Writing Goals for English Majors

As of the Fall 2005 semester, English majors will choose one of the following three tracks:

• Literature
• English Education
• Business and Professional Writing

By the time they have completed their major requirements, all English majors, regardless of the track they choose, should be able to

1. produce writing that demonstrates advanced critical thinking skills of reflection, analysis, comparison, synthesis, and evaluation;
2. formulate a clear thesis and write a paper successfully supporting that thesis in well-organized, logical, and fully developed paragraphs;
3. recognize the importance of audience awareness;
4. understand the conventions of writing about literature and other kinds of texts;
5. generate organized and well-developed answers to subjective test questions such as short-answer and essay questions;
6. demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate use of sources so as to avoid plagiarism or the unfair use of others’ intellectual property;
7. demonstrate knowledge of English grammar, mechanics, and usage;
8. demonstrate a working knowledge of MLA style and/or APA styles (the latter for education majors as well as business and professional writing majors); and
9. use technology to conduct research and to complete writing assignments.