Lang’s General Degree Requirements
In addition to the requirements outlined here, Lang has its own specific requirements, including a minimum number of credits in liberal arts courses as well as college residency requirements. All students should read Lang’s General Degree Requirements and consult with both their Student Success advisor and their Departmental Faculty Advisor each semester to ensure that they are on track to graduate.
Degree Works
To be sure their Degree Works account reflects the information in this worksheet, students should forward any approved exemptions from the following requirements to their Student Success advisor.
Bachelor’s-Master’s Program
Undergraduates in the BA-MA program can earn up to 18 credits (depending on the master's program) in New School master's courses and apply those graduate credits to both their BA and their MA. Submission of the Bachelor’s-Master’s application is required (members of the direct-entry cohort do not have to submit an application but do have to declare the Bachelor's-Master's combination they wish to pursue). Students should consult their Departmental Faculty Advisor and their Student Success advisor if they are pursuing a BA/MA, including those offered in Literary Studies:
- BA Literary Studies - MA Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism
- BA Literary Studies - MA Liberal Studies
Requirements for the BA in Literary Studies
Faculty members in Literary Studies regard critical and theoretical writing as a process that is as creative as writing poetry, fiction, and drama. Students are encouraged to begin with 2000-level courses in Literature (LLSL) and Writing (LLSW) as they consider one of these two tracks. Two required Literary Introductions courses (The Invention of Literature, offered every fall, and Literary Reinvention, offered every spring), focusing on texts from the classic to the contemporary, enable students to build a solid foundation in literary studies and provide them with a common language and literary experience as they proceed to more advanced study. Literary Studies students can also apply to continue their writing and literature coursework abroad beginning in their sophomore year, in Paris, London, Rome, or Verona.
In their junior or senior year, all students are required to take an intensive single-text course in which both critics and practitioners of writing explore the nuances of a major work, as well as a Reading for Writers course combining the reading of great works with creative writing.
As of fall 2020, students declaring the major in Literary Studies must take 12 courses, outlined as follows. Declare your major by following the process outlined in Declaring Your Major. Students who have declared the major in Literary Studies before fall 2020 but wish to follow the fall 2020 curriculum can consult their Student Success advisor about submitting a Change of Catalog Year request.
All courses offered by Literary Studies must be passed with a grade of C or better, except sequenced Writing Workshops, which have a stricter requirement: Students may not take an Intermediate Writing Workshop unless they have received a grade of B or higher in the Introductory Workshop in the same genre. Students who did not receive a B may retake the Introductory Workshop. Students who do not meet the minimum grade requirements to advance in Literary Studies and who cannot retake the necessary course must meet with the chair to determine their options. (Lang recommends that students who are unable to meet the grade minimums in their workshops consider changing their major or switching to the Literature track in Literary Studies.) Students interested in Journalism are encouraged to consider Journalism + Design. Note that upper-level students who substituted writing workshops in journalism for writing workshops in nonfiction in previous years (before fall 2014) will have those substitutions fully honored. Schools of Public Engagement writing workshops (Adult Bachelor's Program) do not count toward the five writing courses for Lang Writing.
Only specific courses satisfy the major requirements, including electives. In choosing courses to meet requirements, students are encouraged to meet with Carolyn Vellenga Berman for questions about the Literature program and Jennifer Firestone for questions about the Writing program. Students who enrolled in spring 2008 or earlier may follow the rules for the old Writing or Literature areas of study (BA Liberal Arts) or may opt to follow the new, more rigorous requirements for the BA in Literary Studies (Literature or Writing Concentration). Students who enrolled at Lang after spring 2008 must adhere to the new rules for the major.
Courses should be chosen carefully, in consultation with the Departmental Faculty Advisor and your Student Success advisor. Track your progress using the program worksheet (below). See the university course catalog for fall 2023 Literary Studies courses that fulfill these requirements.
Major Requirements
Below are the general requirements for the degree in Literary Studies (BA Literary Studies). For specific concentration requirements within the BA, see the Literature Concentration or the Writing Concentration and download the appropriate worksheet below.
Introductory courses:
All Literary Studies students (in either the Writing or Literature concentration) take the following core courses. Students are advised to pay close attention to prerequisites included in course descriptions and to meet with the Departmental Faculty advisor.
- Two Literary Introductions Courses, preferably, but not necessarily, taken in sequence:
- The Invention of Literature. Either LLST 2003/2004 (Lecture and Discussion) or LLST 2007 (Seminar—no discussion; offered in spring only) satisfies this requirement. (3-4 credits)
- Literary Reinvention. Either LLST 2005/2006 (Lecture and Discussion) or LLST 2008 (Seminar—no discussion; offered in fall only) satisfies this requirement. (3-4 credits)
NOTE: Literary Introductions courses are co/prerequisites for all 3000-level Literary Studies courses, unless the requirement is waived by the Departmental Faculty Advisor.
Other required courses:
- One LLST single author course (3-4 credits)
- One LLST-RFW Reading for Writers course, open to juniors and seniors only (3-4 credits). Choose from:
- LLST 3016 Reading for Writers: Nonfiction
- LLST 3025 Reading for Writers: Poetry
- LLST 3006 Reading for Writers: Fiction
Senior Capstone:
- Choose one of the following, by advisement (3-4 credits):
- Independent Senior Project
- Senior seminar. NOTE: Starting in 2022-2023, Literature Senior Seminars and Writing Senior Seminars will be offered only in spring semesters. Students pursuing the Writing concentration should take Advanced courses no earlier than their fifth semester.
Total credits: 36-48