The Associate in Arts in English provides the academic and practical experience for further education in English at a four-year institution or a career in English or further education or careers in fields related to English. By completing this program, students may complete transfer requirements to the CSU system and UC system as well as public and private universities both in and out of California to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in English, English Literature or Creative Writing. A Bachelor’s Degree in English may also include various emphases such as creative writing, composition/rhetoric, education, literature, or linguistics. Students who complete the A.A. in English will also satisfy the requirements for the AA-T in English. In all cases, students should consult with a counselor for more information on university admission and transfer requirements.

Students will take courses in English as well as in related fields required for English majors. The English program teaches writing, critical thinking, reading, and research skills as they apply to the areas of composition, creative writing, and the analysis of literature. Course work in creative writing is presented in sequenced writing workshops and courses in literary publishing. Course work in literature explores primarily British and American writers through genre, survey, figure, and thematic courses.

The Associate in Arts in English can be obtained by completing the twenty-five (25) units for the major, General Education, and electives as needed to complete a minimum of 60 units. All courses in the major must be completed with a minimum grade of C or a P if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Program Outcomes

Students who complete the Associate in Arts in English will be able to:

- Demonstrate an ability to compose and communicate using appropriate rhetorical patterns and writing strategies.

- Demonstrate college-level reading, writing, and analytical skills.

- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and influence of literature’s study of the human condition in shaping and reflecting intellectual history and cultural identity.

- Demonstrate, through the study and analysis of literature from a variety of cultural or ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations, an ability to recognize and examine assumptions about difference and social norms and an understanding of how the experience of reading literature from different perspectives can better prepare one for meaningful participation in a diverse global community.

- Explore and demonstrate through creative writing and/or analytical techniques, the practice and study of diverse literatures and publishing.