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ASU English Home > Undergraduate Advising > FAQ's This is a list of questions compiled by the students of AUSE in the spring of 2000, and answered by the Undergraduate English Advisor, Elizabeth McNeil. Contact Elizabeth McNeil if your questions are not answered here.
What are the changes that have been made in the general studies requirements and do they affect established majors? The change of designations affect everyone because they are retroactive back to the beginning of General Studies (1987). They aren't a big deal, though, since the classes that satisfied the earlier designation still satisfy the new designation. The only one that could affect English majors, and in a good way, is the two "L" courses required (used to be L1 and L2)--now you simply have to do an upper-division and another L course, so that means you could do ENG 200 plus a writing course (e.g. 301 or 372) instead of a literature upper-division L. Students coming in on the 2000-01 catalog have a slightly different configuration of university General Studies and CLAS distribution requirements, but the required General Studies are actually still the same (first-year comp, MAT 114 or above, a statistics or computer literacy course, three HU courses, three SB courses, two lab science courses, and courses that fulfill each awareness area). The way that the CLAS distribution requirements and university General Studies overlap is different now, which incoming students will have to be aware of. A minor catalog year no longer has to match the major catalog year. A Writing Certificate/English major can use up to 4 classes in the Writing Certificate AND as electives in the English major.
Have any new classes been added as major requirements? 1999-2000 and later catalogs:
Can special topics courses be used to meet degree requirements? Yes. However, talk with an advisor. Only the advisors know which courses are certain to meet the requirements. Sometimes a list of courses and requirements is sent over the distribution list, if you are not on the distribution list then join it.
Is there a Linguistics B.A.? Is it legitimate now or simply nascent? The checksheets that have been available since spring 1999 (in the department office, from the advisors, or on the web) show that, with the 1999-2000 catalog, we have two concentrations: BA in English with Literature Concentration and BA in English with Linguistics Concentration. Students who have attended prior to fall 1999 can also opt to stay with the earlier major requirements. Because of a teacher shortage (budget problems!), the Linguistics program did not offer its required 313 class last year but is offering it spring 2001. The program cannot provide all three required 414 linguistics special topics courses this coming year (one 414 will be offered fall 2000 and one spring 2001), but individual faculty are doing 499s with students in order to enable them to graduate on time.
How do we go about working a minor into our plan of study? Think about it early. Check out the requirements on the web or have your advisor post the minor to your DARS. Visit with an advisor in that area of study. You cannot double dip (use the same course[s]) between a major or minor, but you may be able to do so with a certificate, to whatever limit your major and certificate advisors can/will allow. You can also come back after graduation and finish up some of the certificates on campus (not all, however), which you cannot do for a minor.
Is it advisable to stay here for graduate school, or is it discouraged? I guess people are still discouraging it, but I would also say to apply to your home institution just in case. And you may want or need to stay. So what. Are you going to have a fantastic graduate experience in your area of study, do you have enough new things to do, professors to work with, etc. in that area? You decide.
What are some classes, in addition to the required ones, that may be helpful for students looking at graduate school? For grad school:
Can one begin taking the grad courses as an undergraduate or is that frowned upon? If you are planning to go to grad school anywhere, take a grad class (with instructor permission and a form from CLAS signed by instructor, advisor, etc., etc.--without the form on file, the class wouldn't be counted toward your undergrad 120 units for graduation) for the research and writing challenge during the fall semester of your last year so that the class, with grade, appears on your transcript when grad admission committees will receive it to look at it and make their decision.
What about the GRE or Subject Exam preparation? GRE--If I had it to do over, I would invest in one of those prep classes. GRE Advanced Subject Test--I would suggest taking critical theory, a broader range of classes in both English and American literature, Milton, Chaucer, African American literature. AUSE should ask the department to develop a capstone course for students who are planning to attend grad school, in which they could explore critical theory, do more significant research, prepare for the GRE, explore English teaching pedagogy--a wide range of possibilities that could help you not only to get into grad school but to be better prepared to negotiate it once you are there.
How do independent studies work? How do they get established? You have to have at least a 3.25 GPA in the major, be self-motivated; approach a professor who will really work with you (for no extra pay, mind you!) on your reading list, research focus, the writing, and on finding somewhere to present the results of your research (a conference). The form to apply for an independent study is available at the English Dept. main office, from an advisor, or online. You need to fill it out, get an advisor's signature, instructor signature, the dept. chair's signature, and then you'll get the line number.
What are the benefits or caveats regarding independent studies? The benefits of an independent study (499):
How can we find out information about professors, such as their specialties and areas of interest? English Department web site has had this information up for most professors (those who submitted it and for whom it got posted) for at least a couple of years.
How do we find out about "hidden prerequisites," i.e. ones that are not listed but instructors assume their students have taken, or even pre-reqs that exist but are not listed in the catalog? Take ENG 200 FIRST! Take the English lit. surveys and the American lit. surveys in chronological
order--you'll get way more out of them. And get A's--you'll be much
better prepared for everything else. Prerequisites ARE listed in the catalog. Instructors are supposed to know that and to take into consideration who will end up being allowed into their classes from across the university when course edits (prerequisites) are not in place for their courses. Assume you will be challenged and have to work your butt off in upper-division classes. Talk to other students about particular professors' expectations and quirks.
What are some classes, in addition to the required ones, that may be helpful for students going directly into the workforce? For students going right to work:
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