B.A. concentration in Literary Studies

The Literary Studies concentration immerses you in great reads, compelling questions, and transformative writing experiences. Through it, you come to know iconic writers, groundbreaking texts, and the intellectual buzz of interpretive thinking.

Within Literary Studies, you will explore the dynamic interplay between literature and culture, identity, psychology, history, politics, and other forces. You’ll investigate how texts make meaning, create worlds, and generate characters. You will develop your own writerly voice and style—and pursue your own passions. Holistically, the Literary Studies major will enable you to:

  • Read closely, critically, and innovatively
  • Write clearly, eloquently, and insightfully
  • Know a rich range of literary terms, forms, genres, periods, histories, theories, and writers
  • Study literature in different historical, cultural, biographical, formal, and theoretical contexts
  • See how writing and literature can enrich, complicate, and transform the human experience
  • Produce original reading and writing projects

Learn More in the Catalog
Learn more about this major in the catalog. If you are an existing student, be sure to look at the catalog for the year you entered Otterbein.

Student Learning Outcomes University Learning Goals (KMERI*)
1. Students read broadly across a variety of periods, genres, forms, movements, cultures, and media. Knowledgeable, Multi-literate
2. Students read closely and interpretively to extract and construct meaning; attend to structures and strategies of texts; and participate in a community of readers. Multi-literate, Engaged
3. Students produce clear, graceful, fluent writing that is attuned to context, audience, purpose, and genre conventions. Knowledgeable, Multi-literate
4. Students approach inquiry by asking complex questions, analyzing component parts, and researching, using, and crediting sources effectively. Engaged, Inquisitive
5. Students engage with and expand social, political, and cultural understanding, articulating both self-awareness of cultural bias and understanding multiple and complex perspectives. Engaged, Responsible
6. Students engage creative thinking by taking risks, embracing contradictions, connecting and combining unlikely materials, and transforming knowledge. Engaged, Inquisitive
7. Students demonstrate initiative and independence in engaging experiences and contexts beyond the classroom (such as publications, internships, or other immersive literary opportunities) and becoming lifelong learners. Engaged, Responsible

*NOTE: KMERI refers to Otterbein's learning goals. It stands for Knowledgeable, Multi-literate, Engaged, Responsible, and Inquisitive. To learn more about KMERI, visit our University Learning Goals page.

Apply
Now!