Department of English and Humanities

The Department of English and Humanities offers baccalaureate degree programs in Literary and Textual Studies, Professional Writing, Philosophy, and Spanish. In conjunction with the Department of Education, we offer Secondary Education-English and Spanish Education (K-12). Pursuing a major in the department provides students with an opportunity to develop an awareness of foreign language and culture, the rhetorical dimension of language and the digital and electronic media, philosophical and religious analysis, as well as literary analysis. The Department’s goal is to provide the active learning experiences that promote the development of higher-level reading and analytical abilities and the refinement of written skills. Majors in the Department learn to question, think critically, analyze information, synthesize it, and communicate their ideas effectively. The disciplines represented here encourage versatility and flexibility. These programs are designed to prepare students for careers requiring analytical, presentational, and communication skills. The programs are also excellent pre-professional preparation for a variety of positions in publishing, law, commerce, as well as local, state and federal service. The programs also provide good preparation for students who wish to pursue graduate studies.

The department provides instruction to support several areas of the College’s General Education curriculum, including the first-year Writing program, Fine Arts and Humanities, and International Studies/Foreign Languages. In addition students can take advantage of several extracurricular activities to enrich their college experience.The student-run literary journal, The York Review, publishes creative fiction and non-fiction by student writers. Many majors in the Department write or edit for The Spartan, York College’s student-run campus newspaper. A chapter of the International English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta, is active in the department. There are active German and French clubs, and an active Film Society. The department sponsors a number of cultural events in support of the College’s cultural offerings. These events include a Film Series, a Lecture Series, and a Writer-in-Residence program.

Departmental Minors

The English and Humanities Department offers minors in Literary Studies, Professional Writing, Creative Writing, Critical Thinking and Theory, Film Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, French, German, and Spanish. Through careful planning and advising, students representing a variety of majors may elect a minor in any of these areas, thus acquiring valuable skills that will enhance and complement their academic majors.

Foreign Language Placement Process

If you have studied any French, German or Spanish with a grade of C or better; speak any of those languages at home; or learned one of those languages during a study abroad experience; it is important that you take a Foreign Language Placement Exam to ensure that you are placed at the course level giving you the greatest chance of success. Please take the exam as soon as possible even if you do not have immediate plans to enroll in a French, German or Spanish course.

The testing process takes 20 minutes on average but can run shorter or longer. The exam should be taken in one sitting, so please set aside a block of 30 minutes for its completion. For your own benefit, you should not consult materials or other people to help with the exam. You want to make sure you are placed in the course that best matches your needs and abilities.

You will receive a score and the corresponding language course level placement as soon as you complete the exam. Your score will also be sent to the Registrar’s Office, your academic advisor and the faculty teaching the language in which you took the exam. This will be your language level regardless of when you take the language at York College. Therefore, it is to your advantage to enroll in language courses before too much time has gone by to keep your knowledge fresh.

Please contact Dr. Mary Boldt at mboldt@ycp.edu for access and instructions to the on line placement exam or if you have any questions, not only about the exam but about foreign language study.