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BACHELOR OF ARTS | ENGLISH

Overview | English

Majoring or minoring in English at MBU prepares you to be a compelling communicator in any job and a blessing in any ministry. Whether your future holds writing magazine articles, correspondence, books, or sermons, majoring in English enhances your ability to communicate clearly. Courses expose you to enduring literary works, refine your research skills, and emphasize critical thinking and effective writing. This program is also an excellent springboard for in-depth study in graduate school.

 

Program Outcomes

  • Students are able to demonstrate critical thinking skills.
  • Students are able to do scholarly research.
  • Students are able to communicate clearly to a range of audiences in writing or in speaking.
  • Students demonstrate the ability to analyze literary works.
  • Students are able to communicate the characteristics of Western culture through interaction with American and British literature.

Suggested Course Schedule

Semester 1

English Composition 1 (3)
Music Elective (2)
Old Testament Survey (3)
Fundamentals of Public Speaking (2)
The Modern World (3)
Math or Science Elective (3)

Total Credits: 16

Semester 2

English Composition 2 (3)
New Testament Survey (3)
Introduction to Humanities (3)
Minor (3)
Math or Science Elective (3)

Total Credits: 15

Semester 1

Christian Life, Leadership, and Evangelism (3)
Minor (3)
Computer Applications (3)
Humanities Elective (3)
English Elective (3)

Total Credits: 15

Semester 2

Composition and Literature (3)
Baptist Heritage (3)
Minor (3)
English Electives (6)
Open Elective (3)

Total Credits: 18

Semester 1

Introduction to Philosophy (2)
Bible Doctrine 1 or 2 (3)
Advanced Writing (3)
Minor (3)
English Elective (3)
Open Elective (3)

Total Credits: 17

Semester 2

Oral Communication Elective (2)
Bible Doctrine 1 or 2 (3)
Recent and Contemporary America (3)
Minor (3)
English Elective (3)
Open Electives (2)

Total Credits: 16

Semester 1

Literature Capstone (3)
Bible Elective (3)
Minor (3)
English Elective (6)
Open Elective (2)

Total Credits: 17

Semester 2

English Elective (6)
Bible Elective (3)
Open Elective (6)

Total Credits: 15

Alumni Spotlight

Melissa Troutman (’18)

Melissa Troutman (’18) graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and a Spanish minor. This fall, she’ll begin the Master of Spanish as a Second Language program in Spain at the University of Alicante. “My major not only showed me the need to engage my culture but also equipped me to do so meaningfully and biblically,” she says. “My minor made me bilingual and gave me a new life direction. At MBU, I learned many valuable lessons, both academic and spiritual, that I’m thrilled to pass on to others.”

Bridger (’17) and Hannah (Pill, ’13, ’15) Buchi

Bridger and Hannah Buchi live in South Bend, IN. Hannah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and then with a master’s in Intercultural Studies. She currently works as a project coordinator for the audio/video team at Revive Our Hearts, the ministry of author Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Bridger received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and is now employed as a field technician for Allegro, a home automation and entertainment system company. “Both my undergrad and grad school experiences at MBU taught me to evaluate cultural values, art, and belief systems based on Scripture,” Hannah says. Bridger adds, “My major, coupled with the leadership opportunities I was given as an RA and Dorm Sup, greatly challenged me to become a more effective communicator in my sphere of influence.”

Mark Zockoll (’11) 

Brian Mark Zockoll, a 2011 English graduate, reflects on his MBU experience: “A degree in English gave me a content-based, wide-open college experience. My professors knew me, students with similar values sat around me, and classics which best exemplified human nature were torn apart.” Brian completed a master’s in English and then a doctorate from the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Looking back, he says, “I value most the ability I acquired at MBU to convey a Christian’s academic response in discussions of the secular.”

Related Minors

Digital Media Communications
Writing
Photography
Spanish

Potential Career Fields

Author
Copy editor
Creative writer
Teaching English as a Second Language
Journalist
Linguistic specialist
Literacy tutor
Literature specialist
Proofreader
Publisher

*Some careers and employment positions require graduate degrees, specialized training, or addtional certification and licenses.

MBU Program Faculty

Miss Elaine Beary

College of Arts and Sciences | Associate Professor
Credentials:
MEd in Teaching and Learning, Maranatha Baptist University
Graduate Certificate in English, Maranatha Baptist University
BS Secondary Education/Music, Northland Baptist Bible College

David Madsen

College of Arts and Sciences | Associate Professor
Credentials:
MA English, Liberty University
BS Biblical Studies, Moody Bible Institute
Spanish Certificate, Rio Grande Bible Institute’s Language School

Nathan Huffstutler

College of Arts and Sciences | Associate Professor
Credentials:
MA English, Bob Jones University
BA English, Bob Jones University

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