Students who choose the major concentration in English must complete:

• ENGL 200 - Poetics: Introduction to Literary Texts (This course runs at Dobbs Ferry each fall, and at the Bronx each spring. Students should prioritize taking ENGL 200 as early as possible in their college career)
• ENGL 205 - Survey of English Literature I
• ENGL 206 - Survey of English Literature II
• ENGL 400 - Seminar in Literary Research and Writing (cc) (this is the core course for students entering the major in or after Fall 2020)

Majors must take at least one course from each of the following four categories:

Majors must take at least one course from each of the following four categories: Classical Texts, Social and Cultural Contexts, Literary Genres, and Historical Periods. The remaining 12 credits may be taken from any of these aforementioned categories or from the fifth category, Language and Writing. Students who choose the Language and Writing Option* must take all of the remaining 12 credits from the fifth category. In addition, English majors must complete six credits of Foreign Language.

** It is recommended that the six credits in foreign language be in the same language.

* Only English majors who choose the Language and Writing Option (12 credits in Language and Writing category plus the ENGL 400  as the capstone course) can take the MEDA courses for English credit.

**Three credits of this 6-credit Foreign Language requirement may count toward the general education foreign language requirement.

There is an 18-credit residency requirement in the major concentration of English.

Graduate Course Credits

Qualified Mercy College undergraduate students who wish to pursue an MA English Literature degree at Mercy College may take up to six graduate English credits during the final year of undergraduate study, at a rate of no more than three graduate credits per semester. These graduate credits will count toward undergraduate open electives, or toward English major electives; and if the student continues into the MA English program, these graduate credits will also count toward the MA English Literature degree.  

Undergraduate students interested in taking advantage of this opportunity should contact their PACT mentor. Students must receive written permission from the Graduate English Program Director or the Department of Literature & Language Chairperson in order to enroll in the graduate English course(s).

Full-time undergraduate students who receive permission to take graduate courses will be charged the undergraduate tuition rate for the graduate courses. If the student is part-time, the graduate rate will be charged for graduate courses. Students receiving financial aid in the form of grants and/or loans will continue to be eligible for said aid, as the graduate courses are approved to count as undergraduate open electives, or as English major electives. If there are any questions, please speak with a representative from the Office of Enrollment Services. 

Graduate credits earned in this manner will not count towards the residency requirement for the major or for program honors.

For more information about Graduate Course Credits, please see Academic Regulations and Procedures and Student Policies  .