English 

The BMCC English Department will help you develop your writing and analytic skills through courses in literature, poetry, journalism and creative writing. You can choose from literature of the Middle Eastern, Asian American, British, Italian American or Latino cultures. Special topics include science fiction, children’s literature, comics and graphic novels. If you have an interest in writing, we have courses in creating fiction, poetry, playwriting and journalism. Whatever your future plans are, strengthening your reading and writing skills and increasing your knowledge of literature will be an asset.

Writing and Literature Major

The Writing and Literature program will guide you to think and write critically about literature, write journalism, and compose poems, plays, and stories. But more than that, you will be introduced to the thoughts and cultures of inspiring thinkers, both past and present. Reading the literature of another place and time will transport you to areas you might never otherwise visit. You will gain an enhanced understanding of many of our global cultures–something that will serve you well whatever you choose to do in the future. Being able to critically assess and write about what you read can aid you in careers as wide reaching as law, business, teaching, technology and many more.

Journalism Concentration

Imagine interviewing powerful politicians or celebrities for a major magazine or website, imagine being part of breaking historical events as they unfold, or defending the rights of your neighbors and making a difference every day by writing about what matters most to your community. With a degree in journalism, you can do all of this and more. The Journalism concentration at BMCC is designed to provide you with the skills, training, experience, and confidence to pursue a career in newspaper, magazine, and web writing and to do the kind of on the ground investigative work necessary for all kinds of reporting, from crime, to news, sports, fashion, the arts and more.

Children and Youth Studies Major

The Children and Youth Studies major combines courses in children’s literature with the study of psychology and child welfare. Electives you can choose from include music and art in education, adolescent learning, urban schools and many more. Possible careers can include early childhood educator, children’s advocate, camp director, social worker, youth parole officer and autism therapist, to name a few. The program articulates with the B.A. degree in Children and Youth Studies at Brooklyn College/CUNY and the B.A. degree in Youth Studies at CUNY School of Professional Studies so that students completing this program can transfer seamlessly without the loss of credits.

Extracurricular Activities

• Extracurriculars include the BMCC Writers Guild which allows student writers to share their work, meet fellow writers, and participate in activities and events such as invited speakers within the writing profession and open mic events. The Writers Guild also publishes a journal of literature and art.
• The annual Working Writers series of author talks is a chance to meet and ask questions of published authors.
• Each year, cash and kudos go to the top student-writers in a Writing Awards program sponsored and judged by the English department faculty. The entrants in three categories—journalism, creative writing, and academic writing—are celebrated with an afternoon of readings by the winners and keynote speeches by such notable writers as novelist Elizabeth Nunez and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist Roger Hernandez.

General English Requirements

All BMCC students are required to take English 101 and English 201 (or English 121 which combines both). Liberal Arts students are required to take one three-credit course beyond English 201. This requirement may be fulfilled by an English III course or by literature courses offered in the Department of Ethnic and Race Studies (African-American, Asian-American, and Latino/a literature).