English Major
The English major at the University of Alaska Fairbanks encompasses study in language, literature
and theory. It offers courses based on era, genre, and topic. In any given semester, students might enroll in a
survey of British or American literature, a workshop in the craft of creative writing,
a seminar on a single author such as Herman Melville or Virginia Woolf, a region-specific course like Alaska Native or multiethnic literatures, a critical
topics seminar such as Queer Theory—and any number of other courses. The English curriculum
at UAF is as vast and idiosyncratic as the Alaskan landscape itself.
The English major guides students in their development as conscientious readers, inventive
writers, and critical thinkers. The program is devised to foster collaboration, community,
and original thought. Students are encouraged to work with our widely published faculty on scholarly and creative projects, and to cultivate their own intellectual voices
in writing and discussion.
Students majoring in English at UAF will fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, which requires 120 total credits, 35 of which must in taken as upper-level English
courses. The distribution of coursework (linked below under “Program Requirements”)
ensures a broad overview of literature and literary theories. The English major culminates in a Capstone Portfolio, ENGL F400, in students' final
semester of study. This course provides students with the opportunity to reflect
upon and annotate previous writings from their English coursework under the supervision
of English faculty.