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Minor
An 18-credit literature-focused minor that covers both the British and American traditions, with nine credits of upper-division electives — from Shakespeare to C.S. Lewis to Creative Writing.
Both Traditions Covered
British + American literature required
Nine Elective Credits
Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Creative Writing, more
Pre-Law and Writing Friendly
Reading and writing skill at a serious level
ACU’s English Minor is built for students who recognize that reading and writing well are not bonus skills — they shape every career, every conversation, and every life. The 18-credit minor opens with Introduction to Literature (ENG 201) and requires one course each from the British and American literary traditions, then gives you nine credits of upper-division electives to shape the back half of the minor toward your interests.
The elective shelf is unusually deep: Shakespeare (ENG 434), C.S. Lewis (ENG 431), the Novel (ENG 312), Poetry (ENG 328), Creative Writing (ENG 317), Major Authors (ENG 421), Literary Criticism (ENG 410), Adolescent Literature (ENG 432), Multicultural Literature (ENG 230), and more. Whether you’re heading toward law school, writing and publishing, education, ministry, or marketing, the minor builds the reading and writing chops those careers consistently reward.
Pairs especially naturally with Secondary Education (English Language Arts), Communication, Christian Ministries, Political Science, and any major where strong written expression matters.
Read Literature Closely
Develop the skills of close reading and interpretation that good literary work demands.
Engage the British Tradition
Work through either British Literature I or II — from Beowulf through the Romantics, or from the Victorians through the twentieth century.
Engage the American Tradition
Study American Literature I or II — from the colonial period through the Civil War, or from the Civil War through the present.
Specialize Through Electives
Shape nine credits of upper-division electives around your interests — Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Creative Writing, Poetry, the Novel, Adolescent Literature, and more.
Write at the College Level
Strengthen your written expression — the skill nearly every career depends on more than the job descriptions admit.
A Biblical Worldview takes literature seriously — both as serious thinking about the human condition and as an act of sub-creation that mirrors the larger creation we live inside.
Stories as Moral Imagination
Literature trains the moral imagination — it shows us what virtue and vice actually look like in lived experience, the kind of thing abstract arguments can never quite capture. A Biblical Worldview treats that formation seriously, recognizing that what we read shapes who we become.
Equips you to read for formation, not just for information.
The Christian Literary Tradition
From Augustine and Dante through Milton and Bunyan, from Donne and Herbert through Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, and C.S. Lewis, Christian writers have shaped the Western literary tradition in deep ways. ACU's elective shelf — including a full course on C.S. Lewis (ENG 431) — engages that tradition directly."
Grounds your reading in a tradition worth knowing and continuing.
Words That Carry Weight
Scripture itself is given to us as literature — narrative, poetry, prophecy, epistle, apocalypse. A Biblical Worldview treats words as carrying real weight, and the practice of reading and writing well as a form of taking that conviction seriously.
Anchors your writing in the conviction that what you say actually matters.
English is one of the most flexible minors at the university — it sharpens reading and writing for nearly any career and remains a classic pre-law pathway.
Pre-Law and Law School Preparation
English remains one of the strongest pre-law minors, building the close reading and argumentative writing law school demands.
Writing, Editing, and Publishing
Move into editorial, content, copywriting, and publishing roles where reading and writing well are the job.
Christian School English Teacher
Pair the minor with ACU's BS Secondary Education to teach English Language Arts in middle and high schools.
Communications, PR, and Marketing
Bring serious writing skill into communications, public relations, and marketing roles.
Ministry, Preaching, and Christian Publishing
Strengthen the writing-heavy work of pastoral preparation, ministry communications, and Christian publishing.
Graduate Study in English or the Humanities
Use the minor as preparation for an MA or MFA in English, creative writing, or the broader humanities.
The English Minor at ACU stands out for the breadth of its elective shelf, the inclusion of Christian literary tradition, and faculty who treat literature as formative rather than just academic.
Both British and American Lit Required
The minor's required core includes one British literature course and one American literature course — both traditions covered, no choosing between them.
Nine Credits of Upper-Division Electives
More elective flexibility than most ACU minors offer — Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Poetry, the Novel, Creative Writing, Literary Criticism, and more.
C.S. Lewis as a Standalone Course
ENG 431 C.S. Lewis is a full 3-credit course — a distinctive ACU offering that few English programs match.
Creative Writing Available
ENG 317 Creative Writing gives you the option to make creative work part of your minor, not just analysis.
Same Faculty as the BA English
English Minor students sit in the same courses with the same professors as ACU's English majors.
The English Minor has light prerequisites and a flexible course sequence — most students complete it across their sophomore through senior years.
Talk With Your Academic Advisor
Map the 18 credits into your degree plan and start thinking about which of the upper-division electives best match where you're headed.
Take ENG 201 Early
Introduction to Literature is the foundation for the minor's upper-division work. Schedule it freshman or sophomore year.
View ENG 201Pick Your Literature Tradition Courses
Choose ENG 321 or ENG 322 for the British literature requirement, and ENG 343 or ENG 344 for the American literature requirement. Sophomore or junior year is typical.
Choose Three Upper-Division Electives
Pick the three 300+ ENG electives that fit your direction — Shakespeare (ENG 434) for pre-law; Creative Writing (ENG 317) for writers; C.S. Lewis (ENG 431) for ministry-bound students.
The English Minor sharpens reading and writing skill, opens up the Christian literary tradition, and stacks the elective shelf with courses that genuinely shape how you think. Apply or reach out today.
