Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Interdisciplinary Programs (EFLIP)

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Department Chairperson: Concetta Williams

Email: cwilli32@csu.edu

Phone: 773-995-2189

Location: Williams Science Center Room 320

Department Overview

The Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Interdisciplinary Programs offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with options in Literature, Secondary Teaching, and Writing. The department also offers minor sequences in English and Writing for students majoring in other fields.

Students in the Literature and Writing Options may prepare for a variety of careers including at least the following: creative writing, writing for digital media, publishing, editing, advertising, business, law, and librarianship. Completion of the Secondary Teaching Option in English qualifies students for an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with an endorsement for teaching English Language Arts for grades 9-12. 

Licensure requires the successful completion of the Illinois Licensure English Language Arts Content Area Test and edTPA. The Secondary Teaching Program meets Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) standards in English Language Arts education. The department maintains an updated copy of its assessment report in SCI 320.

The department offers introductory and advanced courses in Spanish and French. It also offers introductory courses in African languages, Arabic, Chinese, and German. The first-year foreign language courses are intended to develop the ability to understand, speak, and read the target language. The department also offers minor sequences in French, Spanish, and Latin American/Latino Studies for students majoring in other degree programs.

Competence in more than one language is not only integral to a complete educational experience, but also enables individuals to participate more fully in the global society and marketplace. In addition, the study of other languages and cultures empowers people to behave with a greater sense of self and to be successful in their relationships with those of different backgrounds.

The department will grant a maximum of nine hours of proficiency credit to both Spanish and bilingual education majors, six hours to elementary education majors and students undertaking a Spanish minor or Latin American/Latino Studies minor, and six hours to French minors.

Proficiency credit will be awarded during the last semester of the program.

Mission

The Department of English, Foreign Languages & Literatures, and Interdisciplinary Programs (EFLIP) is committed to providing Chicago State University (CSU) students a first-rate transformative educational experience that elevates and values their human experience. We are staunch believers in the possibilities and opportunities provided by a liberal arts education, and we are guided by our conscience and seek to be conscientious in our understanding of our work at CSU and with our students. We are dedicated to compassionate student-centered teaching, discipline-shaping research, and service to the campus and CSU community at large.

Motto

Excellence, Humanity, and Scholarship encapsulate the spirit of the Department of English, Foreign Languages & Literatures, and Interdisciplinary Programs (EFLIP).

Vision

The Department of English, Foreign Languages & Literatures, and Interdisciplinary Programs (EFLIP) will be recognized as a leader in serving diverse students and the communities that mainstream academic spaces have traditionally overlooked. The department will promote academic excellence, community service, and community uplift through pedagogy and scholarship.

Values

The Department of English, Foreign Languages & Literatures, and Interdisciplinary Programs (EFLIP) values: 

• Social justice, diversity, and equality
• Inclusivity and identity
• Language and cultural diversity
• Community and cultural assets
• Academic and personal honesty
• Academic excellencePersonal responsibility and accountability

Program Specific Policies

MFA

For admission to the MFA Program, applicants must submit the application form, official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, GRE general test scores, and a personal essay describing the nature of their writing and their writing process. Also required is a portfolio of creative work: for poets, 20 pages of poetry; for fiction and creative nonfiction writers, 40 pages of prose.

MA

Students applying to the master’s degree program in English must submit a graded English paper if they wish to be considered for full admission. Students also must write a paper of literary analysis during a 90-minute period scheduled at Chicago State University. The date of the scheduled writing period can be obtained from the Department of English, 773/995-2189.

Programs

• English, M.A.

• Creative Writing, M.F.A.

• Literacy, Language, and Culture in Postsecondary Settings Endorsement

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