A concentration consists of three or more courses, no more than one of which may be taken at the 100- or 200-level, and one of which must be at the 400-level. Note that some concentrations have more specific requirements. For instance, for Creative Writing and Professional Writing and Publishing concentrations, more specific course requirements have been identified. See individual concentrations for details.

Some overlap is allowed if a student is pursuing multiple concentrations: students with two concentrations can count one course toward both concentrations; students completing three concentrations can double count two courses, but each of these courses may count toward no more than two concentrations.

Any course not listed under a concentration may only count as an elective. In certain cases, students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to have courses and independent studies count toward a concentration or toward one other than those indicated below. Students may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to have up to one course from another department count toward the major or a concentration. Students also may petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies to design their own concentration. Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog to determine if any of the courses on these lists are approved for General Education.

Selective Concentration Requirements: 9-33 hours
For One Concentration 9-15 hours
For Two Concentrations 15-24 hours
For Three Concentrations 21-33 hours

Complete three courses in at least one of the concentrations listed below. Lists of courses approved for each concentration can be found below.

Below are the courses that qualify for the concentration Literatures in English. Select three (9 hours) of the following, according to the guidelines listed in General Information about Concentrations.

ENGL 101      Understanding Literature and Culture
ENGL 103      Understanding Poetry
ENGL 104      Understanding Drama
ENGL 105      Understanding Fiction
ENGL 118      Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910
ENGL 119      Introduction to African American Literature since 1910
ENGL 175      Understanding the Bible as Literature
ENGL 213      Introduction to Shakespeare
ENGL 223      Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 236      Young Adult Fiction
ENGL 237      Graphic Novels
ENGL 238      Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy
ENGL 245      Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature
ENGL 247      Women and Literature
ENGL 251      Literature and the Environment
ENGL 260      Comparative Black Literatures
ENGL 261      Reading Black Women Writing
ENGL 262      Black Cultural Studies
ENGL 264      Introduction to Native American Literatures
ENGL 265      The Harlem Renaissance
ENGL 266      Topics in African Literature
ENGL 267      Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literature
ENGL 268      Introduction to Asian American Literature
ENGL 269      Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States
ENGL 295      Latino Literary Studies
ENGL 303      Studies in Poetry
ENGL 304      Studies in Drama
ENGL 305      Studies in Fiction
ENGL 311      Medieval English Literature
ENGL 312      Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Literature
ENGL 313      Major Plays of Shakespeare
ENGL 314      Milton
ENGL 315      Eighteenth-Century Literature
ENGL 316      British Romantic Literature
ENGL 317      Victorian Literature
ENGL 319      20^th – 21^st Century British Literature
ENGL 322      Colonial and Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 325      20^th – 21^st Century American Literature
ENGL 329      Literatures in English Other than English and American
ENGL 335      Studies in Literature and Popular Culture
ENGL 340      Literary Theory
ENGL 346      History of Literary Criticism
ENGL 347      Gender and Sexuality in Literature
ENGL 351      Topics in Black Art and Literature
ENGL 367      Latinx Literature
ENGL 368      Asian American Literature
ENGL 369      Multiethnic American Literature
ENGL 376      Literature and Religion
ENGL 378      Special Topics in English Studies
ENGL 406      Topics in Poetry and Poetic Theory
ENGL 407      Topics in Fiction and Theories of Fiction
ENGL 409      Topics in Literature and Culture
ENGL 410      Topics in Old English Literature
ENGL 411      Topics in Medieval Literature
ENGL 412      Topics in Renaissance Literature
ENGL 413      Topics in Shakespeare
ENGL 414      Topics in Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature and Culture
ENGL 415      Topics in Romantic Literature and Culture
ENGL 418      Topics in Victorian Literature
ENGL 422      Topics in Postcolonial and World Literature in English
ENGL 423      Topics in American Literary Nonfiction Prose
ENGL 424      Topics in American Literature and Culture to the 20th Century
ENGL 425      Topics in 20th and 21st Century American Literature and Culture
ENGL 435      Topics in Pop Culture and Literature
ENGL 435      Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Literature
ENGL 446      Topics in Criticism and Theory
ENGL 447      Women’s Literary Traditions
ENGL 458      History of the English Language
ENGL 466      Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States
ENGL 467      Topics in Latinx Literature
ENGL 468      Topics in Asian American Literature
ENGL 473      Topics in Black Literature
ENGL 475      The Bible as Literature: The Hebrew Bible
ENGL 476      The Bible as Literature: The New Testament

Total: 9 hours

Creative writers don’t just invent stories.
They change the way we see the world. And how we see ourselves.

Creative writers innovate with language. 
They experiment with form and genre. They push boundaries. They invert hierarchies. They amplify silenced voices and marginalized experiences. They reimagine identity.

UIC’s talented creative writing faculty are changing the face of American literature today.
Learn from internationally celebrated authors Luis Alberto Urrea, Daniel Borzutzky, Christina Pugh, Cris Mazza, Christopher Grimes, Mary Ann Mohanraj, and many more. Our creative writing faculty are recognized with prestigious awards and honors, including:

• Pulitzer Prizes
• National Book Awards
• Guggenheim Fellowships
• National Academy of Arts and Letters
• PEN/Faulkner Awards
• PEN/Nelson Algren Awards
• National Endowment of the Arts
• Poetry Society of America

Creative writing students at UIC English get recognized.
They win coveted awards, secure exciting internships, are accepted to prestigious graduate programs, and, of course, they get published! (In other words, they kick ass.)

Creative writing, in 27 hours:
3 required core courses (ENGL 207, 208, 209) = 9 hours
3 creative writing courses in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry = 9 hours
2 English electives (or an additional concentration) = 6+ hours
1 upper-level writing, internship, or portfolio course = 3 hours

Change the world. One story at a time.

Select one category within the concentration Creative Writing and take both courses in sequence. Students are also required to repeat the 400-level course, for a total of 9 hours in the concentration.

Poetry
ENGL 290        Introduction to the Writing of Poetry
ENGL 490        Advanced Writing of Poetry

Fiction
ENGL 291        Introduction to the Writing of Fiction
ENGL 491        Advanced Writing of Fiction

Nonfiction
ENGL 292        Introduction to the Writing of Non-fiction Prose
ENGL 492        Advanced Writing of Nonfiction Prose

Total Hours     9

Note:  ENGL 492 may satisfy either the upper-level selective writing requirement or the Nonfiction requirement of the Creative Writing Concentration, but not both

Below are the courses that qualify for the concentration Film, Media, Performance, and Pop Culture. Select three (3) of the following according to the guidelines listed in General Information about Concentrations.

ENGL 104 Understanding Drama
ENGL 131 Understanding the Moving Image Arts
ENGL 132 Understanding Film
ENGL 135 Understanding Popular Genres and Culture
ENGL 229 Introduction to Asian Film
ENGL 230 Introduction to Film and Culture
ENGL 232 History of Film I: 1890 to World War II
ENGL 233 History of Film II: World War II to the Present
ENGL 234 History of Television
ENGL 236 Young Adult Fiction
ENGL 237 Graphic Novels
ENGL 238 Speculative Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy
ENGL 245 Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature
ENGL 262 Black Cultural Studies
ENGL 280 Media and Professional Writing
ENGL 304 Studies in Drama
ENGL 330 Cultural and Media Studies
ENGL 331 Studies in the Moving Image
ENGL 335 Studies in Literature and Popular Culture
ENGL 340 Literary Theory
ENGL 344 Gender Theory
ENGL 345 Queer Theory
ENGL 346 History of Literary Criticism
ENGL 347 Gender and Sexuality in Literature
ENGL 350 Disability Studies
ENGL 376 Literature and Religion
ENGL 383 Writing Digital and New Media
ENGL 404 Topics in Performance Studies
ENGL 409 Topics in Literature and Culture
ENGL 430 Topics in Cultural and Media Studies
ENGL 435 Topics in Pop Culture and Literature
ENGL 443 Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature
ENGL 444 Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 446 Topics in Criticism and Theory
ENGL 449 Women and Film
ENGL 450 Topics in Disability Studies
ENGL 495 Playwriting

Total 9 Hours

Below are the courses that qualify for the concentration Professional Writing.

Required Course:
ENGL 280 Media and Professional Writing 3 hours

Select two of the following: 6 hours

ENGL 380 Advanced Professional Writing
ENGL 382 Editing and Publishing
ENGL 383 Writing Digital and New Media
ENGL 384 Technical Writing
ENGL 388 Writing for the Health Professions
ENGL 389 Writing for Community Activism and Advocacy

Select one of the following: 3-6 hours

ENGL 493 Internship in Nonfiction Writing
ENGL 496 Portfolio Practicum

Total Hours 12-15

Note: ENGL 493/496 also fulfills the major’s selective upper-level writing requirement. The same course, however, may not be used to satisfy both requirements. ENGL 493 must be taken for at least 3 credit hours to satisfy this requirement.

Below are the courses that qualify for the concentration Race, Gender, Sexuality and Multiethnic Studies. Select three of the following according to the guidelines in Information about Concentrations.

ENGL 118      Introduction to African American Literature, 1760-1910
ENGL 119      Introduction to African American Literature since 1910
ENGL 229      Introduction to Asian Film
ENGL 236      Young Adult Fiction
ENGL 237      Graphic Novels
ENGL 245      Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Literature
ENGL 247      Women and Literature
ENGL 260      Comparative Black Literatures
ENGL 261      Reading Black Women Writing
ENGL 262      Black Cultural Studies
ENGL 264      Introduction to Native American Literatures
ENGL 265      The Harlem Renaissance
ENGL 266      Topics in African Literature
ENGL 269      Introduction to Multiethnic Literatures in the United States
ENGL 295      Latino Literary Studies
ENGL 344      Gender Theory
ENGL 345      Queer Theory
ENGL 347      Gender and Sexuality in Literature
ENGL 350      Disability Studies
ENGL 351      Topics in Black Art and Literature
ENGL 367      Latinx Literature
ENGL 368      Asian American Literature
ENGL 369      Multiethnic American Literature
ENGL 443      Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Literature
ENGL 444      Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 447      Women’s Literary Traditions
ENGL 449      Women and Film
ENGL 450      Topics in Disability Studies
ENGL 466      Topics in Multiethnic Literatures in the United States
ENGL 467      Topics in Latinx Literature
ENGL 468      Topics in Asian American Literature
ENGL 473      Topics in Black Literature

Below are the courses that qualify for the concentration Rhetoric, Public Engagement, and Language Studies. Select three of the following according to the guidelines listed in Information about Concentrations.

ENGL 154 Understanding Rhetoric
ENGL 158 English Grammar and Style
ENGL 253 Environmental Rhetoric
ENGL 258 The Grammar and Style of Non-Standard Englishes in the U.S.
ENGL 280 Media and Professional Writing
ENGL 282 Peer Tutoring in the Writing Center
ENGL 297 Studies in the Classical Tradition
ENGL 330 Cultural and Media Studies
ENGL 340 Literary Theory
ENGL 344 Gender Theory
ENGL 345 Queer Theory
ENGL 346 History of Literary Criticism
ENGL 350 Disability Studies
ENGL 354 Rhetorical Studies
ENGL 355 Rhetoric and Public Life
ENGL 356 Argument and Persuasion
ENGL 380 Advanced Professional Writing
ENGL 383 Writing Digital and New Media
ENGL 389 Writing for Community Activism and Advocacy
ENGL 430 Topics in Cultural and Media Studies
ENGL 444 Topics in Theories of Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 446 Topics in Criticism and Theory
ENGL 450 Topics in Disability Studies
ENGL 452 The Freshwater Lab
ENGL 453 The Freshwater Lab Internship Course
ENGL 454 Rhetoric
ENGL 455 Topics in Rhetorical Studies
ENGL 456 Topics in Language and Rhetoric
ENGL 457 Topics in the English Language and Linguistics
ENGL 458 History of the English Language
ENGL 463 Discourse and Rhetoric
ENGL 482 Writing Center Leadership

Petition to design your own concentration by contacting the English advisor, Hideaki Noguchi.

For a list of all courses taught in the UIC Department of English click here.

For a list of all courses taught this semester in the UIC Department of English click here.