BA in English - Special Emphasis in Long Beach United States | California State University, Long Beach

English majors with unique interests or career aspirations that don't align with standard program options may benefit from the Special Emphasis track. This flexible 41-unit program allows students to create customized study plans tailored to their academic goals. Possible concentrations include technical writing, specific literary genres, historical periods, thematic studies, or national literatures like American or English works. The curriculum may incorporate relevant courses from outside the English Department, provided at least 21 units are completed within CSULB's English Department and 21 units are upper-division coursework. Students considering more than four courses in another discipline should explore the Interdisciplinary Studies Program's Special Major. Prospective participants should develop comprehensive program proposals early in their academic journey, working closely with an English Department faculty advisor. Official recognition requires written advisor approval, department chair endorsement, and ongoing advisor supervision. Participants must complete at least 15 upper-division units post-approval. Mandatory courses include ENGL 180 (Composition and Literature, 3 units) and ENGL 380 (Approaches to English Studies, 4 units). The remaining units consist of English and related field electives, excluding ENGL 100 and 101.