Undergraduate Advising
Planning
Balancing Your Schedule
We advise our majors to take a balanced schedule of 1-2 major courses, 1-2 general education courses, 1-2 double major, minor, or elective courses each semester. If the goal is to graduate in four years, we recommend taking 15 hours, or 4-6 courses, each term to stay on track.
Here’s how it works for English majors:
(Note: Creative Writing majors will have more electives; Teaching of English-Secondary Education minors will have few if any electives.)
| Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education Courses: 10 courses at 3-4 credit hours each | 30-35 |
| English major courses: 11 courses at 3 credit hours each | 33 |
| Western Civilization courses: 2 courses at 3 hours each | 6 |
| TOTAL | 69-74 |
| Credit hours needed for degree | 120 |
| Hours of ELECTIVES | 46-51 credit hours |
The electives can be used in various ways; for exploration, for second majors, for minors, for coursework to enhance the major, or just for areas of interest.
Other Options
Freshmen should seriously consider taking Discovery courses. These are options available only to freshmen and can be a great way to explore, expand, and meet new people.
