This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2022-23.


Major Requirements

Students are strongly encouraged to elect more than the required number of courses and to support their studies in English with appropriate courses in art, music, history, the literatures of other languages, and the classics.

Juniors and seniors who come to the major later in their undergraduate careers will normally substitute designated upper-level courses for the two required 200-level courses; however, with the permission of the chair they may enroll in ENGL 200 or 201.

The minimum number of courses must include the following:

Required Courses

Postcolonial Literature

A course in postcolonial literature at the 200 or 300 level

300- and 400-level Electives

Four full-credit courses at the 300 and 400 level, at least one of which must be a 400-level seminar in literature; (that is, , , , and  do not meet the seminar requirement). Among the courses taken at the 300 or 400 level two must be courses in literature before 1800. Only one of the courses meeting the pre-1800 requirement may be / or /.

GPA Requirement

Passing grades are required in a minimum of nine departmental courses, with a major GPA of 2.00 averaged over all courses taken in the department.

Honors and High Honors

Students interested in pursuing honors can find the additional requirements on the  department page.


English Department

For more information about the department, including Faculty, transfer credit, awards, etc., please visit the  catalog page.