publishing, library science, government, business, and other professions.

English Education Emphasis

In cooperation with the School of Education, this traditional English major prepares students for middle/secondary education careers (grades 4-12).

Professional Writing Emphasis

This major prepares students for careers in a variety of writing fields, including technical and scientific communication, business communication, editing and publishing, journalism, and public relations.

Minors

Creative Writing

This versatile minor focuses on the development of literary writing skills, particularly in poetry, short story, nonfiction, and other professional genres.

English Minor

This minor is designed for students who seek expertise in literature and writing for a variety of purposes and career options as a complement to their major in another program.

English Education Minor (Non-Licensure)

This minor is designed for students seeking elementary/middle education certification.  The minor does not lead to licensure but it complements the K-9 major in developing resourceful, creative, and competent teachers interested in teaching English/language arts at middle school level.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

This TESOL program provides students with the professional knowledge and skills necessary to teach English to speakers of other languages in the United States or abroad. The program offers three tracks to accommodate students with differing educational needs:

1. a TESOL licensure minor;
2. a TESOL minor (non-licensure), and
3. a TESOL certificate (non-licensure).

Certificates

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Through engaging students in studying language phenomena, principles, and functions, this certificate enables students to gain insights into how human language works, develop effective cross-cultural communication skills, and improve analytical and critical thinking. The certificate can open up career opportunities for students in various disciplines, especially English, world languages, social sciences, computer science, psychology, criminal justice, business administration, and elementary education.

Professional Writing

This certificate will provide students with a broad range of professional writing, editing, and communication skills that are needed to excel in many careers. Designed to complement a broad range of majors, the certificate will be a great boost to students looking for jobs in Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, Psychology, Forensic Investigation, and many others. Note: Certificate programs do not qualify for financial aid unless they are part of a student's degree requirements.

Mission Statement

All English majors and minors are designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of professional environments, in which creativity, critical thinking, and a broad cultural perspective are required, but especially in those fields that require writing and teaching. English courses teach proficiency in literary analysis, professional and creative writing, cultural analysis and creation, and the mastery of rhetorical devices.

The basic pre-professional objective of the non-teaching English majors is twofold:

• To provide graduates with a solid preparation for graduate studies (e.g., Master’s degree in education, Master of Fine Arts, master’s in professional writing/communication, literature, library science, rhetoric and composition, as well as pre-law)
• To educate generalists for job placement in the publishing industry, in creative and editorial positions, in education, businesses, government, and nonprofit agencies

The more general, non-career oriented objective of the English program at UW-Platteville is to educate citizens who understand, think about, and argue complex cultural issues. Specifically our literature and advanced composition courses are designed to broaden students’ perspectives and to increase their cultural literacy. Students gain personally and professionally from an education in American, British, and world literature by becoming intellectually more astute and literate. Technical writing experience and other professional skills, including training in TESOL, are all highly marketable skills that graduates acquire in our program. Our emphasis on the broad variety of human experiences through internships, community-based (service) learning, as well as participation in forums on and off campus, helps students to participate in meaningful ways in society. Graduates in English are taught to apply their knowledge in all personal, professional, and social situations in which ethical decisions demand a deepened knowledge of the human condition and an understanding of the past.

Specific Teaching Objectives of the English Program

• To develop students’ critical thinking skills through instruction in rhetoric, linguistic logic, argumentation, and general communication skills
• To cultivate students’ understanding of the role of literature and culture in social structures
• To develop students’ knowledge of literary movements across centuries, periods, and geographical regions
• To promote the ethical, aesthetic, as well as sociopolitical elements of intellectual discourse
• To educate students regarding the cultural achievements of past and present thinkers, writers, and wise people
• To raise student awareness of the diversity of voices and global connections

Student Learning Outcomes

Depending upon which English major the student selects, graduates of the English program shall gain competence and knowledge in:

1. The formal elements of literature (drama, fiction, poetry, film, creative nonfiction): e.g., meter, verse, imagery, mise en scene, multiple plot structures, character development
2. The ability to write successful creative and/or professional texts with the knowledge of the formal elements of writing (e.g., mechanics, style, conventions of various genres/modes, editing, document of design)
3. The ability to think critically through analyzing, discussing and writing about texts (peer response, literary analysis, reports, essays, journals, creative projects)
4. The role of language, literature, and culture in sociopolitical structures throughout history
5. The history and elements of various literary movements, periods, and genres (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance, Modernism, detective fiction, revenge tragedy, young adult literature, etc.) across centuries, periods, and geographical regions
6. The history of and/or how to apply various theories of language and literature (e.g., mimesis, New Criticism, feminism, post-structuralism, New Historicism)
7. The awareness of writing and ideas by female and male authors, both classic and contemporary, including a representative body of literature encompassing works of diverse national, cultural, and ethnic groups
8. The strategies for doing research and for incorporating evidence appropriately into texts with appropriate documentation style (usually MLA)
9. The pedagogy of writing and literature
10. The understanding of and ability to apply the pedagogy of teaching English to speakers of other languages
11. Aesthetics
12. Ethics

Requirements Bachelor of Arts Degree

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Total for graduation		120
General education		44-58
Major studies		36

Majors

• English Major, B.A.
  • Literature Emphasis
  • English Education Emphasis
  • Professional Writing Emphasis
• English Major, B.S.
  • Literature Emphasis
  • English Education Emphasis
  • Professional Writing Emphasis

Related Major

• Computer Science + Digital Humanities

Minors

• Creative Writing Minor
• English Minor
• English Education Minor (Non-Licensure)¹
• TESOL Licensure Minor
• TESOL Minor (Non-Licensure)

¹

The English Education minor does not lead to a teaching license.  Students wishing to teach English should complete the English major with English Education emphasis.

Certificates

• Linguistics Certificate
• Certificate in Professional Writing
• TESOL Certificate (Non-Licensure)

Four-Year Plans

• English Major with Literature Emphasis, Four-Year Plan
• English Major with English Education Emphasis, Four-Year Plan
• English Major with Professional Writing Emphasis, Four-Year Plan

Faculty and Lecturers

Additional information about the Faculty and Lecturers below may be found in the Faculty and Academic Staff section of this catalog.