Incoming & Transfer Students

A&R Information

Have you made a reservation for an A&R (Advising & Registration) session? A&R is a one-day advising and academic planning session in Zoom for students who have recently been admitted to Western Washington University. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about registration as an incoming or transfer student at Western! 

Make a reservation!

Fall 2026 Course Recommendations

Register for fall quarter using one of our course recommendation guides! 

First-Year Students and prospective English Majors:

First-Year and GUR Guide for prospective English Majors

Declared English Majors:

English with an Emphasis in Creative Writing and Literature, with or without endorsements

English with an Emphasis in Film & Media Studies

Want to know more about a specific course? Visit our Fall 2026 Course Descriptions page for more details. 

Get to Know the English Community!

If you're new to the WWU English program, you'll want to check out these resources to connect with your writerly community:

The English Faculty & Staff Profiles page will introduce you to your instructors.

The English Department News page highlights recent awards and articles involving our program.

The English Alumni Newsletter celebrates the accomplishments of our alumni.

Our Instagram page features our outstanding students and recent events.

Check out award-winning student-led campus publications like Bellingham Review and Jeopardy Magazine where many WWU English students work as editors and volunteers.

Welcome!

Welcome to WWU's English Program! We hope the time you spend here is filled with learning, challenge, creativity and literary fulfillment. To make your declaration as an English major as simple as possible, we have provided some important information below. If you've made a reservation for A&R, we'll go over all of this with you during the Academic Department portion of your session!

Western's English Department offers one major with six emphases, giving our majors the unique opportunity to focus on a specific professional field or proficiency. Students complete foundational courses in composition, critical theory and literary analysis—while selecting electives aligned with their focus area and professional ambitions. Teaching endorsement options are available for students interested in teaching middle and high school grade English.   

English Major Options

English, BA with:

*Aspiring secondary education teachers should keep in mind that +58 additional credits are required (in addition to their English major and endorsement) to attain teacher certification through WWU Woodring College of Education. Students completing multiple endorsements may also have additional coursework after admission to WWU Woodring College of Education. 

You can check out the lists of required courses for each of these programs on our English Majors page.

Are you eligible to declare an English major?

The prerequisites for declaring an English major include:

  1. 60 college credits completed (completed credits do not include credits in progress)
  2. *Satisfactory completion of ENG 202: Writing About Literature or equivalent course by the end of their first quarter in the major.

Major status is contingent upon passing ENG 202 with a C- or above by the end of the first quarter in the major. Students who do not pass ENG 202 with a C- or above may be dropped from the major and asked to retake ENG 202)

*Students declaring an English major with an emphasis in Film and Media Studies are exempt from taking ENG 202. Students declaring an English major with an emphasis in Multilingual Education must complete prerequisites 1&2 as well as one additional course from the following list: ENG234, ENG235, ENG236, or ENG239. 

Applying for the English Major

Step One: Meet with an English Advisor

Once you meet the prerequisites for your English major, we strongly recommend meeting with an English advisor to discuss and apply for your major! If you are attending A&R, you will have the opportunity to meet with English advisors during your A&R date. If you are not able to attend A&R, visit our English Advising page to connect with an advisor! 

Step Two: Submit a Declaration Form

Once you are ready and eligible to declare your major, submit a declaration form to apply. Links to declaration forms and instructions are available here! Please be sure to follow all instructions carefully to ensure you are admitted to the program as soon as possible! (We can take care of this during A&R too!)

Information for High-Credit Transfer Students

If you will be transferring with your AA or DTA, you should have over 60+ college credits completed already. 

How to know if you have already taken ENG 202 at another university:

For out-of-state transfers:

You can check the Transfer Course Equivalency Guide to see if any of the literature courses you took at your previous college are equivalent to Western's ENG 202: Writing About Literature course. If the course transfers to WWU as ENG 202, it is equivalent. If the course transfers to WWU as ENG 2TT or 2XX, we may need more information (like a syllabus) to determine if it is equivalent.

For in-state transfers, only the following Washington courses are equivalent to Western's ENG 202 at this time:

  • Gonzaga University ENGL 200 - Intermediate Composition
  • Skagit Valley College ENGL 202 - Intro to Literature
  • Tacoma Community College ENGL 103 - Coll. Comp. Writing About Lit.
  • Washington State University ENGL 302 - Writing About Literature
  • Wenatchee Valley College ENGL 202 - Composition: Critical Analysis
  • Whatcom Community College ENGL 202 - Writing About Literature

ENG 202 Options at WWU 

If you have already completed your Associate Degree, a direct transfer agreement (DTA), or a BCOM GUR: We recommend registering for an equivalent course (like ENG 317 TYE or ENG 320 TYE) instead of ENG 202.

  • ENG 202: Writing About Literature: Fulfills a BCOM general university requirement (GUR). Recommended for low-credit transfer and incoming students without a BCOM GUR.
  • ENG 317 TYE: Survey: Medieval Literature: Transfer year equivalency (TYE) course, equivalent to ENG 202 and applies to English major requirements. Recommended for high-credit transfer students who have already completed a BCOM or an Associate Degree or a DTA (direct transfer agreement).
  • ENG 320 TYE: Survey: The Long 19th Century: Transfer year equivalency (TYE) course, equivalent to ENG 202 and applies to English major requirements. Recommended for high-credit transfer students who have already completed a BCOM or an Associate Degree or a DTA (direct transfer agreement).  

How do I know if I need to take a BCOM?

A BCOM is one of your general university requirements (GURs). Login to Degree Works. A block titled "General University Requirements will display your general university requirements. ENG 202 (and other BCOM courses) will apply to the "Communication - Block B or C" row.

Degree Works view, displaying Communication Block B or C, with ENG 202 Writing About Literature applying to this field as a "Block B" attribute.

If you have a green check mark for your "COMMUNICATION - Block B or C" then you do not need a BCOM course. In this case, you would be better off completing ENG 317 TYE or ENG 320 TYE (instead of ENG 202).

If your degree works does not display any general university requirements, then you likely have already completed them as part of your AA or DTA. In this case, you would be better off completing ENG 317 TYE or ENG 321 TYE (instead of ENG 202).

Fall Transfers

If you are planning to transfer to Western for fall quarter, we strongly recommend that you attend Fall Advising and Registration in July. Fall A&R is a special orientation program for transfer students where you will have the opportunity meet with a departmental advisor, declare your major, and register for fall classes. If you are unable to attend Fall A&R, you will not be able to register for fall classes until Phase 2 of registration.

Winter & Spring Transfers

First, consider attending one of Western's transfer orientations. If you are planning to transfer to Western for winter or spring quarter, you should email Elle Starr before registration begins to apply for the major.

Undergraduate Program Coordinator & Advisor: Elle Starr

Office: HU 329 / 327

Phone: 360-650-6846

Email: Elle.Starr@wwu.edu

Schedule a Zoom Advising Appointment

Welcome to Western. We look forward to meeting you!