The Literature Major at Ramapo College

Teacher Education and Literature

If you are interested in earning either a teaching certification in English, the Literature Program is an excellent major for you, and the Program can be of assistance to you. Approximately 30% of Literature Majors are also in the Teacher Certification Program. You can be a Literature Major and fulfill some of the certification subject area requirements without having to go outside the major.

The Literature faculty recognizes the active relationship between its majors and the certification program. The literature major's advisory support faculty liason, Dr. Donald Fucci (office B136; [201] 684-7555), is a literature faculty member who also teaches in the teacher certification program. Dr. Fucci is available to advise on appropriate coursework for those literature majors who seek secondary level certification. Those seeking certification on the elementary level should contact the Education Program directly, or meet with Dr. Alex Urbiel (office B134 [201] 684-7627), the Program Director.

Students need to have and maintain an overall GPA of 2.75 to enter and remain in the certification program.

Double Counting: Courses cannot double count within the Teacher Education Program. That is, while a course like LITR 212 - MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA covers the work of one European playwrights, it can fulfill EITHER Drama or European Literature, not both categories.

The following table should help you determine which Literature Courses Fulfill your Teacher Education Categories.

This list is intended students obtaining a Content English Certification (Middle School/High School) English Certification

One course in Shakespeare:
LITR 208 SHAKESPEARE PLAYS
(NOTE: LITR 207 SHAKESPEARE ON FILM does not fulfill this requirement).

Two Drama Courses:
LITR 212 - MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA
LITR 254 - SURVEY OF GREEK DRAMA
LITR 287 - AMERICAN DRAMA
(or a section of Major Authors or Literture Seminar dealing a playwright/drama; also, LITR 208 SHAKESPEARE PLAYS counts as one of the Drama courses)

One Poetry Course:
LITR 215 READINGS IN POETRY
LITR 221 SURVEY OF AMERICAN POETRY (formerly "CONTINUITY OF AMERICAN POETRY")
LITR 305 TRANSATLANTIC 19th C. POETRY
(or a section of Major Authors dealing with a poet)

Two British Literature Courses (the literature faculty recommends one course cover British Literature pre-1750 & one cover ritish Literature post-1750. As of Fall 2008, however, any two British Literature Courses will fulfill the requirement.)

British Literature Pre-1750

LITR 203 BRITISH LITERATURE I
LITR 207 SHAKESPEARE ON FILM
LITR 337 AGE OF CHAUCER
LITR 340 BRITISH MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

British Literature Post-1750

LITR 205 THE ENGLISH NOVEL
LITR 209 SURVEY OF BRITISH LITERATURE II
LITR 213 LITERATURE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
LITR 342 THE VICTORIANS
(or a section of Major Authors or Literture Seminar dealing with a British Author)

Two American Literature Courses:
LITR 202 SURVEY AMERICAN LITERATURE I
LITR 204 AMERICAN SHORT STORY
LITR 214 AMERICAN POETRY
LITR 217 CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE
LITR 240 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN NOVEL
LITR 255 LITERATURE OF THE AMERICAS
LITR 321 MODERN AMERICAN POETRY
LITR 230 AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE
LITR 280 HARLEM RENAISSANCE
LITR 308 COMIC AMERICAN NOVEL
LITR 331 AMERICAN ROMANTICISM
LITR 341 LATINO LITERATURE OF USA
(or a section of Major Authors or Literature Seminar dealing with a dealing with an American author)

Two International or Multicultural Courses:

International Courses:

LITR 212 MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA
LITR 223 SURVEY OF EUROPEAN LITERATURE (formerly "CONTINENTAL LITERATURE")
LITR 228 SURVEY OF AFRICAN LITERATURE
LITR 253 MODERN NOVEL IN FRANCE
LITR 254 SURVEY OF GREEK DRAMA
LITR 258 RUSSIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE
LITR 281 MODERN IRELAND THE LITERARY EXPERIENCE
LITR 315 EXISTENTIALISM
LITR 320 BLACK ODYSSEY
LITR 328 SPANISH RENAISSANCE
LITR 330 BRAZILIAN LITERATURE & CULTURE
LITR 338 INTERNATIONAL 19TH CENTURY NOVEL
LITR 348 LITERATURE OF THE HOLOCAUST
LITR 357 CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE
LITR 363 ITALIAN RENAISSANCE STUDY

Multicultural Courses:

LITR 217 CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE
LITR 252 MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE
LITR 230 AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE
LITR 255 LITERATURE OF THE AMERICAS
LITR 280 HARLEM RENAISSANCE
(or a section of Major Authors or Literature Seminar dealing with International or Multicultural subject matter)

One course in Language Theory:
LITR 301 LITERATURE: THEORY AND CRITICISM
LITR 314 GRAMMAR: THEORY AND PEDAGOGY
LITR 344 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE