For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052
For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
Completion of the program-specific curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| One introductory, non-creative writing ENGL course taken at the 1000 level. Suggested courses include: | ||
| ENGL 1000 | Dean's Seminar | |
| ENGL 1050 | Introduction to Literary Studies | |
| ENGL 1305 | Colonial/Post-Colonial British Literature | |
| ENGL 1315 | Literature and the Financial Imagination | |
| ENGL 1320 | Literature of the Americas | |
| or ENGL 1320W | Literature of the Americas | |
| ENGL 1330 | Myths of Britain | |
| or ENGL 1330W | Myths of Britain | |
| ENGL 1340 | Essential Shakespeare | |
| or ENGL 1340W | Essential Shakespeare | |
| ENGL 1351 | Shakespeare Seminar | |
| ENGL 1360 | Fantasy and Speculative Fiction | |
| ENGL 1365 | Literature and the Environment | |
| ENGL 1370 | Topics in Global Cinema | |
| One course in creative writing taken at the 1000 or 2000 level. Suggested courses include: | ||
| ENGL 1210 | Introduction to Creative Writing | |
| ENGL 2210 | Techniques in Creative Writing | |
| ENGL 2240 | Play Analysis | |
| ENGL 2460 | Fiction Writing | |
| ENGL 2470 | Poetry Writing | |
| ENGL 2560 | Intermediate Fiction Writing | |
| ENGL 2570 | Intermediate Poetry Writing | |
| Two introductory survey courses taken at the 2000 level. Suggested courses include: | ||
| ENGL 2100 | Introduction to Asian American Studies through Literature | |
| ENGL 2410 | Introduction to English Literature I | |
| or ENGL 2410 | Introduction to English Literature I | |
| ENGL 2411 | Introduction to English Literature II | |
| or ENGL 2411W | Introduction to English Literature II | |
| ENGL 2510 | Introduction to American Literature I | |
| or ENGL 2510W | Introduction to American Literature I | |
| ENGL 2511 | Introduction to American Literature II | |
| or ENGL 2511W | Introduction to American Literature II | |
| ENGL 2610 | Introduction to Black Literature of America I | |
| or ENGL 2610W | Introduction to Black Literature of America I | |
| ENGL 2611 | Introduction to Black Literature of America II | |
| or ENGL 2611 | Introduction to Black Literature of America II | |
| ENGL 2710 | Postcolonialism, Race, and Gender in Global Anglophone Literature and Film | |
| or ENGL 2710W | Postcolonialism, Race, and Gender in Global Anglophone Literature and Film | |
| ENGL 2711 | Postcolonialism and Migration in Global Anglophone Literature and Film | |
| or ENGL 2711W | Postcolonialism and Migration in Global Anglophone Literature and Film | |
| ENGL 2712 | Bollywood Cinema | |
| or ENGL 2712W | Bollywood Cinema | |
| ENGL 2830 | Introduction to Tragedy | |
| ENGL 2840 | Introduction to Comedy | |
| One required course in critical theory: | ||
| ENGL 2800 | Introduction to Critical Theory | |
| or ENGL 2800W | Introduction to Critical Theory | |
| One minority/diversity course taken at the 3000 level. Suggested courses include: | ||
| ENGL 3570 | Nineteenth-Century Black Literature | |
| ENGL 3730 | Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film | |
| or ENGL 3730W | Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film | |
| ENGL 3800 | Hawaiian Literary Renaissance | |
| ENGL 3826 | Toni Morrison and William Faulkner | |
| ENGL 3840 | Gender and Literature | |
| or ENGL 3840W | Gender and Literature | |
| ENGL 3850 | Ethnicity and Place in American Literature | |
| ENGL 3910 | Disability Studies | |
| ENGL 3912 | Origins of Nazi Genocide | |
| ENGL 3930 | Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture | |
| or ENGL 3930W | Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture | |
| ENGL 3940 | Topics in African American Literary Studies | |
| ENGL 3945 | African American Poetry | |
| ENGL 3950 | Cultural Theory and Black Studies | |
| ENGL 3960 | Asian American Literature | |
| or ENGL 3960W | Asian American Literature | |
| ENGL 3965 | Topics in Asian American Cultural Studies | |
| Electives | ||
| 12 credits in ENGL courses taken at the 3000 and/or 4000 levels. These courses can include ENGL 4135, ENGL 4220, and ENGL 4250 but cannot include creative writing courses. | ||
With departmental approval, courses with appropriate subject matter can be substituted for those specified above. A single course can fulfill only one requirement.
In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.
Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:
-
One course in critical thinking in the humanities.
-
Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.
-
One course that has an approved oral communication component.
- One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
- One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
- UW 1020 University Writing
- After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:
- Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
- Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
- Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
- Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
- Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
- CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience
Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.
Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements can also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University can count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.
Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.
In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, in order to be considered for graduation with Special Honors, students must apply in writing in the spring semester of the junior year; and they must have a GPA of 3.25 in courses in the English Department at the time of applying. Candidates take ENGL 4040 Honors Seminar in the fall semester of the senior year and ENGL 4250 Honors Thesis in the spring semester. Candidates must earn an A or A− on the Honors Thesis and have achieved a 3.4 grade-point average in courses in the English Department.