Department: English and World Languages
Chairperson: Susan Alice Fischer, PhD
718 270 4993 office
718 804 8294 fax
Email: safischer@mec.cuny.edu
Office: B-1015 A
Faculty: Jesus Bottaro, Victoria A. Chevalier, Magdala Desgranges, Brenda M. Greene, Susan Alice Fischer, Tonya Hegamin, Donna Hill, Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Sheldon Huggins, Tina M. Iemma, Hyo Kim, Keming Liu, Cristina Migliaccio, Augustine Okereke, Shelagh Patterson, Mudiwa Pettus, Karen Pitt, Maria -Luisa Ruiz, Joanna Sit, Carlyle Van Thompson
General Information
The Department of English and World Languages offers a baccalaureate degree in English, an associate degree in English, and an associate degree in African Diaspora Literature. At the end of these programs, students will be able to seek employment in diverse fields such as teaching, publishing, professional writing, and public relations and will also be prepared to undertake graduate studies in a range of professions including law, business, medicine, international relations, and creative writing.
The English BA Program
The baccalaureate degree program in English combines a solid liberal arts background in the humanities with the specialized skills needed to meet the growing demand for highly competent, high-performing, and broadly educated individuals in an increasingly diverse society and workplace. In addition to completing general education courses, including 6 credits in College Composition and a course in world literature, students take 18 credits in literature, a course in applied literary theory, a course in applied linguistics, an intermediate composition course, and a 12-credit concentration of courses in creative writing, professional writing or cross-cultural literature with a focus on the literature of the African diaspora. They also take Internship (ENGL 420 ), which introduces them to professional opportunities for English majors, and the Senior Thesis (ENGL 422 ), which provides the opportunity to research a literary topic they are interested in or to develop a manuscript in creative or professional writing. The distribution of required literature courses is as follows. All English BA students must take at least one course in each of the three following geographic areas of cross-cultural literature: European, American, and Caribbean/Latin American. Students take any two additional 300-level literature courses and a 300-level English elective in a concentration other than their own.
Admission into BA Program
Admission to the English BA program is open to all students. English majors must earn a minimum grade of C in all English courses. The AA degrees in English and African Diaspora Literature offer seamless transfer into the BA. In addition, the Department of English and World Languages has a formal articulation agreement with Kingsborough’s Journalism Program and the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Writing and Literature Program.
The AA Degree in English
The associate in English degree program feeds directly into the BA in English. The program aligns with the three concentrations offered by the BA in English (Cross-Cultural Literature; Professional Writing; Creative Writing). In addition to completing their general education courses, students must take ENGL 210 - Intermediate Composition and ENGL 211 - Introduction to Literary Studies and six elective credits in literature, professional writing or creative writing. Students have six credits for open electives.
The BA Degree in African Diaspora Literature
The baccalaureate degree program in African Diaspora Literature combines a solid liberal arts background in the humanities with the specialized skills needed to meet the growing demand for highly competent, high-performing, and broadly educated individuals in an increasingly diverse society and workplace. In addition to completing general education courses, including 6 credits in College Composition and a course in World Literature, students take Intermediate Composition, Introduction to Literary Studies, and Applied Literary Theory. Students in the African Diaspora Literature BA Program take two courses in each of the following three geographical areas: American Diaspora Literature, Caribbean/Latin American Diaspora Literature, and European Diaspora Literature; they also take four African Diaspora Literature elective courses. Students complete their program with a Senior Thesis (ENGL 422 ), which provides the opportunity to research a literary topic in the field of African Diaspora Literature.
The AA Degree in African Diaspora Literature
The Associate of Arts in African Diaspora Literature offers a smooth transition into the BA in English and provides students with an understanding of the complexity and diversity of African Diaspora literature and deepens students’ understanding of the cultural traditions, beliefs, world views, and values representative of people throughout the diaspora. In addition to completing their general education courses, students must take ENGL 210 - Intermediate Composition and ENGL 211 - Introduction to Literary Studies. In addition to the required literature and composition courses above, students will take 12 credits in African Diaspora Literature. Students have six credits for open electives.
Admission into the AA Degrees
Students pursuing an AA in English or African Diaspora Literature must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and earn a C or better in all major classes.
Student Life
A feature of the Department of English and World Languages programs is that all students are assigned a mentor upon declaring themselves to be English majors. The Department encourages its majors to attend special performances and literary extracurricular events and to write for The Crown Heights Review, published by the Department of English and World Languages. Students are also encouraged to present their papers and research, to participate in conferences, and to assist with co-curricular programs such as the National Black Writers Conferences and Symposia, sponsored by the Center for Black Literature.
Collaborative Relationships
The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, directed by Donna Hill, Associate Professor of English, has a mission to serve as a voice, space, and resource for Black writers and the general public. The Department collaborates with the Center to offer programs that raise students’ awareness of Black literature and support student concentrations in professional writing, creative writing, and cross-cultural literature. The Center also provides English majors with internships. English majors may also receive scholarships to participate in the Center’s Wild Seeds Writers Retreat.
The Crown Heights Review
The Crown Heights Review is a student literary journal published by the English Department. Its mission is rooted in our commitment to social justice and the idea that creative expression is vital to the life of a community. In keeping with the mission of Medgar Evers College, the Review aims to publish Medgar Evers College alumni and current student artists and writers to create a literary landscape that connects the College to its diverse community.