Undergraduate Advising
Taking Courses in Sequence
The English and Creative Writing curriculums are designed to add breadth and depth to your study of English literature and writing. The preferred way to proceed is to start with introductory courses and surveys which provide broad overviews and area coverage to prepare majors for advanced coursework as juniors and seniors.
Ideal sequence for English literature (Total of 11 courses over 8 semesters)
| Semester | Type of Course | Course Titles | Courses Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | Introductory course | Engl 200 | 1 course |
| 2nd semester | Survey course | Engl 209 or 210 or 255 | 1 course |
| 3rd semester | Survey course plus 200 level course | As above plus 200-level Engl from Groups I thru V | 2 courses |
| 4th semester | Survey course plus one of the following: Engl 301, another 200-level course, or Advanced Composition course | As above plus Engl 301, or 200-level Engl from Groups I thru V, or Engl 300 | 2 courses |
| 5th semester | Engl 301 or Advanced Composition course and a 200-400-level Engl or advanced Shakespeare | Engl 301 or Engl 300, and a 200-400-level Engl from Groups I thru V or Engl 418 | 2 courses |
| 6th semester | Advanced Shakespeare or course(s) to fulfill group | 300 or 400-level Engl
|
1 course |
| 7th semester | Advanced course(s) to fulfill group | As above | 1 course |
| 8th semester | Advanced course to fulfill group | As above | 1 course |
English curriculum:
http://www.english.illinois.edu/undergraduate/majors/
Ideal sequence for Creative Writing (Total of 10 courses over 8 semesters)
| Semester | Type of Course | Course Titles | Courses Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | Introductory writing course | CW 104 or 106 | 1 course |
| 2nd semester | 200-level literature course | Engl 2-- | 1 course |
| 3rd semester | Intermediate writing course | CW 204 or 202 or 206 | 1 course |
| 4th semester | 200-level literature course | Engl 2-- | 1 course |
| 5th semester | Advanced Composition course or writing course | Rhet 243 or CW 208 if Rhet 233 was taken | 1 course |
| 6th semester | Advanced writing course plus advanced lit course (including Shakespeare) | CW 404 or 406 plus Engl 3-- or 4-- or Engl 418 | 2 courses |
| 7th semester | As above plus advanced lit or Shakespeare | See above | 2 courses |
| 8th semester | As above plus advanced lit or Shakespeare if needed | See above | 1 course |
Creative Writing courses are sequenced for a reason. If you want to take CW 204, make sure you’ve taken its prerequisite, CW 104. The same is true for CW 202, 208, 404, 406, and 455. Prerequisites are essential and enforced by instructors.
CW curriculum: http://www.english.illinois.edu/undergraduate/majors/rhetoric/
