Do you find inspiration in the written word? Then focus your aspirations on a life in letters.
Whether you dream of a literary, journalistic, or scholarly career, the Writing and Literature program is committed to realizing your potential as a confident writer and reader. Our faculty of published writers and accomplished scholars will guide the way, sharing the joy of great literature and nurturing the gift of your own writer’s voice.
The Writing and Literature program is divided into general and curriculum requirements. Students take 42 to 44 credits in liberal arts courses to fulfill the program’s general requirements; in addition, students take 18 credits in writing, journalism, transnational and multi-ethnic literature or women writers, and communications and theatre arts to fulfill the program’s curriculum requirements.
Writing and Literature students publish their work in student literary publications. Talks by visiting writers will enhance your studies.
This program is offered in-person, online and in a hybrid format.
Journalism Concentration
The BMCC Journalism concentration begins with the “Fundamentals of Journalism,” where students learn the history and ethics of the profession. Afterward, students take more focused classes including “News Writing,” where they learn how to find news stories, the structure of a news article, reporting, interviewing, making contacts, and developing a beat. Students also take “Feature Writing,” where they learn to investigate, develop, and write long-form magazine-style articles, and “Autobiography,” where the focus is on telling your own story.
The BMCC concentration in journalism also gives you the fundamentals needed to transfer to a four-year school and the skills to complete a four-year degree with honors. In addition to preparing students to pursue a career in news writing or journalism, this concentration provides them with the kinds of skills that are essential for law, forensics, editing, criminal justice, politics, activism, web design, advertising, teaching, research, and many other career and life paths.
Students who choose this concentration will have the advantage of guest speakers in the field as well as site visits to live tapings.
Transfer Options
Students who successfully complete the program earn an associate in arts (AA) degree and are prepared for a career or further education at a four-year college. BMCC has articulation agreements with several four year colleges to allow you to seamlessly continue your education there.
Explore Careers
BMCC is committed to students’ long-term success and will help you explore professional opportunities. Undecided? No problem. The college offers Career Coach for salary and employment information, job postings and a self-discovery assessment to help students find their academic and career paths. Visit Career Express to make an appointment with a career advisor, search for jobs or sign-up for professional development activities with the Center for Career Development. Students can also visit the Office of Internships and Experiential Learning to gain real world experience in preparation for a four-year degree and beyond. These opportunities are available to help BMCC students build a foundation for future success.
Contact
- General Information:
writinglit@bmcc.cuny.edu - Syreeta McFadden
Program Coordinator
smcfadden@bmcc.cuny.edu
Related Communities
Requirements
Writing and Literature Academic Program Maps
Required Common Core
| English Composition | 6 |
| Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning1 | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences1 | 3 |
| TOTAL REQUIRED COMMON CORE | 12 |
Flexible Core2
| Creative Expression | 6 |
| Individual and Society | 3 |
| Scientific World1 | 3 |
| U.S. Experience in Its Diversity | 3 |
| World Cultures and Global Issues | 3 |
| TOTAL FLEXIBLE COMMON CORE | 18 |
| TOTAL COMMON CORE | 30 |
Curriculum Requirements
- Introduction to Literary Studies is an inquiry into what it means to study literature, involving close reading, critical and creative analysis of a wide variety of prose fiction, drama, and poetry, and informed by an introduction to some of theoretical issues currently invigorating literary studies. In addition to works of literature, students will read critical and theoretical works. This course combines a study of literature with continued training in clear and effective expression. It is designed for prospective Writing and Literature majors and other interested students. Prerequisite: ENG 101 or 121 Corequisite: ENG 201
6
XXX xxx
English Electives3
3-6
XXX xxx
Modern Language Requirement4
0–3
XXX xxx
General Elective
15
Concentration Requirements (see below)
30
Total Curriculum Credits
60
Total Program Credits
Writing and Literature: General Concentration
Choose 1 course from 3 of the following 4 categories:
Writing
- Fundamentals of Journalism offers an introduction to the practice, purpose, and history of journalism as projections about its future. The course addresses journalism in all its forms and media, e.g. film, print, radio, television, and Internet-based platforms, including Web sites, blogs, Twitter. It provides a foundation in journalisma??s professional code of ethics and the work of a free press to safeguard social liberty. Skills cultivated will include information gathering establishing credibility, writing, editing and dissemination. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and ENG 201
- This course covers the basic principles and practices of news reporting and writing. Students are taught to write single-incident news stories, conduct balanced interviews and edit their own copy, employing standard copy editing symbols and format. Emphasis is also given to the theoretical side of journalism with an overview of its history, present legal controls, ethical issues and rapidly expanding technology. Pre-Requisite: ENG201 or ENG121
- This course provides further opportunities for students to explore journalism. Students conduct interviews, cover stories around the city and write journalistic articles. Opportunities are provided for specialized coverage in areas such as politics, consumerism, science, education, finance, the arts, social change and family life. Topics include layout, headline composition and basics of journalism law.
- The objective of this course is to sharpen students' creative writing skills in the genres of the short story, poetry and drama, depending on students' interests and ability. Pre-Requisite: ENG121 or ENG201
- This course teaches the writing of formal and informal essays, articles, and reviews in a personal voice. Through the reading of modern and contemporary essayists students learn to identify the unique qualities of writers in order to develop an individual style applicable to the various disciplines of public and personal writing.
- The objective of ENG 315: Playwriting is to sharpen students' creative writing skills and to teach them the elements of playwriting and character development. Through the reading of one-act plays and practice writing exercises each week, students will learn the craft of playwriting. They will write scenes and create their own one act plays. Pre-Requisite: ENG101 and ENG201 or ENG121
- This course will introduce the student to autobiography in the context of literary debate: why do we read autobiography? How do we classify autobiography, as non-fiction or fiction? Works by both men and women of many cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds will be included. Students will examine the various styles, elements, as well as the recurring themes in autobiography, while working on their own "reflection of the self. Pre-Requisite: ENG101 and ENG201 or ENG121
American Literature
- This course is a survey of fiction, poetry, and commentary by African American writers from the 18th century through the Harlem Renaissance to 1940. Prerequisite: ENG 201
- This course is a survey of fictional and non- fictional writing by African Americans from 1940 to the present. Prerequisite: ENG 201
- In this course, works reflecting the experiences of U.S. Latino/a writers in English are analyzed. Students will read, discuss, and write about fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama by writers such as Julia Alvarez, Rudolfo Anaya, Gloria Anzaldua, Roberto Fernandez, Tato Laviera, Achy Obejas, Abraham Rodriguez Jr., and Piri Thomas. Note: Crosslisted with LAT 338
- Representative works reflective of the collective experiences of Asian American writers are analyzed. American writers are analyzed. Fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction written from Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Japanese, Korean and South-East Asian cultural perspectives are discussed
- This course focuses on the literature of urban America since 1950 and in particular on how contemporary writers use the images and themes of the city.
- Italian American literature surveys fiction, poetry, and drama throughout the history of Italian Americans in the United States beginning in the first half of the twentieth century and continuing into contemporary America. This literature will be considered in the context of recurring themes in the artistically framed experiences of Italian Americans beginning in the first half of the twentieth century and continuing into contemporary America: cultural-national identity conflict, anti-colonization by church and state, religion, gender relations, generational differences and relations, class conflict, for example working class vs.the bourgeois, or working class immigrant and sons and daughters vs. the dominant American culture, the problem of education in early Italian American history, the dilemma of cultural and linguistic loss, intercultural conflict, intracultural conflict, family values, oppression, social dysfunction, and assimilation. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201, or ENG 121
- This course surveys American literature from its colonial beginnings to the American Renaissance of the nineteenth century-from Ann Bradstreet and Cotton Mather to Walt Whitman and Herman Melville. Students learn about the cultural milieu that influenced writers, read major and representative works and sharpen their critical abilities.
- Though English 381 is not a prerequisite, this course begins where 381 leaves off and covers select fiction and poetry from the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century to the present. Students study major writers and literary movements; and an effort is made to place literature in its cultural context. Works by such writers as Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, T.S. Eliot, Richard Wright, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Toni Morrison may be included.
- This course focuses on the gradual emergence of the American novel both as a literary form and as a reflection and reinforcement of patterns in the fabric of American life. Representative authors may include Hawthorne, Melville and Stowe from the 19th century; Lewis, Cather, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Hemingway and Steinbeck from the 1920's to the 1950's; and Wright and Mailer of the 1960's and 1970's.
- The development of the American theatre since the rise of realism is traced through 1920's dramas by O'Neill, Howard, and Rice; comedies of manners by Barry and Behrman; socially conscious plays of the 1930's by Odets, Sherwood, and Hellman; and post-war dramas by Williams and Miller. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201, or ENG 121
- This course aims to acquaint students with representative Judaic works translated from Hebrew or written in English and ranging from Biblical times to the present. The selections concentrate on those writings which have been most influential in the development of Western literature and which best convey Jewish thought, feeling, and experiences, especially in their universal application. The readings will be supplemented by exposure to Judaic music and art, including visits to museums and galleries, individual student projects, and guest lectures. No prior knowledge of the Hebrew language or Jewish culture or literature is required. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201, or ENG 121
3
AFN 335
History of Black Theatre
British Literature
- This course surveys works of English literature from its origins in pre-Norman England to the eighteenth century. The objectives are three-fold: (1) to develop the student's appreciation for literature and an acquaintance with literary masterpieces written in English during the years of this survey; (2) to introduce the student to the major political and cultural events and ideals that shaped England during these years; (3) to illustrate how cultural and political ideals shape men's thinking and have their reflections in and are reflected by literature. Selections may include Beowulf, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare's plays and Swift's writings.
- This survey course is independent of English 371, which is not a prerequisite. It covers the principal figures, styles, themes and philosophies represented during three literary periods: the Romantic Era, the Victorian Age and the Twentieth Century. It exposes students to major works of literature including poetry, plays, short stories, novels and essays. It enables students to appreciate the thoughts and contributions of outstanding writers such as Keats, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Browning, Yeats and Eliot, as well as Dickens, Joyce and Lawrence.
- This course provides careful, in-depth readings from Shakespeare's tragedies, histories and comedies. The course examines some of the main characteristics of his work, including his major themes, the development of character and plot, and the special worlds that he creates through his poetic language.
Transnational or Multi-ethnic Literature
- The course examines the emergence and growth of a distinct regional literature in English and French speaking nations. Prerequisite: ENG 201
- This is a class that will focus on a variety of timely and historical environmental and social justice issues related to sustainability at the local, national, and global level. We will read essays, fiction and poetry that establish the field of ecocriticism, then draw on readings and films that have expanded ecocriticism to include environmental justice, urban nature and we shall view films on themes related to the readings. Prerequisite: ENG 201
- This course examines the wide range of published works by Native/Indigenous peoples from the mainland United States and the Pacific. Course topics may include decolonization, environmental rights, language revitalization efforts, the experiences of urban Natives, and more. Students will examine the United States’ history of settler colonialism while engaging each writer and work in their geographical, cultural, and historical context. Authors may include Red Jacket, E. Pauline Johnson, N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, and Craig Santos Perez.
Prerequisites: [ENG 101 and ENG 201] or ENG 121 - This course will study and analyze selected novels, short stories, poems and plays of postcolonial writers from Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, the English speaking Caribbean, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. The course will examine the ways in which postcolonial writers transcend a British imperial legacy of colonialism to redefine their own distinctive social and cultural worlds. Note: This course is crosslisted as: AFL 336.
- This course surveys fiction, poetry, and drama from writers throughout the Middle East, beginning in the late 19th century and concluding in the present time. English translations of well-known literature from the Middle East, a region defined as the countries of southwest Asia and northeast Africa, are considered in the context of such recurring themes as cultural/national identity, colonialism religion (e.g. Islam, Judaism, Christianity), gender relations and class conflict. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201, or ENG 121
- This course presents a global approach to literature by introducing prose, poetry and drama representative of different world cultures and historical periods, from antiquity to the early modern era. Students engage in close readings of individual texts and contextual/comparative analyses. Written and spoken activities are designed to enhance students' appreciation of literature and their awareness of the ways it arises from, shapes and reflects the world's cultures.
- This course presents a global approach to literature by introducing prose, poetry and drama representative of different cultures and historical periods, from the 17th century to the present. Students engage in close readings of individual texts and contextual/comparative analyses. Written and spoken activities are designed to enhance students? appreciation of literature and their awareness of the ways it arises from, shapes, and reflects the world?s cultures.
- European social and political ideas as they are reflected in the works of such novelists as Gide, Silone, Koestler, Camus, Sartre, Mann, and Kafka are examined and analyzed. Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201, or ENG 121
3-4
Cultural Studies5
3
Language, Performance & Design Connections6
Writing and Literature: Journalism Concentration
- Fundamentals of Journalism offers an introduction to the practice, purpose, and history of journalism as projections about its future. The course addresses journalism in all its forms and media, e.g. film, print, radio, television, and Internet-based platforms, including Web sites, blogs, Twitter. It provides a foundation in journalisma??s professional code of ethics and the work of a free press to safeguard social liberty. Skills cultivated will include information gathering establishing credibility, writing, editing and dissemination. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and ENG 201
- This course covers the basic principles and practices of news reporting and writing. Students are taught to write single-incident news stories, conduct balanced interviews and edit their own copy, employing standard copy editing symbols and format. Emphasis is also given to the theoretical side of journalism with an overview of its history, present legal controls, ethical issues and rapidly expanding technology. Pre-Requisite: ENG201 or ENG121
- This course provides further opportunities for students to explore journalism. Students conduct interviews, cover stories around the city and write journalistic articles. Opportunities are provided for specialized coverage in areas such as politics, consumerism, science, education, finance, the arts, social change and family life. Topics include layout, headline composition and basics of journalism law.
- This course teaches the writing of formal and informal essays, articles, and reviews in a personal voice. Through the reading of modern and contemporary essayists students learn to identify the unique qualities of writers in order to develop an individual style applicable to the various disciplines of public and personal writing.
OR
- This course will introduce the student to autobiography in the context of literary debate: why do we read autobiography? How do we classify autobiography, as non-fiction or fiction? Works by both men and women of many cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds will be included. Students will examine the various styles, elements, as well as the recurring themes in autobiography, while working on their own "reflection of the self. Pre-Requisite: ENG101 and ENG201 or ENG121
3
XXX xxx
Liberal Arts Elective7
Footnotes
- These areas can be satisfied by taking a STEM variant.
- No more than two courses in any discipline or interdisciplinary field can be used to satisfy Flexible Common Core requirements.
- Choose two 300-level English courses.
- Students are required to take two semesters of the same Modern Foreign Language to graduate. One semester can be satisfied by taking a Modern Foreign Language in the World Cultures and Global Issues category in the Common Core. Please note: ITL 170 does not satisfy the Modern Foreign Language requirement.
- Choose from: ART 103, ART 113, ART 220, ART 250, ART 801, ART 802, ENG 321, MUS 103, MUS 106, MUS 108, MUS 110, MUS 220, MUS 230, MUS 881, SPE 245 or Social Science course.
- Choose from: BUS 150, ECE 102, LIN 100, MMA 100, MMP 100, SPE 103, SPE 210, SPE 220, SPE 240, THE 100, THE 121, VAT 153, Studio Art or Studio Music.
- Choose any 3 credit Ethnic Studies, Media Arts, Music, Art, Theatre Arts, Social Science or 300-level English course.
Note
Please note, these requirements are effective the 2023-2024 catalog year. Please check your DegreeWorks account for your specific degree requirements as when you began at BMCC will determine your program requirements.
