Advising Handbook for Majors in

  English  & Theatre

Academic Program Guide for Theatre Majors

[ First Year ] [ Sophomore Year ] [ Junior Year ] [ Senior Year ]

First Year

*Comments:

Major requirements:

1)    Theatre majors are required to participate in University Players productions by taking 5 credits of Production Lab. Some theatre majors begin fulfilling this requirement by taking THTR 280, Production Lab, a one-credit course, during spring of their freshman year.

General Education requirements:

1)    WRTG 107: In general, students will take WRTG 107, COMM 100, and C/IL 102 to satisfy the General Education skills requirements for that area unless they otherwise satisfy these skills requirements.(SJLA and ADP students will fulfill these requirements differently, as will students with advanced AP credits or those who pass exemption exams). You should take WRTG 107 as early in your curriculum as possible, in part because you may not take any writing intensive course until you have fulfilled the skills requirement in writing.  You may take C/IL 102 and COMM 100 either semester of your first year.

2)    SKILLS REQUIREMENT EXEMPTION EXAMS:  You may fulfill the skills requirements in writing, speech, or computer literacy by passing an exemption exam.  (The dates of such exams will be posted at the beginning of the year in the CAS Advising Center.) If you pass any of these exams, 3 credits are transferred from the Basic Skills requirement to the Free Elective area. Many students have found these "extra" credits useful if they adopt second majors, minors, concentrations, engage in foreign study, or join the Honors Program.

3)    COGNATE REQUIREMENTS: You must take ENLT 122 and one other course in dramatic literature in your cognate area.  Courses satisfying this requirement at the time this manual was written include ENLT 211, 220, 295, 340, 341, 345, 355, and 461 (more may be added).  Be aware that you should not take a 200-level course without having taken the appropriate introductory course (ENLT 122 or 140), and you should not take a 300-level ENLT course without having taken a 200-level one. 

4)    AP/TRANSFER CREDITS.  If you earned AP or transfer credits, you should pay attention to the way in which these credits have satisfied curricular requirements.  Go to the CAS Advising Center and ask to look at your CAPP report.  If, for instance, you have 6 AP credits in history, these will probably be applied to the Humanities elective area, and you should satisfy requirements in an area of your curriculum other than humanities.

Total Credits: The figure listed in the Program Guide and in the catalogue (for instance, 16 in the spring semester of your first year) is not cast in stone. The number simply represents the number of credits you need to take during a given semester to make sufficient progress toward the total number of credits you will need to graduate in four years. Some members of Sigma Tau Delta (the English Honor Society) have suggested that taking more credits as a freshman will make it easier for you to do a double or triple major later on, or to engage in programs such as study abroad curricula or the Honors Program.  It is certainly possible, then, for you to put off your physical education class and take an extra three-credit course in the spring semester, for a total of 18 credits.

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Academic Program Guide for Theatre Majors

Sophomore Year

  [ First Year ] [ Sophomore Year ] [ Junior Year ] [ Senior Year ]

*Comments:

Major requirements:

1)    At this time, you should start to explore internships; if you apply for these early in your academic career, you may be able to receive academic credit for major electives.  Discuss these possibilities with your departmental advisor.

2)    Many universities affiliated with the Study Abroad Program offer theatre courses that can be substituted for elective courses in your major.  Discuss these possibilities with your departmental advisor and with the Study Abroad Advisor. (See Additional Academic Programs for English and Theatre Majors.)

3)    Theatre majors are required to participate in University Players productions by taking 5 credits of Production Lab. During your sophomore year, you may work toward fulfilling this requirement by taking one credit of THTR 280 or requesting to take THTR 380, Advanced Production Lab, a two-credit course.

Cognate and General Education Requirements:

1)    Cognate electives must include two courses in dramatic literature, one of which must be ENLT 122. Courses satisfying the second requirement include ENLT 211, 220, 295, 340, 341, 345, 355, and 461.  But be aware that you should not take a 200-level course without having taken the appropriate introductory course (ENLT 122 or 140), and you should not take a 300-level ENLT course without having taken a 200-level one.

2)    You may wish to use your cognate and humanities elective to pursue a second major or minor.  A minor in English, for instance, requires 18 credits.  The catalog specifies that one of these courses should be ENLT 140 or its equivalent, and you should know that ENLT 122 counts as an equivalent of ENLT 140.  Thus, after you take your two dramatic literature courses, you would only need another four literature courses to complete a minor in English.

3)    Writing Intensive courses.  Once you have taken WRTG 107, you can take courses designated "Writing Intensive" (W).  Many of the 200-level literature courses are so designated, and you may wish to enroll for courses that both fulfill a cognate requirement and satisfy the University's Writing intensive requirement.

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Academic Program Guide for Theatre Majors

Junior Year

  [ First Year ] [ Sophomore Year ] [ Junior Year ] [ Senior Year ]

*Comments:

Major requirements:

1)    Theatre majors must select four cognate electives from the following:  any THTR course at the 200 level or higher; WRTG 215, WRTG 315, and ENLT courses 200 level or higher that qualify as dramatic literature courses.

2)    Theatre majors are required to participate in University Players productions by taking 5 credits of Production Lab. During your junior year, continue fulfilling this requirement by taking one or more credits of THTR 280 or requesting to take THTR 380.

Cognate and General Education Requirements:

1)    Cognate electives: see the discussion under #1, sophomore year.

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Academic Program Guide for Theatre Majors

Senior Year

  [ First Year ] [ Sophomore Year ] [ Junior Year ] [ Senior Year ]

*Comments:

Major requirements:

1)    Theatre majors must select four cognate electives from the following:  any THTR course at the 200 level or higher; WRTG 215, WRTG 315, and ENLT courses 200 level or higher that qualify as dramatic literature courses.

2)    Theatre majors are required to participate in University Players productions by taking 5 credits of Production Lab. During your senior year, be sure to finish this program requirement by taking one or more credits of THTR 280 or requesting to take THTR 380.

Cognate and General Education Requirements:

1)    Cognate electives: see the discussion under #1, sophomore year.

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