Literatures in English, Literature and Social Justice Emphasis, B.A.

Lower Division Literature and Social Justice Emphasis Requirements [16 Units]

Upper Division Literature and Social Justice Emphasis Requirements [32 Units]

This emphasis builds a critical framework for understanding social inequity, oppression, and movements for social justice. Courses may focus on literature by historically marginalized communities, including those oppressed by structures of race, gender, sexuality, physical and mental ability, citizenship and migration status, religion, class, and other vectors of identity and power. Courses may approach literature as a social space shaped by migration, violence, empire, law, history, geography, and politics, and therefore as a space of social contestation and social justice activism. This emphasis track enables students to ethically examine the possibilities and limits of literature and literary studies as tools to create a more just world for all.

Graduates of this emphasis track might pursue careers in: law, policy, nonprofit administration, social justice and human rights advocacy, education, academia, lobbying, government, community organizing, social work, consulting, management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. Students pursuing this track may wish to minor in Sociology, Public Health, CRES, Spanish, Chicano/a Studies, or Community Research and Service depending on their interests and goals.

Transfer Students

Transfer students who wish to major in Literatures in English should complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at their community college. Transfer students may not be admitted to the Literatures in English major without specific major preparation. Below are the Transfer Admission Criteria for the Literatures in English Major.

Literatures in English Honors Program

UC Merced Literatures in English majors may petition to join the English Honors Program, which will have additional requirements beyond the standard Literatures in English major. Undergraduate majors who are accepted and successfully complete the Honors Program will receive a notation to that effect on their diploma and on their undergraduate transcript thereafter.

Students apply to join the Honors Program in the Spring of their third year. To be eligible for the Honors Program, a Literatures in English major must achieve an overall GPA of 3.3 and a minimum GPA of 3.7 in the major. A student with a GPA in the major between 3.5 and 3.69 must petition the Honors Committee for an exemption. Students admitted to the English Honors Program will be required to enroll in the two semester Honors Senior Thesis sequence, ENG 193H  and ENG 194H . These courses will count as two of the four upper division seminars required of all Literatures in English majors, with one of the courses replacing ENG 190. Students doing a Literature and Social Justice or Literature and the Environment emphasis track who wish to complete the honors program will need to complete an honors thesis related to their emphasis, and ENG 193 and 194 will count as two of the four upper division required seminars, with one of the courses replacing ENG 190S or 190E. Please contact a SSHA Academic Advisor for more information.