Or, I Have to Take What?

This page offers some answers to common questions about the courses and requirements for English and English education majors. Need to know when courses will be offered? Visit our course offerings page. Got a question that's not here? Contact us!

Current Questions:

• Can I challenge ENG 100 or WRT 100?
• Which courses count as pre-1800, post-1800, Advanced American, and Advanced Composition electives?
• What can I take to replace ENG 431 on my curriculum card?

I have to take ENG 100 and WRT 100 to meet my general education requirements. Can I take a challenge exam to receive course credit without having to take ENG 100 and/or WRT 100?

As of the Fall 2007 semester, you cannot take a challenge exam to receive credit for either ENG 100 or WRT 100.

To receive course credit for ENG 100 without taking it at Niagara, you have two options:

• Score a 3 or better on the AP English Literature and Composition exam. Have your scores sent to Niagara University, and then AP credit should appear on your transcript.
• Take the equivalent of ENG 100 at another accredited college or university, and have it approved as transfer credit.
  • If you are a transfer student to NU, you will want to discuss this with the person doing your advising.
  • If you are a current NU student, you will need to fill out a Transfer Courses Permission Form and have it approved by the Dean of Arts and Sciences before you take the course.

To receive course credit for WRT 100 without taking it at Niagara, you have two options:

• Score a 3 or better on the AP English Language and Composition exam. Have your scores sent to Niagara University, and then AP credit should appear on your transcript.
• Take the equivalent of WRT 100 at another accredited college or university, and have it approved as transfer credit.
  • If you are a transfer student to NU, you will want to discuss the courses you have taken and their equivalents with the person doing your advising.
  • If you are a current NU student, you will need to fill out a Transfer Courses Permission Form and have it approved by the Dean of Arts and Sciences before you take the course.

What exactly are Pre-1800, Post-1800, Advanced American, and Advanced Composition Electives?

On your curriculum card, you may see spaces marked English Elective: Pre-1800, Post-1800, Advanced American, and/or Advanced Composition. An elective means that you can choose from a selection of designated courses instead of having to take a specific course. Specific courses in the English department have been designated as Pre-1800, Post-1800, Advanced American, or Advanced Composition; the deisgnator depends on the material that is covered in the course. You can choose any course with the appropriate designation to fit that space in your curriculum card as long as the course is not being used to fulfill another requirement on your card. A list of the different courses which satisfy each elective requirement are available below.

Pre-1800 Electives

• ENG 300 Medieval Literature
• ENG 301 Seventeenth Century Literature
• ENG 302 The Enlightenment
• ENG 303 English Renaissance Literature
• ENG 315 Greek & Roman Literature
• ENG 400 Shakespeare
• ENG 401 Dante
• ENG 405 Milton
• ENG 420 History of the English Novel I

Post-1800 Electives

• ENG 305 English Romantic Poetry
• ENG 306 Victorian Poetry
• ENG 307 The Modern Age Through Contemporary Literature
• ENG 406 Modern British Poetry
• ENG 421 The History of the English Novel

Advanced American Electives

• ENG 308 Romanticism in America
• ENG 310-312 Studies in American Authors
• ENG 407 Modern American Novel
• ENG 409-411 Topics in American Literature
• ENG 430 19th Century American Fictions

Advanced Composition Electives

• ENG 221 Creative Writing
• ENG 321 Poetry Writing
• ENG 322 Creative Nonfiction
• ENG 342 Special Topics in Web Writing
• ENG 343 Studies in Rhetorical Theory
• ENG 345/545 Science Writing
• ENG 346/546 Visual Rhetoric
• ENG 348/548 Ethnography and Travel Writing
• ENG 355 Teaching Composition (If you are NOT an English Ed major.)
• ENG 356 Grammar: Theory and Practice (If you are NOT an English Ed major.)

Got a question whether a specific course counts as an elective? Ask your advisor.

My curriculum card says I have to take ENG 431, but it's not offered. What are my options to replace the course?

According to Dr. Laurel: "The English Department has found that we just do not draw enrollments for English 431. The reason that we had ENG 431 History & Development of the English Language on the books is because we promised the Education accreditation agencies that we would instruct students on the history & development of the English language. However, we do not necessarily need to do so in a stand-alone course."

The material in ENG 431 is covered in most courses which cover material prior to 1800 (which the English department calls pre-1800 surveys and electives). These courses can be used as substitutes:

• ENG 203 Major British Authors Part I
• ENG 300 Medieval Literature
• ENG 301 Seventeenth Century Literature
• ENG 302 The Enlightenment
• ENG 303 English Renaissance Literature
• ENG 315 Greek & Roman Literature
• ENG 400 Shakespeare
• ENG 401 Dante
• ENG 405 Milton
• ENG 420 History of the English Novel I

However, if you have already taken all the pre-1800 electives, or if you have a schedule conflict with the pre-1800 elective(s) being offered in a semester where you would need to take ENG 431,you may substitute another advanced literature course.