Major map compass icon
2024-2025

English, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts: General Studies (English) (College of Southern Maryland)
College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland
Associate degree

Associate of Arts: General Studies (English)

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The Department of English teaches students to see their worlds with clarity and respond to them with sensitivity, through reading, writing, and critical thinking. Students gain the knowledge and skills to participate actively and conscientiously in the twenty-first-century global culture and the professional workplace. The Department fosters the deep reading of the traditional Anglophone canon as well as the literatures of diverse cultures and under-represented voices, it cultivates an appreciation of their aesthetic features and social functions, and it studies the crafts of creative and professional writing. By engaging in multiple media, learning a wide variety of rhetorical practices, and writing and editing academic and creative texts, students gain skills in critical and creative thinking increasingly recognized as essential by employers. Students are prepared to participate in their historical and cultural moment, to speak with authority about the literatures of the past and present, and to produce substantial creative and professional communication of their own.


Students have the option to pursue minors in creative writing or professional writing and editing. Students also have the opportunity for meaningful experiential learning, whether through internships, independent studies, or pursuit of the department’s Distinguished Majors program.

Career opportunities

A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers lists written communication skills as the single most desirable attribute any employer seeks. Similarly, Google’s Project Oxygen revealed the seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills cultivated by humanities degrees including communicating and listening well, possessing insights into others, particularly those with different values and points of view, and being able to make connections across complex ideas. An undergraduate degree in English provides exactly those skills.


Additionally, a degree in English is good preparation for graduate study in English, as well as other areas such as, law, education, public administration, or business. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are imperative for most careers related to non-profits, education, law and business. Gain experience in fundraising and grant writing techniques. Nonprofit and educational organizations are often funded in this manner. Part-time and summer jobs, internships, and volunteer positions are critical to gaining the experience and skills that employers seek.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Editor
  • Fundraiser  
  • High School Teacher
  • Human Resource Specialist
  • Library Technician
  • Proof Readers and Copy Markers
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Reporters and Correspondents
  • Research Assistant
  • Social Media Coordinator
  • Staff and Legislative Assistant
  • Technical Writer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Advertising Executive
  • Attorney
  • College Professor or Administrator
  • Copywriter
  • Director of Communications
  • Public Policy Specialist
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • To declare: none To graduate: 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

English, Bachelor of Arts

College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Arts: General Studies (English))

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to English through the Career Coach.
  • Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Take a career assessment through the Career Coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
Experience Year 2
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU English Department and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or English department-related events.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college. The English department offers three internship options.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college to explore your interests.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to English through the Career Coach.
  • Explore the community college’s Focus 2 Career resource to look into building a career and financial future.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take a career assessment through the Career Coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU English Department and consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or English department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college. The English department offers three internship options.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college to explore your interests.
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

English, Bachelor of Arts

College of Southern Maryland (Associate of Arts: General Studies (English))

College of Southern Maryland courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENG 1010 Composition and Rhetoric Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 1020 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
FYS 1010 First Year Seminar UNIV 101 3 Elective
MTH 1010 Quantitative Literacy and Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
SCE 1010 Scientific Method and the Modern World INSC 1XX 3 Elective
SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology SOCY 101 3 General education
ENG 1020 Composition & Literature UNIV 200 3 General education
COM 1010 Basic Principles of Speech Communication SPCH 121 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science Select from approved list of general education courses VCU equivalent 3 General education
Biological/Physical Science Select 1: AST 1010, BIO 1060, CHE 1200, GEO 1010, PHY 1110 VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
Arts/Humanities Select 1: FRE 1010 or SPA 1010 or approved arts/humanities elective The VCU foreign language requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language. VCU equivalent 3 General education
ITS 1010 Computing and Information Technology INFO 1XX 3 Elective
Arts/Humanities FRE 1020 or SPA 1020 or approved arts/humanities elective (see note above) VCU equivalent 3 General education
English Select one: ENG 2030, 2040, 2070, 2140 ENGL 3 Elective
Literature Select 2: ENG 2010, 2020, 2200, 2210, 2320, 2330. ENGL 6 Major (Ancillary)
Literature Select one from approved list of ENG Literature classes ENGL 3 Elective
Electives Take 11 credits from any courses numbered 1001 and above VCU equivalent 11 Elective
CSM credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
ENGL 301 Introduction to the English Major 3 Major
ENGL 499 Senior Seminar in English 3 Major
ENGL Linguistics, writing, criticism: Select one course from two of the three areas (see VCU advisor for course options) 6 Major
ENGL Select two courses in Literature prior to 1700 (see VCU advisor for course options) 6 Major
ENGL Select two courses in Literature 1700-1945 (see VCU advisor for course options) 6 Major
ENGL Select one course in Literature of diversity (see VCU advisor for course options) 3 Major
ENGL Select required elective/optional focus credits. As part of the English major, electives allow students to take courses of particular interest to them. Electives may not be used to satisfy any other requirements for the major, except ENGL 499. In consultation with an adviser, students are encouraged to cluster their elective courses in one of the following focus areas: Literary studies, Writing, Criticism and theory, Cultural studies, or Linguistics. 9 Major
Upper-level electives (300 or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major. Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 24 Elective
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
The accelerated B.A. and M.A. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.A. and M.A. in English in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of at least 60 and no more than 75 undergraduate credit hours including ENGL 301 and a minimum of three courses at the 300 or 400 level (completion of a course in the 480s is strongly recommended) or permission of the chair; an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.5 in English course work.