Literary Studies Minor

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Studying literature provides an avenue into a deeper and more discerning understanding of the relationship between imaginative writing, culture, and society.

Opportunities

The Literary Studies Minor allows students to explore literature while gaining the skills that give them an advantage in the professional world: communicating effectively and thinking critically and creatively. Our program is renowned for its collaborative atmosphere, where faculty help students explore professional goals and intellectual interests. As a result, literature provides an amazing variety of career paths and opportunities. Our graduates pursue careers in education, law, journalism, social media, advertising, public relations, cultural institutions, film and theater, community advocacy, the non-profit sector, web development, and design, and entertainment.

Learn

As a student pursuing a literature minor, you will learn about literary traditions, major authors, movements, and genres. You will become a literary scholar and understand how the humanities can reflect and shape culture. Students complement their studies by selecting from various elective and restricted elective courses. These courses feature diverse literary topics and historical periods, from British literature of the Middle Ages and Shakespeare to studies in contemporary poetry and global fiction. All our courses are profoundly engaged with contemporary cultural studies and critical theory.

Department Information

English Language & Literature 612 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.4220

Joseph Csicsila, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

Craig Dionne, PhD, 612 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.4220

Minor Requirements: 21 hours

The coursework below is offered primarily face-to-face/in-person. Coursework may also be offered in hybrid, hyflex, and online (synchronous or asynchronous) modes. In some cases, a course may only be offered entirely online. Click on the courses below to see when and how they are offered.

Introductory Literature Course: 3 hours

Choose any course with the LITR prefix (100-499) . Please note that some LITR courses fulfill General Education requirements.

Restricted Elective Courses: 18 hours

Students must complete a minimum of one course, in each of the following categories.

Native American & African American Literature: 3 hours

Students must complete a minimum of one course from the following.
LITR 361W Studies in Native American Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 362W Studies in African American Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
Upper-Level Literature Courses: 15 hours

Students must take five courses from the following list.
LITR 309W Development of American Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 310W Modern American Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 312 English Literature in the Middle Ages 3 hrs
LITR 314W Development of British Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 315 Restoration and 18th-Century Literature 3 hrs
LITR 316W Romantic Rebellion in Britain 1798-1832 [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 317 Victorian and Edwardian Literature 1832-1914 3 hrs
LITR 360W Recent Trends in British and American Literature [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 400 Narrative in Literature and Film 3 hrs
LITR 405W Shakespeare [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 411 Studies in Epic and Romance 3 hrs
LITR 413 The Poetry of Chaucer 3 hrs
LITR 420 Studies in the British Novel 3 hrs
LITR 421 Studies in the American Novel 3 hrs
LITR 422W Studies in the Novel in Global Perspective [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 430 Studies in Drama 3 hrs
LITR 440 Genre Studies 3 hrs
LITR 443 Women in Literature 3 hrs
LITR 445 Sexualities in Literature and Culture 3 hrs
LITR 450W Major Authors [GEWI] 3 hrs
LITR 470 Studies in Poetry 3 hrs
LITR 480W Literature, Culture, Diversity [GEWI] 3 hrs

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
- Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
- At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.