7.1. Declaring the Major

To declare as an English major you must have at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average in your overall academic record, in your overall English major record (preparation and upper division), and in your upper division major record.  Students who have not established a UC GPA may petition to declare after one quarter of study at UCSB.

Pick up a petition to change or declare a major from the Staff Undergraduate Advisor in the English office, or from the College of Letters and Science, 1117 Cheadle Hall (hereafter L&S). Fill out the petition and bring it to the Staff Undergraduate Advisor who will help you with program planning and, if you have transferred from another institution, with petitioning to have any eligible classes applied towards the requirements for the English major. Also bring an unofficial transcript from any prior colleges if you have completed course work which may not yet be reflected on your UCSB record.

7.2. Overall Degree Requirements

You need to know about the General Education, General University, and unit requirements, as well as the major requirements. Study the General Catalog and the bulletins available from L&S about these requirements. Students who need telephone assistance with any academic matter may call the Academic Advising Hotline at 893-2038. Students who wish to meet with a general college adviser may call 893-3201 for an appointment. A one-time junior progress check is available upon request from L&S, as is a one-time senior progress check from the Registrar. These progress checks touch on all requirements except English major requirements.

Some of your English classes may also satisfy General Education or American History and Institutions requirements, but you must check with L&S to find out how the two sets of requirements will interact.

7.3. Residence Requirements

You must complete at least 3 terms in the University of California; 35 of your final 45 units in resident UCSB courses; 27 UD units in resident UCSB courses; 20 UD units in your major in resident UCSB courses. Courses taken in the university’s Education Abroad Program do not apply toward the residence requirement. See the General Catalog and the L&S Guide to Undergraduate Studies for further information.

7.4. Format of English Courses

The English Department offers classes in a variety of formats, for example: large lectures with small discussion sections, small lecture classes limited to 38 students, Upper-division Seminars limited to an enrollment of 15, and other formats of various sizes depending on the class, quarter, and instructor.

Enrollment in most classes is limited to 38 students, and priority is usually given to English majors. Some courses, including required ones, will be given in large lectures, with required discussion sections taught by teaching assistants. These large lecture classes are also open to students fulfilling General Education requirements. Because this same course may be offered only once more per academic year in a smaller class limited to 38 students, you should insofar as possible take required courses in large lecture sections.

The maximum number for enrollment in each class is a limit set by the department for instructional reasons. The maximum number for large lectures is set by also taking into consideration the room capacity (established by the Fire Marshall) and the number of teaching assistants available. An instructor is not allowed to enroll more students than the set maximum number.

7.5. Enrollment Procedures

During registration on GOLD, some classes will be open to English and related majors during the first pass, opening up to all majors during passes two and three.  Other classes, such as large lectures, will be open to all majors from the first pass onward.  The Upper-division Seminar is an exception and is open only to English majors during all pass times.

Courses without wait-lists may be open, or the instructor may be keeping a wait-list offline.

Once you are enrolled in a class, do not assume that attendance at only the first roll call will be sufficient to hold your place. You may be dropped from the course for missing two consecutive meetings. Ask your instructor for individual policies on attendance.

If you have enrolled in a large lecture class with discussion sections, you must attend the first two sections, even when the first section falls before the first scheduled lecture. Failure to attend both sections may result in your being dropped from the class.

7.6. Adding/Dropping a Class at Enrollment and Later

You may also try to enroll by attending the first meeting of the class and speaking with the instructor. If your enrollment is approved you will be given a course approval code to be used through the GOLD system. These course approval codes are available only from the instructor.  Generally, if there is a wait-list for the class, students from the wait-list will have priority for add-codes.

Students must do their share in improving the enrollment process. The faculty needs to know the first day of class just how many spaces are available. Student courtesies on which the success of enrollment depends:

  1. If the instructor gives you a course approval code, add the course to your schedule immediately. The faculty will know all the more quickly how many students they may add (and so will students on waiting lists).
  2. If you do not intend to take a course you received in registration, drop the course immediately at the Registrar’s Office or through GOLD. Do not keep those who want the class from enrolling. (Once you have been enrolled in a class, you are accountable for completing the course work; it is your responsibility, not the faculty’s, to see that your official records are accurate.)

7.7. Grading Options

All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade. There is one exception: the P/NP grading option is allowed through the next to the last quarter of foreign language study. The last quarter must be taken for a letter grade (quarter 5 with option 1, and quarter 3 with option 2).

You will be able to change your grading option up to a certain point each quarter for classes with optional grading.  Make sure that you do not leave a required major course P/NP if you intend to use it for the major!

7.8. Grade Point Average Requirement

At the time of graduation, you must have a 2.0 GPA in the University of California in each of the following categories: a) All courses attempted; b) All courses required or acceptable for your major (Prep. for major + UD major); and c) All upper division courses required or acceptable for your upper division major. (Note: UC Extension courses are excluded from these computations.)

7.9. Auditing English Courses

For unusual reasons, it may be desirable to audit a class, that is, to sit in on lectures without enrolling officially. This arrangement can be made only with permission of the instructor before the quarter begins. Because enrollment space is limited, permission to audit will be given only in special circumstances.

7.10. Double Major

If you have declared a double major, you may be allowed to apply simultaneously to both majors a total of eight units of upper division elective credit.  You must have approval from each department by petition. See the Staff Undergraduate Advisor for guidance in determining which classes might be used for this allowance.  In general, such petitions are wise to pursue if you have taken a course that you feel could conceivably apply to either of your double majors.

7.11. Undergraduate Enrollment in a Graduate Course

In special cases it may be possible to enroll in an English Department graduate course. You must have the following in order to enroll: an overall “B” Grade Point Average, and the appropriate background for the course.

If you are encouraged to enroll, consult with the instructor. If the instructor will permit you to take the class, you will need two petitions. The Petition for an Undergraduate to Enroll in a Graduate Course is available from the Registrar’s Office. It is your responsibility to obtain the required signatures before the quarter begins (Instructor, Chair of English Department, Dean of Graduate Division). Once you have all the required signatures, return the petition to the Registrar’s Office. You will also need a petition, available from the Staff Undergraduate Advisor, for the graduate course to count as an upper division elective in the major.

7.12. Incomplete Grades

Students are expected to finish the course work according to the deadlines set by the instructor. If for any reason you believe that you will not be able to finish the course requirements on time, consult with the instructor as quickly as possible. With the instructor’s permission (which will be granted only in unusual circumstances) you may file for an incomplete grade for the course. This option should be used only in the event of illness or serious problem.

If you must take an incomplete, get an Undergraduate Petition for an Incomplete Grade from the Registrar’s Office. Ask your instructor to sign it; you must return the form to the Registrar’s Office by the last day of the quarter. With your instructor you will determine a new due date for the completion of any unfinished work; this deadline may not be later than the end of the following quarter. If work has not been completed by this time, the incomplete grade automatically becomes “F.” An extension to this deadline may be granted with the permission of your instructor and the department chair. See the undergraduate advisor for the appropriate form.

7.13. University Extension

Courses or Courses at other Colleges

Before you enroll in any courses offered by other Colleges or programs, you should see the Staff Undergraduate Advisor to file a petition to accept the course for the English major. If approved, the petition will then be forwarded to L&S for final approval. You must take the class for a letter grade.

In unusual circumstances, you may need to take a course through University Extension, or “Open Enrollment.” This is a different enrollment procedure, but you will be attending class and doing the work just as you would in regular enrollment. The University Extension office has brochures describing these procedures.

You should see the Staff Undergraduate Advisor to file a petition before taking a class through Extension. If the class is approved through the petition, credit will be given towards satisfying the major requirements. The class must be taken for a letter grade, which will not, however, be entered into the GPA. Courses taken through Extension will not count towards the residence requirement of 20 upper division units in the major, nor will they be a part of the UC GPA.

7.14. Applying Classes Taken at Other Institutions to the Major Requirements

If you have transferred to UCSB from another institution, you may be able to apply some of the classes already taken to the major requirements.  Usually you must petition for credit, unless UCSB has an articulation agreement with your former institution that explicitely approves the courses you wish to apply for the major.  Additionally, if you decide to take classes for the major through a program outside of the English Department after having been admitted to the department, it is your responsibility to be sure that the other program will successfully interact with the English major.  See a department adviser before you enroll in any other programs.

As soon as you become an English major, or when you are seriously considering declaring, you should see a department adviser bringing unofficial transcripts and the full syllabus for each course you wish to have considered as applying towards your English major requirements.

After reviewing the related course materials with the Undergraduate Staff Adviser, you will then fill out a Petition for Degree Requirements for any classes that could be counted towards the major.  This petition will be evaluated by department faculty and forwarded to the College once a decision is reached.  This process can take up to a month in some cases, so please be patient.  The College will send an E-mail to students once petitions have been finalized.

7.15. Foreign Study

Studying abroad can be a valuable academic experience, while often still allowing you to make progress towards your degree from UCSB. Programs most frequently used are Education Abroad Program (EAP) and American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS). Other programs for foreign study may also be acceptable. EAP is an overseas study program in cooperation with more than 80 host universities and colleges in countries throughout the world. Participating students remain registered at UCSB while studying abroad. Full-year as well as short-term and special focus programs are available through EAP.

Inquire carefully into any program before enrolling. Make sure you understand the admission requirements and the arrangements for study. You may wish to ask for the names and phone numbers of several students who have recently completed foreign study who would discuss the program with you.

The most important part of foreign study is your intellectual growth. Choose a host country where you will find a course of studies in the major with an established faculty and library. In many non-English speaking countries it will be difficult to study your English major subject and thus progress towards the completing your degree. We do not accept British and American literature read in Spanish, French, Italian, etc., for the major — however, we can accept up to 8.0 units of foreign literature in english translation, or in the original language, toward the upper division elective requirement by petition. Most English majors reasonably apply for study in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

If you plan to study abroad, consult first with the foreign study office of the programs you are considering; ask for forms, instruction on application procedures, and the date applications are due. (NOTE: EAP applications for UK/I are due early: usually the first week of November for UCSB students.)

Well in advance of the application date see the Staff Undergraduate Advisor or the Faculty EAP advisor for guidance on how to plan an integrated program of study at your host institution. Bring course descriptions from the host school; look for courses that will be consistent with the academic standards and requirements in the English major. The principal criterion is that courses are acceptable as substitutes for the Department’s required courses only if they cover essentially the same readings. With electives, there is more flexibility in subject matter. The Upper Division Seminar is to be taken within the English Department.

When you return, make sure you bring copies of the course description, syllabus, and assignment sheets for each course you studied.  Keeping copies of your papers can also be very helpful in getting your work approved for the major, if possible.  See a department advisor to petition for eligible classes to be applied to the major. EAP students must use the official EAP petition form.

7.16. Theater in England

After successful completion of the “Theater in England” summer program, six units of credit can be issued through University of California Extension as upper division English. You must file a petition, available from the Undergraduate Staff Advisor, for the English units to apply to your major as electives. These units are not accepted in substitution for the required Shakespeare course in the major.

7.17. Graduating from the English Department

It is your responsibility to review your academic record regularly to determine that you are making satisfactory progress toward graduation.

You need never be in doubt about the requirements still to be met in your program. The Undergraduate Staff Advisor will evaluate your progress toward completion of your major requirements during any point in your academic stay. It is especially recommended that you request a progress check early in your senior year.

English major progress checks are now available on GOLD for non-double-majors.  Double-majors should still consult with a department and college adviser for a progress check in each set of requirements.

Remember that it is very important that you also work with the College of Letters & Science regarding your non-major requirements such as minimum units, general education, and academic residency requirements.  The English adviser only advises students for English major requirements, which do not always represent the full extent of what will be required for your degree.

7.18. Academic Misconduct

A professional attitude towards your work in English of course includes avoidance of “academic dishonesty”: plagiarism and cheating. These dishonest practices lower the educational standards for everyone, and carry severe penalties, including suspension or dismissal from the University.

Commitment to academic integrity is an important part of your dedication in the major. The UCSB Campus Regulations state University policy:

It is expected that students attending the University of California understand and subscribe to the ideal of academic integrity, and are willing to bear individual responsibility for their work. Any work (written or otherwise) submitted to fulfill an academic requirement must represent a student’s original work. Any act of academic dishonesty such as cheating or plagiarism will subject a person to University disciplinary action.

Using or attempting to use materials, information, study aids, or commercial “research” services not authorized by the instructor of the course constitutes cheating. Representing the words, ideas, or concepts of another person without appropriate attribution is plagiarism. Whenever another person’s written work is utilized, whether it is a single phrase or longer, quotation marks must be used and sources cited. Paraphrasing another’s work, i.e., borrowing the ideas or concepts and putting them into one’s “own” words, must also be acknowledged. Although a person’s state of mind and intention will be considered in determining the university response to an act of academic dishonesty, this in no way lessens the responsibility of the student.

If you are unsure about how to give correct references and footnotes for material gathered from sources other than your own thought, ask your instructor or section leader for clarification.

7.19. Procedures for Policies and Complaints

If you have a particular problem or complaint about some aspect of your experience in the English major, see the Undergraduate Staff Advisor or Student Services supervisor. If your problem is in a particular class, you may wish to start by talking with your instructor or your teaching assistant. After speaking with these members of the department, you can also discuss this problem further with the chair of the undergraduate committee.

The University of California has called for an active policy of education and complaint resolution to ensure an atmosphere free from all forms of harassment, exploitation, and intimidation on the basis of age, race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, and physical handicap. Sexual harassment is an illegal form of discrimination and a violation of professional ethics. UCSB has defined sexual harassment as unwanted sexual attention in a situation of unequal power, and has adopted a specific policy and grievance procedure to provide for the hearing of complaints and the resolution of grievances. The Staff Undergraduate Advisor has further information on these policies.