English (B.A., B.S.)

36 Major Hours, 120 Degree Hours

Students in this major must also complete requirements for a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences .

Departmental Requirements (36 hours)

• ENGL 221 - British Literature I (C) [SGR #4, HSDC]
• ENGL 222 - British Literature II (C) [SGR #4, HSDC]
• ENGL 241 - American Literature I (C) [SGR #4, HSDC]
• ENGL 242 - American Literature II (C) [SGR #4, HSDC]
• ENGL 284 - Introduction to Criticism (C) [SGR #1, HSDC]
• ENGL 489 - Senior Capstone
• ENGL/LING Elective (at 200-, 300-, or 400-level)  6cr
• ENGL/LING Elective (at 300- or 400-level)  12cr

Specialization: Creative Writing (36 hours)

Specialization: Professional Writing (36 hours)

Specialization: Secondary Teaching (36 hours)

Students who wish to obtain certification to teach secondary school must also complete coursework and testing in the School of Education. Please contact the English Department or the School of Education for further information.

B.A./B.S. to M.S. Accelerated Options

Undergraduate English majors may elect to complete both the B.A./B.S. and M.S. concurrently. Students who pursue the accelerated option will be awarded their undergraduate degree first, but may be awarded both degrees upon completion of the graduate requirements. Students may apply for admission to the M.S. program after completing 75 undergraduate credit hours and may begin taking graduate level courses upon completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours and acceptance into the accelerated graduate program. Additional information about the accelerated degree can be found on the accelerated program catalog page  for the M.S. in English.

English Double Major (30 Hours)

See English Double Major  for program requirements.

Secondary Education-English Education specialization (B.S.Ed.)

See Secondary Education-English Education specialization (B.S.Ed.)  for program requirements.

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan.

• English, B.A. No specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.A.-Creative Writing specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.A.-Professional Writing specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.A.-Secondary Teaching specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.S. No specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.S.-Creative Writing specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.S.-Professional Writing specialization 4-year plan guide
• English, B.S.-Secondary Teaching specialization 4-year plan guide

Related Program:

• Secondary Education, B.S.Ed.-English Education specialization 4-year plan guide

Location Matters for Non-Licensure Track Programs

This program is not designed or advertised to lead to a professional license or certification required for employment.

USD is permitted to operate under the terms of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) policies and standards in offering online courses/degree programs to residents in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  Online courses/programs may also be offered to residents of California (a non-SARA state) because it does not regulate out-of-state public institutions.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. Please contact a program representative if you have questions regarding supervised field study.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.

For more information, please visit USD’s State Authorization page or contact your admissions counselor.