Academic Catalogs

English, Associate of Arts Degree Major

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://catalog.cccd.edu.

Banner Code: 3_AA_ENGL

Control Number: 18215

Financial Aid Eligible


The study of English provides opportunities to explore the worlds of literature and culture. This English major produces graduates with demonstrated skills in literary analysis, critical thinking, writing, and communication. With this major, students build important research and critical thinking skills. They learn to discern what is important and to synthesize that information for other usage. As English majors are learning to read with a critical eye, they are also polishing their own writing skills.

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Write well-organized, well-developed expository essays in a variety of rhetorical modes, using Standard English, with a clear thesis statement and supporting topic sentences and supporting details.
  2. Search for and find reliable, unbiased sources and to use these sources in research papers, using correct MLA documentation.
  3. Evaluate a literary work in terms of style and descriptive technique, language, tone, mood, and literary conventions, such as symbolism, imagery, irony, and poetic devices such as meter and rhyme pattern.
  4. Analyze a given literary work and explain its relevance to the time period and genre in which it was written as well as the relationship between the events in an author’s life, time, and culture to the development of his or her writing.

Associate Degree Requirements

Unit Requirement

Complete at least 60 units of acceptable college work with a minimum of 12 units completed in residence at Coastline. Earn an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher from all colleges attended and a 2.0 or higher grade point average at Coastline.

*Students must be in good academic standing (not on probation and/or disqualification) during the semester graduation is petitioned.

Program of Study

Complete the required courses in one of the programs as detailed In the Requirements for the Major section of this catalog. All coursework must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

General Education

Complete one of the three General Education options below (visit the General Education page for details):

Option 1 — AA/AS Local Degree GE: designed for students pursuing an Associate degree and who may or may not be planning to transfer to a four-year university. The degree is transferable to many colleges and universities.

Option 2—CSU GE Breadth: designed for students who are planning to transfer to a university in the CSU system. It may also be appropriate for transfer to some independent colleges and universities.

Option 3—IGETC: designed for students who are planning to transfer to a university in the CSU or UC system. It also may be appropriate for transfer to some independent colleges and universities.

Global and Multicultural Studies Requirement

Complete at least 2.5 units from any Global and Multicultural Studies courses. See what courses fulfill the Global and Multicultural Studies Requirement.

Course Title Units
Required Core
Complete the following:
ENGL C102Critical Reasoning, Reading, and Writing3
Program Electives
Select one of the following:3-4
Critical Reasoning, Reading, and Writing Through Literature
Appreciation of Literature
Select two of the following:6
American Literature through the Civil War
American Literature 1865 to Present
British Literature to 1800
British Literature since 1800
Select two of the following or any course not selected above:6
Business Writing
Business Communication
Children's Literature
The International Short Story
American Literature: The Short Story
Introduction to 20th Century Military Fiction
Shakespeare
Gothic Victorian Literature
American Gothic Literature
Introduction to the Humanities
Introduction to History and Literature of Theater
Units Required for Major18-19
Local General Education, CSU General Education, or IGETC patternVaries
Electives to satisfy unit requirementVaries
Total Units60