FAQ for English majors regarding Gen Ed courses, WIDs, and Capstones

Which literature class should I take for my Gen Ed LS credit?

As an English major, you don't need to worry about taking a class for LS credit. Every English major, regardless of concentration, must take either ENG 2030 or ENG 2040 (World Literature) and will get LS credit with either of those classes.

Does the 2000-level British literature course I took for General Education count for my English major? How do I get it counted?

It might. If the syllabus from your ENG 2050 looks like the survey-style class taught in British Literature to 1789 (ENG 2010) or British Literature since 1789 (ENG 2020) you might be able to get it to double count. Ask your professor, and then see the department chair (Dr. Leo Flores floresll@appstate.edu).

What is WID?

Every student at Appalachian must take a Writing in the Discipline (WID) courses, which they do as part of their major, generally in their major department.

What WID courses are offered in English? Which one do I take?

The English department offers three different WID courses. Here's what you take:

  • BS in English Education students take ENG 3580 Teaching Composition: Theory, Practice, & Pedagogy (ENG (or RC) 2001 is a pre-requisite and ENG 3300 Applied Grammar is a pre or co-requisite.)
  • Professional Writing students take ENG 3700 Technical Writing. (ENG/RC 2001 and ENG 3090 Intro to Professional Writing are pre-requisites.) Note, interested students in other concentrations can take ENG 3700 if they wish, just not as their WID.
  • All the other English BA concentrations (Film Studies, Creative Writing, Literary Studies) take ENG 3000, Approaches to Literary Studies. It is required for the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Film Studies concentrations and is recommended for all the other degree programs. It will teach you the writing techniques used in the major, the research techniques used to find secondary sources in the major, and the literary theories used by practitioners in the field. You need to take the course so you will know how to interpret and write about literary texts "like an English major." You should take ENG 3000 as a second semester sophomore or as a first or second semester junior. Earlier is better.

What is a Capstone course? When do I take the capstone course?

All students at Appalachian do a Capstone in their major. The capstone serves as the culminating experience at the university and in the major. English majors generally take their capstone in the Fall or Spring semester of their senior year, depending on which program they are in and when their capstone course is offered.

Which Capstone do I take?

Your Capstone will depend on the degree and concentration you are completing:

  • Honors students writing an Honors thesis may use that as their capstone.
  • BS English Education students take CI 4900 Student Teaching in their final semester. There are many pre-requisites and forms required prior to student teaching, so be sure to follow your checksheet, consult with your advisor, and keep up with the paperwork that must be filed through the College of Education.
  • Professional Writing students take ENG 4300 Seminar in Professional Writing, which is offered only in the Spring semester. Prerequisites are ENG (or RC) 2001 and ENG 3090, Intro to Professional Writing. (Note, interested students in other concentrations can take this class too if they like, if they have all the pre-requisites. But they won't be doing it for capstone credit and may have different assignments.)
  • Film Studies students take ENG 4170 Film Theory and Criticism, which is offered only in the Fall semester. ENG 2170 Introduction to Film is the pre-requisite, but you should wait until your final year to take this class. (Note, interested students in other concentrations can take this class too if they like, if they have all the pre-requisites. But they won't be doing it for capstone credit and may have different assignments.)
  • Creative Writing students have three options, but whichever one you choose, you must do it in your senior year:
    • ENG 4550 Senior Seminar in Creative Writing. This course is offered Fall and Spring. Important: genres and specific pre-requisites will vary. Only the general pre-requisites are listed in the Catalogue and registration system, so be sure to read the semester's course description to be sure that you are eligible for the course. The system may allow you to pre-register, but this is not a guarantee of a place in the course if you do not have the specific pre-requisites for the semester. Please check with creative writing faculty with any questions about this.
    • ENG 4815 Rivers Coffey Colloquium. This course is only offered in Fall. The first half of the course is taught be a senior visiting distinguished author; the second half is taught by a resident creative writing faculty member. Important: genres and specific pre-requisites will vary. Only the general pre-requisites are listed in the Catalogue and registration system, so be sure to read the semester's course description to be sure that you are eligible for the course. The system may allow you to pre-register, but this is not a guarantee of a place in the course if you do not have the specific pre-requisites for the semester. Please check with creative writing faculty with any questions about this.
    • Take a literature capstone and ask the Assistant Chair to write a memo indicating this should be counted as the student's capstone. This is a good option to choose if you do not meet the genre pre-requisites for a creative writing capstone course.
    • See the CW checksheet for all appropriate pre-requisites. (Note, interested students in other concentrations and majors can take these classes too if they like, if they have all the pre-requisites. They may have some different assignments.) Note also that Creative Writing students often taken BOTH 4550 and 4815, but they only designate one as their capstone.
  • Literary Studies students do their capstone in a 4000-level literature class in their senior year. All 4000- level literature classes have 15 seats designated as "regular" and 3 set aside for capstone students. All students attend all the classes but students doing the capstone will do a more advanced project. To register for a literature capstone, register for the course ending in 1 or 6 and designated "capstone" instead of the "regular" course (ending in 0 or 5). So, for example, a student who wishes to do a capstone in Victorian literature will register for ENG 4881 Capstone in Victorian Literature [CAP] instead of ENG 4880 Literature of the Victorian Period.