Bachelor of Arts: English American Studies Emphasis
University Requirements
General Education
UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum. Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/
Constitution Course
Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.
Exit Examinations
Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.
Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination
In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'. To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Create coherent academic arguments that are built upon multi-leveled textual analysis
- Integrate close readings of primary texts
- Situate texts in cultural and/or historical contexts
- Engage in critical conversations
- Present an essay in ways that reflect a sense of professional rules and conventions
Program Requirements
UMKC Essentials
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE) | 3 | |
| Written Communication: | ||
| ENGLISH 110 | Introduction to Academic Prose | 3 |
| ENGLISH 225 | English II: Intermediate Academic Prose | 3 |
| Oral Communication (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening | ||
| Introduction to Communication | ||
| Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only) | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Math Pathway (choose one of the following): | 3 | |
| Mathematics For Liberal Arts | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Precalculus Algebra | ||
| Precalculus (5 credit hours) | ||
Any 200-level MATH or STAT course | ||
ACT Math Subscore of 28 or higher; or SAT Math Subscore of 660 or higher | ||
| Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC) | 3 | |
| Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS) | 3 | |
| Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV) | 3 | |
| Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Constitution Course Requirement
Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.”
Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process | ||
| U.S. History to 1877 | ||
| U.S. History Since 1877 | ||
| Honors American Government | ||
| American Government | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:
- Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
- Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
- Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
- Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
- Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Intensive Course (300-level or above; satisfied in major requirements below): | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 0 | |
Major Requirements
Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 18 of the 36 required hours taken in the department at UMKC with 12 of those hours at the 300-level or above.
One of the courses taken below must be writing intensive.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. Introductory Literature Course | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following courses: | ||
| Literary Monstrosities | ||
| Popular Literature | ||
| World Literature in English | ||
| Introduction To Fiction | ||
| Introduction To Poetry | ||
| The Craft of Creative Writing | ||
| Women Writing/Women Reading | ||
| Writing Tutor Training Seminar | ||
| Science Fiction | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Myth and Literature | ||
| Foundations Of Ancient World Literature I | ||
| Introduction to Journalism | ||
| II. Literary Surveys | 9 | |
| Choose three of the following courses: | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| African American Literature II 2 | ||
| III. Rhetoric and Writing | 6 | |
| Choose two of the following courses: | ||
| Writing And The Academy | ||
| Professional and Technical Writing | ||
| Theory And Practice Of Composition | ||
| Language, Literacy, Power | ||
| Rhetorics of New Media | ||
| Rhetorics of Public Memory | ||
| Introduction To Linguistics/Language Science | ||
| Structure Of English | ||
| History Of The English Language | ||
| Women And Rhetoric | ||
| Multimodal Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Composing Digital Environments | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture | ||
| Studies in Digital Humanities 1, 2 | ||
| Studies in Rhetoric and Composition 1, 2 | ||
| IV. Methodology and Practice | ||
| ENGLISH 337 | Introduction to American Studies | 3 |
| V. Cultural Issues: | 9 | |
| Choose three of the following courses, of which two must be at the 400-level | ||
| Race and Literature | ||
| Special Readings | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Literature | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture 2 | ||
| Theory and Criticism in English Studies | ||
| Special Readings 1, 2, 3 | ||
| Senior Tutorial | ||
| VI. Multidisciplinary Electives: | 6 | |
| Choose two from the following courses, of which one must be at the 400-level | ||
| Introduction To Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Arts Of African and New World Cultures | ||
| Made in the USA: Latinx Art and Experience | ||
| History And Development Of Jazz I | ||
| History and Development of Jazz II | ||
| Race, Class and Justice | ||
| Hate & Bias Crimes | ||
| Political Economy of Race, Class And Gender: Theory, History, And Policy | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| Creative Writing I Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Poetry | ||
| Literary Nonfiction | ||
| British Literature I | ||
| Bible As Literature | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| British Literature II | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| Race and Literature | ||
| African American Literature II | ||
| Special Readings 1, 2, 3 | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Literature 2 | ||
| Histories Of Writing, Reading, And Publishing 1, 2 | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture 2 | ||
| Special Readings 1, 2, 3 | ||
| Theory and Criticism in English Studies | ||
| 19th-Century Studies 1, 2 | ||
| 20th- and 21st-Century Studies 1, 2 | ||
| Studies in Genre 1, 2 | ||
| Studies in Authorship 1, 2 | ||
| Studies in Digital Humanities 1, 2 | ||
| External Internship | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| History of the Early American South | ||
| Museums, Monuments, and American Life: An Introduction to Public History | ||
| Black Civil Rights in the 20th and 21st Centuries | ||
| Women, Gender and Sexuality in Latin America | ||
| Colonial Latin America (From the Encounter to the Early 19th Century) | ||
| Modern Latin America | ||
| Latin American Crises and Opportunities | ||
| Introduction To Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | ||
| Introduction to Feminist Theory | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Social Stratification | ||
| Latin American Civilization | ||
| The Search for Mexican Identity | ||
| Spanish American Literature and Cultures II | ||
| Urban Latin America | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
| 1 | These courses, when offered with different content, are repeatable for credit. |
| 2 | These courses, which may fit in more than one category, may only be used once towards the 36 credit hour total. |
| 3 | These courses may apply, depending upon content, with advisor approval. |
General Electives
Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Electives | 51 | |
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Total Credit Hours: 120
Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements
UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years. Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”. In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.
UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.
UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).
