Minors

Minors are offered in:

  • Creative writing
  • English literature
  • Journalism
  • Theater

All four minors require a minimum of six courses, five of which must be taken while at the University of Rochester. No more than two courses in one's major may overlap with the minor.

Under certain circumstances, it is possible for students who are majoring in one of the English tracks to complete an English minor in another area. Students wishing to minor in creative writing should contact the creative writing advisor and see the joint major and minor page. For all other minors, students should contact the director of undergraduate studies.

Minor Requirements

Creative Writing Minor

Six courses are required for the minor:

  • Two creative writing courses at the introductory level:
    • ENGL 121: Creative Writing: Fiction
    • ENGL 122: Creative Writing: Poetry
    • ENGL 123: Playwriting
    • ENGL 125: Speculative Fiction
  • At least one advanced creative writing course:
    • ENGL 275: Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction
    • ENGL 276: Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry
    • ENGL 277: Screenwriting
    • ENGL 281: The Art and Craft of Nonfiction
    • ENGL 375: Seminar in Fiction Writing
    • ENGL 376: Seminar in Poetry Writing

Additional courses, if needed, can be chosen from the department's offerings in writing, or from its 200- and 300-level offerings in literature.

English Literature Minor

Six courses are required for the minor:

  • Two Survey Courses from the following: ENGL 113: British Literature I, ENGL 114: British Literature II, ENGL 115: American Literature 
  • Four additional courses in British or American literature, three of which must be at the 200 or 300 level
Journalism Minor

Six courses are required:

  • ENGL 131: Reporting and Writing the News
  • ENGL 132: Feature Writing
  • At least one of the following:
    • ENGL 105: Intro to Rhetoric
    • ENGL 120: Introduction to Creative Writing
    • ENGL 121: Creative Writing: Fiction
    • ENGL 122: Creative Writing: Poetry
    • ENGL 125: Speculative Fiction
    • ENGL 138: Journalism Case Studies
    • ENGL 281: Advanced Feature Writing
    • ENGL 282: Humor Writing
    • ENGL 283 Topics in Journalism
  • At least two of the following:
    • ENGL 133: Editing Practicum
    • ENGL 391: Independent Study (in Journalism)
    • ENGL 392: Research Project in Journalism
    • ENGL 394: Internship

Appropriate additional courses, if needed, can be chosen from the 200- and 300-level courses in literature or criticism.

Theater Minor

The minor in theater (developed in conjunction with the University’s International Theatre Program) consists of a minimum of 24 credits taken from the following three categories: No more than two courses included in one's major may be counted toward the minor.

 (*Spring course numbers are in parentheses)

 

  • At least two productions, acquiring at least eight credits in Production and Performance Courses (either onstage or backstage):
    • ENGL 184 (185): Intro to Theater
    • ENGL 292 (293)/ 294 (295): Plays in Performance: Name of Play
    • ENGL 296 (297): Stage Management: Semester + Year
  • Eight credits of theater method and performance courses (Spring course numbers in parentheses):
    • ENGL 123: Playwriting
    • ENGL 154 (155): Intro to Design for the Stage - 2 credits
    • ENGL 164: Improvisation: Semester + Year
    • ENGL 165: Acting Comdey: commedia, Mask, and Improvisation
    • ENGL 170 (171): Technical Theater
    • ENGL 172 (173): Intro to Stage Lighting and Sound
    • ENGL 174 (175): Acting Techniques
    • ENGL 176: Movement for the Actor
    • ENGL 177: The Actor's Voice
    • ENGL 178 (179): Design for the Stage, Discipline (i.e. Scenery/Costumes/Lighting/Sound) - 2 credits
    • ENGL 180: Directing: Semester + Year
    • ENGL 181: The New Hip Hop: Our Stories and Truths on Stage
    • ENGL 252: Theater in England
    • ENGL 270 (271): Advanced Technical Theatre: Semester + Year
    • ENGL 272: Advanced Acting: Semester + Year
    • ENGL 273: Mastering the Actor's Body
    • ENGL 278: Advanced Playwriting: Semester + Year
    • ENGL 290: Acting for Camera
    • ENGL 291: Musical Theater Performance
    • ENGL 360: Special Projects: Theater
    • Other classes offered occasionally may also fulfill this requirment
  • Eight credits of dramatic literature courses:
    • ENGL 203: Medieval Drama
    • ENGL 208: Renaissance Drama, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama
    • ENGL 209: Problems in Shakespeare
    • ENGL 210: Shakespeare
    • ENGL 214: Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama
    • ENGL 228: African-American Drama
    • ENGL 235: Modern Drama
    • ENGL 243: Major Author—A Playwright

Students undertaking an Independent Study (ENGL 391) whose subject is Theatre or Dramatic Research, or enrolled in a standard Research Course (ENGL 380) or Honors Thesis (ENGL 398) with a Dramatic Literature/ Theatrical focus might also have those classes count towards a Minor in Theatre.

Study Abroad options in London and Bath (if allied to dramatic or theatrical work) might count towards a Minor. Other courses relating to drama and/or theatre, in the English Department may, from time to time, be valid additions to this list, too. See the Director of Undergraduate Studies for details.

It should be noted that ENGL 298 (299): Performance Lab and ENGL 392: Practicum (Advanced Stage Management) currently do not count towards the Minor.

 

Other courses in the English department relating to drama and/or theater may, from time to time, be valid additions to this list. See the director of undergraduate studies or the Artistic Director of the Theatre Program (nigel.maister@rochester.edu)