College Catalog: 2013-2014

The Literature Major at Ramapo College: Read your world, Write your life.

Literature Majors read literature as an aesthetic endeavor, cultural critique, and personal search.  They develop the critical thinking, reading, research, and writing skills essential for success in our increasingly interconnected and changing world.  The Major prepares students for the working world, but also for the deeper life of the mind.  Literature Majors become thoughtful informed citizens who understand the necessity of engaging the imagination through the study of literary texts from around the world and across history.

The program balances survey and seminar, American, British and world literature.  Students study genre, period, and theme; they develop skills in reading, criticism, and creative writing.  Our courses emphasize the interdisciplinary and multicultural dimensions of literature and life.  They fire the imagination while preparing students for their careers or for graduate education.

Student creativity is central to the Literature program.  Students may either minor or concentrate in Creative Writing.  Our students also edit Trillium, the college literary magazine.  Our student organizations (the Literature Club, and the Omega Omega Chapter of the national English Honor Society) are among the most involved and successful on campus.  Also, the faculty advisor to the yearbook, The Arch, has long been a member of the Literature faculty.

Literature majors go on to a variety of exciting careers.  Many literature students prepare for these careers with internships, co-ops, and service learning placements.  Here, students make valuable connections in the community and the professional world.  Literature is, of course, excellent preparation for teaching on the elementary or secondary levels; however, teaching is by no means the only opportunity a literature degree offers.  Literature graduates do well in business, government, and even science, where articulate and creative expression is valued.  Our students have gone on to careers in publishing, writing, journalism, and library sciences.  Literature provides training for law, diplomacy, and public relations.  Visit our Alumni Success Stories page and meet some of our graduates:  https://www.ramapo.edu/major-literature/alumni/.

Literature is central to the College’s liberal arts mission, at the very heart of its focus on interdisciplinarity, multiculturalism, and global connection.  Literature takes in the entire world, and fosters the development of an enlightened and critical citizen of the world.

The major is offered by the Salameno School of American and International Studies and leads to a B.A. degree.  The Literature Program also offers two minors:  Literature or Creative Writing.  Some Literature Majors choose to pursue a concentration in Creative Writing.  Please visit https://www.ramapo.edu/major-literature/ to learn more about he major, minor, and concentration.

1. Students are required to take 12 courses (48 credits) to complete the major.
2. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers only apply to General Education Requirements NOT School Core or Major Requirements.
3. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
4. Writing Intensive Requirement (six courses):  three writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: First Year Seminar, Critical Reading and Writing (formerly College English), and Readings in the Humanities; the other three courses are taken in the major.

LITERATURE MAJOR

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

1. Students are required to take 6 courses (24 credits) to complete the minor.
2. At least 1/2 of the courses fulfilling a minor must be distinct from the student’s major. That is, three of the five courses required for a minor cannot be used towards fulfillment of major requirements. A school core does not need to be completed for a minor. Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.

LITERATURE MINOR

1. Students are required to take 5 courses (20 credits) to complete this minor.
2. At least 1/2 of the courses fulfilling a minor must be distinct from the student’s major. That is, three of the five courses required for a minor are not used towards fulfillment of major requirements. A school core does not need to be completed for a minor.

As is the case with the study of any art, the studio experience enhances the scholarly experience.  In order to complement the scholarly study of Literature for students majoring in other areas, the Literature program offers a minor in Creative Writing.  The minor provides students the opportunity to explore the discipline of Literature by focusing on the production of literary works with courses in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.  By creating literature, students are asked to embody and express the formal, aesthetic and thematic concerns that we shared with the scholarly aspects of literary study.  Additionally, the Creative Writing minor fosters the knowledge and talents of students who have demonstrated promise as writers and allows others to find talents they did not know they had.

A focused curricular and co-curricular experience, the Creative Writing minor is available for students majoring in areas other than Literature.  For students majoring in Literature a concentration in Creative Writing is available.  The Literature Program invites you to join our community of writers.

CREATIVE WRITING MINOR

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation.

General Education Requirements
Four Year Plan
Graduation Requirements
Literature Major Website
Salameno School of American and International Studies Website
Faculty Profiles