Navigating College Course Sequences: What to Take After Freshman English

Freshman English, often called English Composition I, serves as a cornerstone in a student's academic journey. It equips students with essential writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills necessary for success in college and beyond. But what comes next? The path after freshman English varies across institutions, with a range of courses designed to further hone writing abilities, explore literary genres, or delve into specialized fields. This article explores potential course sequences following freshman English, drawing upon examples from various universities to provide a comprehensive overview.

Fulfilling Core Requirements: A Foundation for Further Study

Many universities have core or general education requirements that include English composition. For instance, at the University of Nevada, Reno, students must complete ENG 102 (or its equivalent) after potentially taking ENG 100I, ENG 101, or ENG 113 in their first semester. These courses, along with a college math course, form the foundation of their general education. Auburn University also mandates two semesters of English Composition for graduation, typically ENGL 1100 and ENGL 1120.

Satisfying Writing Requirements

Some institutions, like the University of California, Davis, have a two-course writing requirement that can be met through various options. These include two courses emphasizing written expression, or one course focusing on written expression and another on oral expression, all with a minimum grade of C- or P. Transfer courses equivalent to specific English or Comparative Literature courses may also satisfy this requirement. Alternatively, students at UC Davis can opt to take a challenge exam after completing 70 units of degree credit to test out of the writing requirement.

Building Upon Foundational Skills: Intermediate and Advanced Courses

After completing the initial composition requirement, students can choose from a variety of courses designed to build upon their foundational skills. These courses often focus on specific writing styles, research methodologies, or disciplinary applications.

Intermediate Writing Courses

At UC Davis, students in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences can opt for an intermediate writing course like UWP 48 (Style in the Essay) or UWP 49 (Writing Research Papers) as their second course. UWP 48 focuses on analyzing style, developing a written voice, revising sentences, and constructing effective arguments. UWP 49 emphasizes critical reading, analysis, documentation, and writing skills essential for research-based assignments.

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Advanced Composition and Writing in the Disciplines

Advanced courses aim to enhance students' analytical and writing skills, preparing them for upper-division coursework, graduate studies, or professional endeavors. UC Davis offers UWP 101 (Advanced Composition), which provides instruction in various modes of writing, including narrative, analysis, explanation, argument, and critique.

Writing in the Disciplines courses, such as UWP 102B (Writing in the Disciplines: Biological Sciences) and UWP 102C (Writing in the Disciplines: History), offer advanced instruction tailored to specific academic fields. These courses often require concurrent enrollment in a related subject-matter course. Other specialized courses include UWP 102E (Writing in Engineering) and UWP 102L (Writing in the Disciplines: Film Studies).

Writing in the Professions

For students aiming for specific career paths, courses like UWP 104A (Writing in the Professions: Business Writing), UWP 104B (Writing in the Professions: Law), and UWP 104C (Writing in the Professions: Journalism) provide targeted instruction. These courses focus on the writing styles and conventions relevant to their respective fields. For example, UWP 104A covers formal and informal reports, data presentation, and documentation for various audiences. UWP 104B emphasizes critical thinking, argumentation, and style in the legal profession. UWP 104C focuses on non-fiction writing for magazines and newspapers, including research, interviewing, and market analysis. Other offerings include UWP 104D (Writing in the Professions: Elementary and Secondary Education), UWP 104E (Writing in the Professions: Science), UWP 104F (Writing in the Health Profession), UWP 104I (Writing in the Professions: Writing for Internships), and UWP 104T (Writing in the Professions: Technical Writing).

Exploring Literature and Rhetoric

Beyond composition-focused courses, students can explore literature and rhetoric to broaden their understanding of language and its uses.

Introduction to Literature

Courses like ENGL 202 introduce students to literary genres, concepts, and terms, emphasizing explication and interpretation, and writing about literature. Subsequent courses, such as ENGL 203, ENGL 204, and ENGL 205, delve into representative readings from different periods of American and British literature, exposing students to a wide range of canonical and non-canonical works.

Rhetoric and Argumentation

Courses such as ENGL 145 (Examination of rhetorical principles and ethical rhetorical action) explore rhetorical principles and their application to arguments across various genres and media. Students learn to evaluate the credibility of evidence and sources. ENGL 147 focuses on the critical analysis of arguments about STEM topics, applying logical and rhetorical principles to evaluate sources and compose arguments.

Specialized English Courses

Many institutions offer specialized English courses that cater to diverse interests and needs. These courses can range from technical communication to creative writing.

Technical and Professional Communication

ENGL 221 introduces students to the rhetorical, stylistic, and genre conventions used in technical and professional communication. The course emphasizes the analysis, evaluation, and production of technical and professional documents. ENGL 310 focuses on forms of communication characteristic of business and industry. ENGL 317 provides instruction and practice in editing skills commonly used in workplace settings, covering copyediting, sentence-level editing, and substantive editing. ENGL 319 covers the theory and practice involved with the production of technical documents, focusing on typography, information design principles, and project management.

English Course Examples

ENGL 131 and ENGL 132 form a two-part stretch course sequence focusing on rhetorical principles and strategies for effective academic writing. ENGL 133 emphasizes writing for multilingual audiences, while ENGL 134 focuses on general rhetorical principles. ENGL 135 offers guided discussion and practice of writing strategies for students seeking support for first-year composition-related coursework. ENGL 150 provides similar support for writing-related coursework and the Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR). ENGL 220 explores how writing and rhetoric shape and are shaped by social and cultural activity, focusing on the relationship between literacies and discourses.

British Literature Survey Courses

ENGL 230 surveys a thousand years of British literature, from the eighth to the eighteenth century, while ENGL 231 broadly surveys Romantic, Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary British literature. ENGL 330 delves into the historical development of medieval English literature, while ENGL 331 explores the literary, historical, political, religious, and scientific concerns of the Age of the Renaissance. ENGL 332 provides an in-depth exploration of the literature of the British Romantic period. ENGL 334 studies the historical, philosophical, and literary reaction to the rise of the modern industrial state. ENGL 335 explores British literature from Modernism through Postmodernism. ENGL 339 focuses on Shakespeare's works.

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American Literature Survey Courses

ENGL 241 covers American literature from the pre-Columbian era to the end of the Civil War, while ENGL 242 covers American literature from the rise of literary nationalism to the present.

World Literature Survey Courses

ENGL 251 examines the ancient epics and classical literature of Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. ENGL 252 examines key works marking the transition from Mediterranean Classicism to an emergent European tradition. ENGL 253 examines major works from the Age of Revolution. ENGL 255 focuses on culturally diverse children's literature.

Other English Courses

ENGL 270 involves directed group study of selected topics, while ENGL 272 focuses on the active viewing and critical analysis of cinema. ENGL 290 introduces the nature of language and the concepts and methods of linguistic science.

Upper-Division English Courses

ENGL 303, ENGL 304, ENGL 305, and ENGL 306 offer representative readings in American and British literature from various periods. ENGL 311 analyzes multi-genre and multi-modal pieces, focusing on rhetorical strategies. ENGL 312 focuses on writing and analysis of multi-genre and multi-modal projects for bilingual and multilingual audiences. ENGL 315 and ENGL 316 focus on place-based writing investigating the social and humanistic impacts of environmental issues and sustainability.

Transferring Credit and Meeting Prerequisites

Students transferring from other institutions or seeking to enroll in specific courses should be aware of transfer credit policies and prerequisites. Auburn University, for example, requires a grade of C or higher in ENGL 1100 to take ENGL 1120, and a C or higher in ENGL 1120 to take Core Literature. Students may need to provide documentation, such as a course syllabus or an official university description, to verify that a transfer course meets the requirements of a specific course.

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