The English programs at West Liberty University prepare students for many pathways beyond graduation, especially those that benefit from a graduate’s ability to read, think, and write critically. Many majors prepare students for specific careers, but majoring in English opens countless doors for students who are especially interested in studying the ways in which language and literature shape the world around them. Along the way, English majors grow into the types of graduates employers are looking for and, perhaps more importantly, individuals with the skills needed to continue to grow as global citizens and lifelong learners.

The Comics Studies major at West Liberty University is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students interested in pursuing their passions for art, literature, and comics. The only program of its kind anywhere in the world, the Graphic Narrative major at West Liberty University is the first undergraduate English degree designed specially around the field of Comics Studies. While all English majors at WLU take the same core classes, including surveys in American and British literature, Comics Studies majors focus much of their upper-level course work around topics related to the relationship between art and literature, the history of sequential art, creative expression, comics studies, and visual rhetoric.

English Core (12 hours)
ENG 200 Literature Foundations for English Majors
ENG 315 Multicultural Studies in Literature
ENG 385 Advanced Composition
ENG 495 Senior Seminar

Required English Courses (15 hours)
ENG 220 – Principles of Graphic Narrative
ENG 221 – History of Sequential Art & Literature
ENG 260 Introduction to Creative Writing
ENG 323 Writing for Comics

Choose one of the following
ENG 360 Creative Writing – Poetry
ENG 361 Creative Writing – Fiction
ENG 362 Creative Writing – Nonfiction
ENG 412 Topics in Graphic Literature*
ENG 300-400 Level Electives

*Students majoring in Graphic Narrative must take ENG 412 twice under different topic headings.

Interdisciplinary Requirements (12 hours)
ART 140 Art Appreciation

Choose three of the following:
ART 104 – Drawing I
ART 204 – Drawing II
ART 110 – 2-D Foundation Design
ART 190 Introduction to Computer Graphics
ART 230 Printmaking I
ART 244 Graphic Design History
COM 227 Visual Critical Literacy
DMD 101 Intro to Digital Media Design
DMD 104 Drawing and Design

Electives to total …120 Hrs.
At least ten must be 300-400 level.

Students may also consider a minor in Comics Studies.