English - Critical Studies in Literatures, Cultures, and Film Emphasis
Learn to critique literature, society, and culture from multiple angles — including from a historic, generic, cultural, ethnic, theoretical, and national perspective
Read Between the Lines
The critical studies emphasis is an excellent choice for those who regularly ask deeper questions about movies, video games, books, and social media, or find themselves assessing the significance of everyday texts like an advertisement or song lyric. Coursework throughout the major will teach you to read literary, critical, and cinematic texts and reveal how they construct meaning and shape frameworks of power that mediate human relationships.
With the goal of providing maximum flexibility and personalization, the majority of the critical studies degree is made up of courses chosen by you. Study British, American, world/post-colonial, American ethnic, and women's literature and culture. Explore courses in theory, film, and popular culture. Dive deeper into your electives with a creative writing workshop, or learn more about linguistics, or the rhetorics of science, technology, and culture. This holistic, all-encompassing approach shapes our graduates into extremely knowledgeable and culturally competent experts and prepares them well for countless career paths.
Upon graduation, you'll be able to critically engage with texts of various genres and media to uncover meanings and interpretations — a skill that makes critical studies majors highly sought after. Our grads go on to work at law offices, advertising firms, public relations companies, publishing houses, and nonprofit organizations, making a positive impact wherever they go.
Program Details
One of the best ways to understand culture and art is to experience it firsthand. Studying literature, history, and film in another country can lead to life-changing perspectives and experiences. Find inspiration in places like England, France, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Korea, South Africa, or Japan while studying abroad. Or join faculty on a cultural immersion trip to diverse places right here in the U.S.
As a critical studies major, you'll have the opportunity to work as an academic apprentice. This may require you to facilitate class discussions, assist teams with group work, answer questions, provide input for class activities, and assignments or teach part of a class session. This is an excellent way to build leadership skills, gain real-world experience and explore different career paths.
Critical studies majors are naturally curious, which often makes undergraduate research even more appealing. UW-Eau Claire has earned national recognition for the research opportunities it provides to its students — something you'll certainly experience while part of the English department. Your work may include conducting captivating interviews, assisting faculty with data collection or presenting your research findings at local, and national conferences.
Dozens of electives throughout the major allow you to pursue multiple passions and become an expert in many different areas. Explore the recent turn to religion in contemporary postcolonial women novelists, the genre of Asian American autobiography and memoir, the writing and music of the African Diaspora, or a feminist analysis of the “Good Life.” Critical Studies’ multidisciplinary approach will surround you with different people, ideas, and perspectives.
Blugold Stories
During my time at UW-Eau Claire, I have been lucky enough to study around the world, become involved with several campus organizations and activities, and meet some of my life's greatest friends. These past four years have been an incredible journey filled with challenges, growth, and lots of amazing memories.
Performing research — as an undergraduate or otherwise — brings a student outside their known world. Research may reveal the way a person shapes their story and a people shape their history.
Where can the critical studies in literatures, cultures, and film program lead me after graduation?
From marketing assistants at regional banks to contributing authors at Eau Claire's very own Volume One magazine, graduates of our critical studies major go on to excel in a variety of challenging and creative jobs all over the country.
The emphasis on close reading and critical analysis of complex textual materials also makes this program an excellent gateway to law school. According to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), English is among the top 10 most common pre-law majors for students accepted into ABA-accredited schools.
Example Careers
- Academic advisor
- Literacy coach
- Legal advocate
- Creative director
- Advertising copywriter
- Entrepreneur
- Technical writer
- Editor
- Publications specialist
- Marketing manager
- Librarian
- Professor
Throughout the major, you'll learn the tools of interpretation — including narrative, figurative language, critical theory, language and rhetoric in cultural context and intertextuality — as applied to a variety of both literary and social texts. Courses will have you analyze films, TV shows, and literature using an array of critical methods and approaches, as well as concepts of role representation and ideology; race, class, and gender; economics and history; aesthetics and politics; and genre and form.
Here are a few courses in English - Critical Studies in Literatures, Cultures, and Film Emphasis at UW-Eau Claire.
ENGL 210
Introduction to Critical Studies
Students learn methods for understanding how texts construct meaning and shape frameworks of power that mediate human relationships.
ENGL 281
Critical Perspectives on Film, Television, and Moving-Image Culture
Engagement with critical perspectives on film, television, and/or moving image culture. Students will analyze films, TV shows, and/or moving-image texts using a variety of critical methods and approaches.
ENGL 362
Studies in Transatlantic Romanticism
Examines Romanticism as an Anglo-American literary dialogue concerned with topics such as abolition of slavery, environmental preservation, women's rights, etc. Explores how the successes and failures of political, poetical, and industrial revolutions shaped Romantic literature.
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