The Literature Major at Ramapo College: Read Your World, Write Your Life.

Literature majors are ready to embark on any number of exciting careers. Literature graduates excel in government, business, law, and even science—wherever articulate and creative expression is valued. And of course, the study of literature is excellent preparation for elementary or secondary teaching.

Ramapo’s Literature majors make valuable connections in the community and professional world through coursework, internships, co-ops, and service learning. They thrive in the worlds of publishing, writing, law, journalism, diplomacy, public relations, higher education, and library sciences.

Visit our Success Stories page and meet our graduates and current students: https://www.ramapo.edu/major-literature/success-stories/.

The Literature major does more than prepare students for the working world; it fosters thoughtful, informed citizenship. Students develop the critical thinking, reading, research, and writing skills essential in our increasingly interconnected world. As literary critic M. H. Abrams writes, the study of literature “shows you possibilities you haven’t thought of. It enables you to live the lives of other people than yourself.” Our students engage their imaginations through the study of literary texts that contain the history of our world—as that history actually unfolded and as it might have.

The program balances American, British, world literatures, and creative writing through survey, seminar, and workshop courses.  Students study genre, form, period, and theme; they develop skills in reading, criticism, and creative writing. Courses emphasize the interdisciplinary and multicultural dimensions of literature and life, firing the imagination while preparing students for careers or graduate education. Literature is central to the College’s liberal arts mission; literature takes in the entire world, and promotes critically informed global citizens.

Besides pursuing a Literature major, students may choose to minor or concentrate in Creative Writing. Our students also edit Trillium, the college’s literary magazine. The Literature Club and Ramapo’s Chapter of the national English Honor Society are among the most engaged and successful student organizations on campus.

Literature is central to the College’s liberal arts mission, at the very heart of its focus on interdisciplinary, multiculturalism, and global connection.  The major is offered by the Salameno School of Humanities and Global 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.

“Literature is the most astonishing technological means that humans have created, and now practiced for thousands of years, to capture experience.” —Stephen Greenblatt

Goal 1: Practice close reading:

“Close reading” includes but is not limited to reading literary texts to identify and interpret word choices such as inferences, ambiguity, and figurative language.

Goal 2: Perform literary research:

“Literary research” includes but is not limited to using primary, secondary, and visual source materials, accessed in various ways, including electronic databases.

Goal 3: Write well and creatively.

“Write well and creatively” includes but is not limited to demonstrating the ability to develop and support forceful, complex theses which acknowledge counterarguments and use a vocabulary of literary terms.

“Write well and creatively” includes but is not limited to demonstrating the ability to write formally complete works within a genre (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry).

Goal 4: Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of authors, literary traditions, and forms.

“Interconnectedness” includes but is not limited to connections across time, culture, and national and linguistic boundaries.

Goal 5: Understand literature in an interdisciplinary fashion.

“Understand literature in an interdisciplinary fashion” includes but is not limited to studying Literature to think creatively about problems within and beyond literary studies.

Goal 6: Understand that Literature develops over distinct periods.

“Understanding that Literature develops over distinct periods” includes but is not limited to analyzing this development and periods using different theoretical approaches.

1. Students 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 do not apply to Major Requirements.
3. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor.
4. Writing Intensive Requirement (five courses):  two writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: Critical Reading and Writing and Studies in the Arts and Humanities; the other three courses are taken in the major.  Within the major, the three courses will be LITR 203 “Methods of Literary Study,” LITR 240 “Survey of British Literature: Anglo-Saxon Period to 18th Century,” LITR 319 “Author Studies.”  Students also take LITR 414 “Literature Seminar.”
5. Not all courses are offered each semester.  Please check the current Schedule of Classes for semester course offerings.

LITERATURE MAJOR

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

1. Students are required to take 5 courses (20 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 share 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

In some circumstances, another course can be substituted for one of the above courses.  See the convener.

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 Humanities and Global Studies Website
Faculty Profiles