B.A. Program in English

As of April 2025, the Change of Major/Minor Request Form is initiated by the new major or minor adviser. Please contact an adviser to initiate the form and begin the process.

For English majors with options in literature or creative writing, the adviser is Dr. Samina Najmi.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in English offers multiple paths. In all three options, students take core courses in literature, textual analysis, and writing, as they learn to engage a wide range of authors, periods, and genres of literature deeply and skillfully.

B.A. English, Literature option — Extended study of literature with specialized coursework and scholarly research in literature and/or rhetoric and writing studies.

B.A. English, Creative Writing option — Extended study in the art of literary writing in the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as literary publishing.

B.A. English Studies — Extended exploration of educational contexts for teaching English, including issues in literacy, society, and communication. (Formerly known as English Education.)

Degree requirements are determined by your catalog year.  That means you may have different requirements than other English majors. This is why it is especially important to meet with an adviser early to make sure that you understand what courses (and in which order) you need to take.

Start with your catalog year. Catalog years are determined in one of three ways:

• the academic year (AY) you began classes on the Fresno State campus;

• the AY you began classes at one of our area community colleges (Fresno City or Clovis, for instance);

• or, the AY you graduate.

Most students have the catalog year for when they began classes as the Fresno State campus. You may change your catalog year, but you then must meet all of the requirements for that catalog year.

Note: If your catalog year is between AY 2003-04 and AY 2018-19, you will have one set of requirements, and if your catalog is AY 2019-20 or later, you will have a different set of requirements.

If you aren’t sure what your catalog year is, it will be identified at the top of your Degree Progress Report, which you can access through the My Fresno State portal.

For more, you can visit the Academic Regulations webpage of the University Catalog website, and click on "Choice of Catalog."

Visit the University Catalog website. In the left index, click on "Courses" and then in the Course Filter box search for ENGL under prefix.

Visit the English Department's Student Resources page for a list of current topics courses being offered, including the topics for the Engl 195 senior seminar course.

Visit the English Department's advising info page for general guidelines and contact information.

The current adviser for English majors in the Literature and Creative Writing options is Dr. Samina Najmi. Make an appointment with her via Calendly.

Visit the Arts and Humanities advising center website to make an advising appointment for G.E. requirements, minors, or change of major/option.

What can’t you do?

With honed communication skills and an eye for analysis, English graduates gain an edge in many fields. They become counselors, teachers, lawyers, technical writers, editors, filmmakers, business owners, policy analysts, and even doctors.