Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I find out the reading list for a class I’m taking before the first day?
A: The schedule of classes lists the instructor for each course. E-mail the instructor (firstname.lastname@nicholls.edu) to request the reading list. Some instructors also post that information on their faculty pages.
Q: How do I find out who my adviser is?
A: Once accepted into the major, contact the advising coordinator, Dr. Michele Theriot. Note: Freshmen are advised within University College, but a department liaison, Brandy Harvey, visits students in the University Studies course.
Q: What are the job possibilities with this major?
A: Graduates become teachers, lawyers, politicians, technical writers/editors, managers, web developers — the career possibilities are so broad because the skills gained are highly valuable to employers.
Q: What jobs other than teaching have faculty members held?
A: Nicholls Department of Languages and Literature faculty members have held diverse positions, including web developer for a children’s hospital, freelance writer/editor, documentation and training consultant for a Midwestern IT company, personnel director for Lafourche Parish, director of Lafourche Parish Head Start, obituary writer for the Daily Comet, owner of Taliessin Bookstore (now Cottonwood Books) in Baton Rouge, novelist, hournalist for the Houma Daily Courier and other publications, editor of educational software, book Coordinator and publisher, public relations specialist, advertising design and sales representative, YWCA program coordinator, oral history collector, cemetery surveyor/documenter, administrative assistant, assistant director at University Press of Mississippi, land title researcher for an attorney, mock jury analyst for an attorney, proofreader of Bibles and editor of Athlon sports magazine.
Q: What kind of classes are required for the degrees?
A: The English degree is a literature-focused degree, so courses will emphasize broad surveys of literary periods and in-depth analysis of specific issues, authors and works. Students who choose the writing concentrations will earn primarily a literature-focused degree with 15 of the elective hours devoted to specified writing courses.
Q: Do students in the writing concentrations have a heavier workload?
A: Earning a concentration does not add hours to the degree requirement; it only dictates how students use some of their English electives. Therefore, students in the writing concentrations will have fewer English electives than those not in the concentrations.
Q: What minors would be attractive with the degrees/concentrations?
A: Minors that may be of interest include humanities, international studies, biology, government, history, art history, music, sociology, criminal justice, English (for French majors), French (for English majors), computer science, business administration, management, marketing, business information systems, family and consumer sciences, psychology. The answer depends on the student’s career goals.
Q: How long does it take the average person to complete this degree/concentration?
A: The program is designed to be completed in four years with a full load. Students may take longer for a host of reasons, including being late to declare their major, dropping classes and having personal or work obligations that prevent a full courseload. Students should meet regularly with their advisers to assist with timely completion of the degree.
Q: Are electives truly elective? How open are my choices?
A: Read the catalog carefully. Some electives have to come from specific disciplines, such as art or history, and some electives have to be chosen from courses numbered 300 or above.
Q: Are there any graduate-level courses offered?
A: Yes. Students can earn graduate credit for ENGL 475 (Topics in Literature), 482 (Literature of Middle Ages), 483 (Chaucer), 490 (Language and Culture), 491 (History of the English Language), 493 (Language Concepts), 505 (Comparative Literature) and 507 (Independent Readings and Research).
Q: Are there any seldom-offered-but-required classes I should know about?
A: Yes. Chaucer, ENGL 483, is required by every English major and is offered only in the spring of odd-numbered years (e.g., spring 2007, Spring 2009). A few other required courses are offered every year only in the fall (Engl 321, 468, 469) or spring (Engl 322, 466, 467). Students should communicate their interest in seldom-offered courses to the department head. Decisions about what to offer are based in part on student interests/needs.