The major in English is designed to introduce students to the history of literature written in English, to acquaint them with a variety of historical periods and geographical and cultural regions of English language and writing, to create an awareness of methods and theories of literary and cultural analysis, and to provide continued training in critical writing.
Entry Level Writing Requirement
Students must have fulfilled the Entry Level Writing Requirement before taking any course in the Department of English. For further information, see the information contained in the Undergraduate Education section of this Guide.
Declaring the Major
Before declaring the major, students must have completed the Reading and Composition requirement of the College of Letters and Science, at least 30 units, and two declaration
requirements:
For further information on declaring, please see the department website.
Honors Program
An honors degree in English requires the completion of a two-semester 8-unit course, ENGLISH H195A/ENGLISH H195B, offered every year in a fall-spring sequence only. ENGLISH H195A is a limited-enrollment course in criticism and critical theory, during which students develop a thesis project. At the end of ENGLISH H195A, a grade of IP is assigned. In ENGLISH H195B students work independently, under the supervision of the ENGLISH H195B instructor and a thesis adviser, to complete the honors thesis (normally 40–60 pages). Upon completion of the thesis, and only then, students earn 8 units and a letter grade for the whole sequence. Admission to the course is by application and open only to senior English majors with an overall GPA of 3.51 or higher and a major GPA of 3.65 or higher in courses taken at Berkeley toward the major. See the department website for additional information.
The English Major consists of no fewer than 12 courses, at least 7 of which must be upper division. Students majoring in English are expected to complete at least 7 courses in the department; other courses counted toward the major can total no more than five and may not be taken concurrently while enrolled at Berkeley.
All required courses (English 45A, 45B, 45C, 90, 100, 190, and courses taken to fulfill the Shakespeare, Pre-1800 and Literatures in English requirements) must be taken for a letter grade. No more than two other courses (electives for the major) may be taken Pass/No Pass (P/NP), subject to regulations set forth by the College of Letters and Science.
No more than two 4-unit Berkeley English Summer Sessions courses may be counted toward the major.
No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs, with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
To graduate with a degree in English, a student must achieve at least a 2.0 GPA in: a) all work undertaken at the University of California (all campuses); b) all courses required for the English major; and c) all upper division courses in the English major.
For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.
Select five courses from the offerings of the English department. Of these 5 electives, one must fall in the area of pre-1800 English Literature, and another in the area of "Literatures in English." For a list of courses that regularly satisfy these breadth requirements, see below. 7
Pre-1800 Course4,5
Select one upper division course in British, American, or Anglophone literature from an historical period before 1800; standard course offerings that meet this requirement include the following:
Select one upper or lower division course that addresses the variety of literary traditions and writings of peoples and cultures that have been historically underrepresented in the U.S., the British Isles, and other anglophone countries and regions; standard course offerings that meet this requirement include the following
With approval, the ENGLISH 45A/ENGLISH 45B/ENGLISH 45C requirements may be satisfied by substituting for each course two appropriate upper division courses. To meet the ENGLISH 45B and ENGLISH 45C requirements, one course equivalent must be in American literature and one must be in British literature in the appropriate historical periods. Any and all courses used to satisfy the ENGLISH 45A/ENGLISH 45B/ENGLISH 45C requirements must be taken for a letter grade.
ENGLISH 90 and ENGLISH 100 must be taken in sequence prior to ENGLISH 190. Transfer students entering the third-year class may be able to apply credit for ENGLISH 90 by transferring certain qualified literature courses completed at their prior college. (Composition courses are not eligible.) Students entering in their freshman year should complete ENGLISH 90 by the end of their sophomore year, then ENGLISH 100 in their junior year, and ENGLISH 190 or the Honors courses in their senior year.
4
ENGLISH 107, any Shakespeare course, or a course outside of the department that does not include a substantial amount of literature in English will not fulfill this requirement.
Electives are 4-unit courses in the English department. Included here are courses taken to satisfy the Pre-1800 and Literatures in English requirements, but not used to satisfy one of the other major requirements. Since a minimum of 7 out of 12 of the major requirements must be upper division, the majority of electives, if not all, will be upper division. Students who complete additional seminars may use them as electives for the major. No more than two Creative Writing courses may be counted toward the major (ENGLISH 141, any ENGLISH 143 course, ENGLISH 145, and anything listed under the "Creative Writing Lecture Course" or "Creative Writing Workshop" areas). For information on receiving credit for courses taken outside the English department; independent study units (including DeCals, Berkeley Connect in English, and internships); the Education Abroad Program; or other course work approved by exception, please see the department website.
Minor Requirements
Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.
General Guidelines
All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A.
All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade.
A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.
Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)
Requirements
Course List
Code
Title
Units
Upper Division
Select five upper division English Literature courses
Additional Guidelines
With approval, students may substitute one upper division course from outside the Berkeley English department (e.g., in other departments on campus, other four-year institutions, or an education abroad program). See the department website for details.
Students may count only one upper division Summer Sessions course at Berkeley toward the minor.
Creative Writing courses in the English department do not count toward the minor.
College Requirements
Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.
For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages.
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade.
The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.
College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements
The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.
The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.
In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.
College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements
The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.
Unit Requirements
120 total units
Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units
Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements
For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.
Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.
Senior Residence Requirement
After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.
You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.
Modified Senior Residence Requirement
Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.
Upper Division Residence Requirement
You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.
Plan of Study
Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the English major requirements before making a program plan. For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.
First Year
Fall
Units
Spring
Units
L&S Breadth
4
Lower Division English Elective (Arts & Literature Breadth)
• This is a sample program plan. This plan assumes that the student has completed the Entry Level Writing, American History and Institutions, Quantitative Reasoning, and Foreign Language requirements prior to admission.
• Students are strongly advised to work with an academic adviser to determine a personal program plan. Your program plan will differ depending on previous credit received, your course schedule, and available offerings.
Student Learning Goals
Mission
The study of literature is not about canonical books or established facts, but about a process of interpretation and analysis, a process that begins in the classroom and develops over a lifetime. Upon completion of a BA degree in English, students should have well-developed writing and research skills as well as the ability to assess and appreciate language and literature in both professional and personal realms.
Learning Goals for the Major
Identify historical periods of literature in English ( US, Britain, and Anglophone).
Recognize and understand a variety of genres and modes of writing (the novel, poetic forms, short fiction, autobiography, etc.).
Become conversant with key literary terms and theories.
Develop an understanding of literature in interdisciplinary and multicultural contexts.
Skills
Demonstrate the ability to give a close reading or explication of a text.
Develop the ability to interpret and analyze literary texts and to articulate that in both writing and speaking.
Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical, cultural, social, and historical influences on the creation of literary art.
Formulate a well-organized, well-supported argument.
Develop research skills in the library and online.
Demonstrate the ability to write clear critical essays, based on close reading of primary texts and secondary sources.
Observe ethical and precise citation practices.
For some, write well in creative modes: fiction, non-fiction, poetry.
Major Map
Major maps are experience maps that help undergraduates plan their Berkeley journey based on intended major or field of interest. Featuring student opportunities and resources from your college and department as well as across campus, each map includes curated suggestions for planning your studies, engaging outside the classroom, and pursuing your career goals in a timeline format.
Use the major map below to explore potential paths and design your own unique undergraduate experience:
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Training in writing expository prose. Instruction in expository writing in conjunction with reading literature. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. Reading and Composition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Summer 2015 10 Week Session, Summer 2013 8 Week Session, Summer 2004 10 Week Session
Training in writing expository prose. Instruction in writing and reading expository prose. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. First-Year Reading and Composition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Passing grade in Subject A (exam or course)
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement
Hours & Format
Summer: 6 weeks - 5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 5-6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session
Training in writing expository prose. Further instruction in expository writing in conjunction with reading literature. Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. Reading and Composition: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2008, Spring 2006
An introduction to the grammar of English, including phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (linguistic meaning), and pragmatics (contextual meaning), with consideration of different varieties of English in use within the United States and throughout the world, and comparison of English with other languages. English as a Language: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2022, Spring 2021
Lectures and discussion on poetry intended to develop the student's ability to understand and evaluate a poem. Designed primarily for students whose major is not English, but majors and prospective majors are welcome. Introduction to the Study of Poetry: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Fall 2015, Spring 2015
Lectures and discussion intended to develop the student's ability to understand and evaluate fiction. Designed primarily for students whose major is not English, but majors and prospective majors are welcome. Introduction to the Study of Fiction: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2017, Fall 2014
Lectures and discussion intended to develop the student's ability to read, understand and evaluate plays. Designed primarily for students whose major is not English, but majors and prospective majors are welcome. Introduction to the Study of Drama: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2019
An introduction to the ethnic diversity of American literature. The course will take substantial account of the literature of three or more of the following groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, and European Americans. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" well before the beginning of the semester for details. Literature of American Cultures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 6.5-7.5 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 5-6 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2014
Major literary and cultural texts in the Chicana/o tradition from origins to the present. Chicana/o Literature and Culture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 1993, Fall 1987
Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for current offerings well before the start of the semester. (Sections limited to 15 students each.) Freshman Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 1995
Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for current offerings well before the start of the semester. (Sections limited to 15 students each.) Freshman Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
A workshop course intended for students who have recently begun to write fiction or who have not previously taken a course in creative writing. Introduction to the Writing of Short Fiction: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2021
A workshop course intended for students who have recently begun to write verse or who have not previously taken a course in creative writing. Introduction to the Writing of Verse: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024
A workshop course in creative non-fiction, a prose genre that takes on non-fiction subjects (the world of culture, history, personal experience) but also is alert to the creativity required to translate those subjects into the realm of writing. Students will study exemplary works of creative non-fiction in different modes (e.g. literary journalism, personal essay, travel writing) and write their own works in selected modes as well. Introduction to the Writing of Creative Non-Fiction: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2020
This course provides a broad introductory survey of early to contemporary Asian American literary and cultural production and an opportunity to develop and practice techniques for analyzing literary and cultural forms. English 53 aims to serve students from across campus and is especially suitable for students who have never taken a college-level literary or cultural studies course and would like to improve their essay-writing skills. Asian American Literatures and Cultures: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Spring 2020
The study of selected works written for children. Children's Literature: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2021
Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores. Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: At discretion of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 5 weeks - 3-6 hours of seminar per week 10 weeks - 1.5-3 hours of seminar per week 15 weeks - 1-2 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-5 hours of seminar per week 8 weeks - 3.5-7 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2023
Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Sophomore seminars on film include dedicated lab time for film screenings. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores. Sophomore Seminar on Film: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: At discretion of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final Exam To be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
This course is a small, faculty-led seminar on the practice and discipline of literary analysis. It is meant for all students who seek an introductory literature course and would like to improve their ability to read and write critically, including those who may wish to major in English. Focusing on the close study of a few works, rather than a survey of many, the seminar will help students develop college-level skills for interpreting literature, while gaining awareness of different strategies and approaches for making sense of literary language, genres, forms, and contexts. The seminar also will develop students’ ability to write about literature and to communicate meaningfully the stakes of their analysis to an audience. Practices of Literary Study: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2019
Group study in a field that may not coincide with that of any regular course and must be specific enough to enable students to write essays based upon their studies. Directed Group Study for Freshmen and Sophomores: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Lower division standing
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate.
Course may be repeated for credit. Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of directed group study per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015
Meetings to be arranged. Reading and regular conference with the instructor in a field that shall not coincide with that of any regular course and shall be specific enough to enable students to write essays based on their studies. Independent Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to sophomore students with an overall G.P.A. of not less than 3.3
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 1-5 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
This seminar is designed to provide English majors with intensive and closely supervised work in critical reading and writing. Although sections of the course may address any literary question, period, or genre, they all provide an introduction to critical and methodological problems in literary studies. The Seminar on Criticism: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2018, Spring 2016
The history of the English language from its Indo-European roots, through its Old, Middle, and Early Modern periods, as preserved in the literary heritage, to its different forms in use throughout the world today. The History of the English Language: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2022
Basic introduction to the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of Old English designed to get students reading original texts immediately. Typical Old English texts include: riddles, charms, medical recipes, laws, chronicles, elegies, saints' lives, heroic poetry, and monster lore. Introduction to Old English: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2017, Fall 2013, Fall 2010
The five centuries of the Anglo-Saxon period encompass a remarkably diverse range of literature: heroic epics and lyric laments; riddles, recipes, and magic spells; matter-of-fact accounts of monsters and miracles; and histories that set new standards for scholarship. This course surveys Anglo-Saxon literature in modern translation, encompassing texts originally written in both Old English and Latin, and prose as well as verse. At the heart of the semester is Beowulf, the period's great and enigmatic epic. Anglo-Saxon England: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2021
Development of literary form and idiom throughout the Christian West from the first to the fifteenth century. Medieval Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2021, Spring 2018
Middle English literature exclusive of Chaucer studied in the original language. Middle English Literature: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2019
Beginnings of the English Renaissance and literature of the 16th century. The English Renaissance: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 1985
Close study of the texts and films based on 8 to 10 plays. Lectures will emphasize the critical implications of transposing plays to film. The goal of the course is the critical understanding of Shakespeare, and the course satisfies the departmental requirement of a course on Shakespeare in the major. Shakespeare and Film: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2006, Spring 2006, Spring 2005
Study of selected plays, with practice in various critical approaches, e.g., establishing text, relation to source, changing concepts of comedy and tragedy, influence of theatrical conditions on technique. Shakespeare: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 First 6 Week Session, Fall 2023
Lectures on Shakespeare and reading of his best works. Shakespeare: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Fall 2007
The interrelation of Elizabethan plays and stage practices. Classroom exercises, written assignments, and a final examination. The course will usually culminate in the performance of a play. Shakespeare in the Theatre: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Offered in conjunction with or as a sequel to 117S or 117A-117B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2019
Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, and contemporaries. Romantic Period: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Credit Restrictions: A deficient grade in English N121 may be removed by taking English 121.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2019, Fall 2018
Literature of the Victorian period with an emphasis on poetry and nonfiction prose. Victorian Period: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2019
Lectures on and discussion of major novels of the twentieth century. The 20th-Century Novel: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Fall 2020, Summer 2020 8 Week Session
Important contemporary novels, some of which may be read in translation. The Contemporary Novel: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021
Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for offerings well before the beginning of the semester. Topics in African American Literature and Culture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Summer 2021 8 Week Session
Lectures on and discussion of selected works written since the Second World War. Contemporary Literature: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Summer 2019 8 Week Session, Spring 2019
Study of the ethnic diversity of American literature. The course will take substantial account of the literature of three or more of the following groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, and European Americans. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" well before the beginning of the semester for details. Literature of American Cultures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
A course on the intellectual, cultural, historical, and social backgrounds to American literature. Topics will vary from semester to semester. Topics in American Studies: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-4 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
An examination of various aspects of the modern literature written in English in Africa, the Caribbean, India, and Southeast Asia. Topics will vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for current offerings well before the start of the semester. Studies in World Literature in English: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-2 hours of lecture and 0-1 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2015
Literatures of various regions in which English is one of the spoken languages, such as Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, Africa, India; and the writings of specific groups or distinctive cultures in the English-speaking world, including the U.S. and the British Isles. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for current offerings well before the start of the semester. The Cultures of English: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Lectures and discussion on the crafts and/or processes of writing in various genres including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, etc. Topics for reading and writing assignments vary semester to semester.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Students will work through the semester on a single project, either fiction (novel) or nonfiction (biography, history). Long Narrative: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2013, Spring 2013
Open to those who wish to assimilate foreign influences for writing poetry or to seek a fuller understanding of any foreign poetry by rendering it into English. Poetry Translation Workshop: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor, willingness to translate, working knowledge of at least one foreign language
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2008, Fall 2007, Fall 2003, Spring 2002
Since visual and literary studies have historically been viewed as separate disciplines, we will use theories from both to study those forms of self-representation that defy disciplinary boundaries, or what we call "visual autobiography." The course aims to help students become conversant with the elements of alphabetic literacy (reading and writing) and visual literacy (observing and making) in order to develop a third distinctive textual/visual literacy. Visual Autobiography: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Also listed as: AMERSTD C174/UGIS C135/VIS STD C185A
Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2020
An introduction to different modes of technological, critical, and creative writing and the intersections among them and to the representation of technology and science in literature, film, and other media. This course is writing-intensive and aims to serve students from across campus. Writing Technology: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2021
Immersive study of a topic in Asian American Literatures and Cultures. Particular offerings may focus on an author, genre, form, literary historical issue, or theoretical problem. Topics vary from term to term. Students should consult the Department's "Announcement of Classes" for offerings well before the beginning of the term. Topics in Asian American Literatures and Cultures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-2 hours of lecture and 0-1 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025
This survey course introduces several prominent genres of Native American literary production, including oral traditions, nonfiction essay, novel, short story, poems, and speculative fiction. Selections are drawn primarily from Native American/Aboriginal writers in the United States and Canada from the nineteenth century to present. Readings will also include a traditional Nez Perce story in the original language, with translation provided by the instructor. In addition to aesthetic and literary analysis, particular attention will be given to the social, cultural, and political contexts in which these works were produced. Native American Literature and Culture: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 0 hours of discussion per week 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required, with common exam group.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2018
An introduction to issues in literary criticism with emphasis on application of principles and methods to selected literary texts. Methods and Materials of Literary Criticism: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2022, Fall 2021
Designed primarily for English majors. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for offerings well before the beginning of the semester. Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2010
Designed primarily for English majors. Study of a special topic related to the diversity of the United States. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for offerings well before the beginning of the semester. Special Topics in American Cultures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024
Immersive study of an author, genre, form, or literary historical issue. Topics vary from term to term. Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 First 6 Week Session, Fall 2023
In this course, students investigate the way literature and other art forms have both represented the diversity of the United States and shaped conceptions of diversity. English 166AC provides students with an opportunity to deepen and complicate their appreciation of the way fictions make meaning, shape our understanding and experience of the world, and transform society. Topics vary from term to term and might focus on a form (e.g. "Race and Ethnicity in American Cinema"), a literary historical period (e.g. "Race and Revision in Early America"), or a concept (e.g. nationhood in "Literatures of the Asian Diaspora in America"). Special Topics in American Cultures: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Summer 2019
Immersive study of an author, genre, form, or literary historical issue. Topics vary from summer to summer. Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Summer: 5 weeks - 16 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2021
Studies in the relationship of literature in English to the arts. Literature and the Arts: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2022, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Sexual identity in literature in relation to thematics, literary convention, psychology, and the particular politics and sociology of individual cultures. The course may range broadly over Western literature or concentrate on one historical period. Literature and Sexual Identity: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2022
Studies in the relationship of literature in English to psychology. Literature and Psychology: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2019, Fall 2018
Studies in film as a mode of representing reality; cinematic techniques and the "language" of film. Lectures, class discussions, and film viewings. The Language and Literature of Films: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of lecture and 0-3 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5-7.5 hours of lecture and 0-7.5 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6-6 hours of lecture and 0-6 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Spring 2022
Studies of the relationships among literature, culture, and "disability." The course may range broadly or concentrate on one historical period, genre, or issue. Literature and Disability: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session
Topics will vary from semester to semester. Literature and Popular Culture: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 5-7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5-0 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 4-6 hours of lecture and 2-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Studies in the relationship of literature in English to philosophy. Literature and Philosophy: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2004, Fall 2000, Spring 1999
Study of representative forms of folklore and oral literature among the English-speaking people of the British Isles and North America. British and American Folklore: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2020, Fall 2017
Study of the English language as a medium for literature. Topics may include rhyme, alliteration, meter, poetic syntax, metaphor, irony, the language of point of view, narrative tense, orality, literacy, etc. Literature and Linguistics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2021, Fall 2019
Studies of representative comic forms, techniques, and points of view. Comedy: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2016
Reading and discussion of epics, considering their cultural and historical contexts, the nature of their composition, and the development of the form. The Epic: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024
Study of the essay as a literary form, the circumstances of its use and development, and its fortunes in twentieth-century culture. The Essay: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2020, Fall 2017, Spring 2016
Study of the novel as a literary genre, its formal development and variations, its technical possibilities, its cultural functions. Topics may vary from semester to semester. The Novel: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-3 hours of lecture and 1-0 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2018, Fall 2015, Spring 2013
Study of the romance as a literary genre. Topics may vary from semester to semester; focus may be historical or restricted to a particular period (e.g., medieval, modern). The Romance: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024
Study of speculative fiction (or science fiction) as a genre. Topics may vary from semester to semester. Focus may be historical or thematic. Science Fiction: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2017
“Digital humanities” describes how digital formats and tools can be used to produce knowledge about cultural materials. This course introduces students to techniques used to study visual culture and related disciplines, possibly including mapping, network analysis, digital (re)construction of objects and environments; digital editions of texts or online exhibitions; digital manipulation of images; and content-management systems and structured data. The class also provides a framework to help students think critically about the values that underpin existing DH projects.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Research-oriented and designed for upper-division English majors. Intensive examination of critical approaches, literary theory, or a special topic in literary and cultural studies. Topics vary from semester to semester. Students should consult the department's "Announcement of Classes" for offerings well before the beginning of the semester. Research Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: English 100 is prerequisite to English 190
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
H195 is a two-semester course that gives students the training they need to conduct original research and develop their findings into a successful scholarly essay, 40-60 pages in length. Honors Course: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open only to senior English major honors candidates (i.e., students with an overall GPA of 3.51 or higher and a GPA of 3.65 or higher in courses taken at Berkeley in the major). Consent of instructor is required. English 100 is prerequisite to the English H195A/B series
Credit Restrictions: Offered for 4 units in fall and in spring, 3 units in summer.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
English H195B is the Spring course in the two-course requirement for the honors program, to be preceded by H195A in the Fall semester. Honors Course: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open only to senior English major honors candidates (i.e., students with an overall GPA of 3.51 or higher and a GPA of 3.65 or higher in courses taken at Berkeley in the major). Consent of instructor is required. English 100 is prerequisite to the English H195A/B series
Credit Restrictions: Offered for 4 units in fall and in spring, 3 units in summer.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Enrollment is restricted by university regulations. Group study in a field that shall not coincide with that of any regular course and shall be specific enough to enable students to write essays based upon their studies. Directed Group Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed 12 units of upper division English with an average of not less than B
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate. Course may be repeated for credit. Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of directed group study per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 First 6 Week Session, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Meetings to be arranged. Enrollment is restricted by university regulations. Reading and conference with the instructor in a field that shall not coincide with that of any regular course and shall be specific enough to enable students to write essays based upon their studies. Supervised Independent Study for Advanced Undergraduates: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed 12 units of upper division English with an average grade of not less than B
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-10 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: English/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
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