Online Degrees & Certificates
AA in English
Program Description
A major in English will prepare you to express your ideas, develop a distinct voice, and practice critical thinking skills that are valued and desired in many diverse career fields, such as law, teaching, advertising, journalism, artificial intelligence, entertainment, communications, and business administration. In studying arguments and expository texts, you will explore diverse perspectives and develop your own critical reading and writing processes, equipping you to effectively and confidently communicate your ideas. Through the study of literature and the practice of creative writing, you will deepen and expand your understanding of the world and the significant historical and cultural contexts that inform so much of the conversations, art, and pop cultural influences that shape consciousness. In the ever-changing world and growing global society, majoring in English at Foothill College will prepare you to embrace new ideas, adapt to evolving technologies, and engage in meaningful discourse throughout your academic, personal, and professional life.
Learn more about the program on the English website.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to examine and understand works within historical and cultural contexts, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, ability, and socioeconomics.
Students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking, reading, and writing skills through reflection and analysis of written and multimedia texts and genres, engaging with multiple perspectives.
Students will be able to conduct research, demonstrating the ability to locate, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically cite information from a variety of sources in their written work.
Students will be able to recognize, cultivate, and engage in linguistic justice and make intentional decisions about the impact of their language on an audience.
Students will be able to think critically about their role as citizens who must engage with the economy (in their vocations and as consumers), the justice system, politics, and their community.
Students will be able to demonstrate an emerging authentic and personal writing style and voice.
Award Type(s)
AA = Associate in Arts Degree
Units Required
Major: 27-30
Online Courses for English
The courses listed BELOW are offered as online courses at least once every two years. Please see the Class Schedule for verification.
- For a complete listing of online courses offered during the current quarter, visit Online Course Information.
- If you need any additional degree information or confirmation, please contact the Counseling Division.
NOTE: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.
Associate Degree Requirements
A minimum of 90 units is required* to complete the associate degree, including:
Core and support courses for the major (27-30 units total)
Completion of one of the following general education patterns:
Foothill College General Education
Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)**
Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)**
Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)***
* Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
** Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information.
*** Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificates. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.
Core and Support Courses
Core Courses
Select ONE of the following Options (5-9 Units):
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | ||
| ENGL 1B | Composition, Critical Reading & Thinking through Literature | 5 |
| or ENGL 1BH | Honors Composition, Critical Reading & Thinking through Literature | 5 |
| Option 2 | ||
| ENGL 1C renumbering to ENGL C1001 effective Fall 2025 | Critical Thinking and Writing | 5 |
| or ENGL 1CH renumbering to ENGL C1001H effective Fall 2025 | Critical Thinking and Writing - Honors | 5 |
| ENGL 16 | Introduction to Literature | 4 |
| or ENGL 16H | Honors Introduction to Literature | 4 |
And, for either option, select any TWO courses from the following (10 Units):
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 43A | Survey of British Literature I: Beowulf to the Late 18th Century | 5 |
| or ENGL 43AH | Honors Survey of British Literature I: Beowulf to the Late 18th Century | 5 |
| ENGL 43B | Survey of British Literature II: The Romantic Period to the Present | 5 |
| or ENGL 43BH | Honors Survey of British Literature II: The Romantic Period to the Present | 5 |
| ENGL 45A | Survey of American Literature I: Beginnings to 1865 | 5 |
| or ENGL 45AH | Honors Survey of American Literature I: Beginnings to 1865 | 5 |
| ENGL 45B | Survey of American Literature II: 1865 to the Present | 5 |
| or ENGL 45BH | Honors Survey of American Literature II: 1865 to the Present | 5 |
Support Courses
For Option 1, select THREE courses (12-15 units) from the following, of which TWO must be Literature* courses (minimum of 12 units**): (12-15 Units)
For Option 2, select TWO courses (8-10 units) from the following, of which ONE course must be a Literature* course (minimum of 8 units**): (8-10 Units)
| ONLINE COURSE | TITLE | UNITS |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1B *** | Composition, Critical Reading & Thinking through Literature | 5 |
| or ENGL 1BH | Honors Composition, Critical Reading & Thinking through Literature | 5 |
| ENGL 1C *** renumbering to ENGL C1001 effective Fall 2025 | Critical Thinking and Writing | 5 |
| or ENGL 1CH renumbering to ENGL C1001H effective Fall 2025 | Critical Thinking and Writing - Honors | 5 |
| ENGL 50C | Technical Writing | 5 |
| ENGL 80 | Introduction to Travel Writing | 4 |
| CRWR 6 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 5 |
| CRWR 25A | Poetry in Community | 5 |
| CRWR 39A | Introduction to Short Fiction Writing | 5 |
| CRWR 39B | Advanced Short Fiction Writing | 5 |
| CRWR 41A | Poetry Writing | 5 |
| CRWR 41B | Advanced Poetry Writing | 5 |
| Literature Courses * |
||
| ENGL 16 *** | Introduction to Literature | 4 |
| or ENGL 16H | Honors Introduction to Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 43A *** | Survey of British Literature I: Beowulf to the Late 18th Century | 5 |
| or ENGL 43AH | Honors Survey of British Literature I: Beowulf to the Late 18th Century | 5 |
| ENGL 43B *** | Survey of British Literature II: The Romantic Period to the Present | 5 |
| or ENGL 43BH | Honors Survey of British Literature II: The Romantic Period to the Present | 5 |
| ENGL 45A *** | Survey of American Literature I: Beginnings to 1865 | 5 |
| or ENGL 45AH | Honors Survey of American Literature I: Beginnings to 1865 | 5 |
| ENGL 45B *** | Survey of American Literature II: 1865 to the Present | 5 |
| or ENGL 45BH | Honors Survey of American Literature II: 1865 to the Present | 5 |
| ENGL 5 | Loud & Queer: Literature of Sexual/Gender Identity | 4 |
| ENGL 7 | Native American Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 8 | Children's Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 10A | Literature & the Environment | 4 |
| ENGL 11 | Introduction to Poetry | 4 |
| or ENGL 11H | Honors Introduction to Poetry | 4 |
| ENGL 12 | African American Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 12A | All Power to the People: Literature of the Black Panther Party | 4 |
| ENGL 14 | Traveling the World through Contemporary Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 17 | Introduction to Shakespeare | 4 |
| ENGL 18B | Gothic & Horror Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 22 | Women Writers | 4 |
| ENGL 24 | Unmasking Comics: The Dawn of the Graphic Novel | 4 |
| ENGL 27G | Detective & Mystery Fiction | 4 |
| ENGL 31 | Latino/a Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 34C | Literature into Film | 4 |
| ENGL 37 | Science Fiction Literature: Reimagineering Reality | 4 |
| ENGL 38 | Literature of Protest | 4 |
| ENGL 40 | Asian American Literature | 4 |
| ENGL 49 | California Literature: Golden State, Geographies & Histories | 4 |
| ENGL 70R ** | Independent Study in English | 1 |
| ENGL 71R ** | Independent Study in English | 2 |
| ENGL 72R ** | Independent Study in English | 3 |
| ENGL 73R | Independent Study in English | 4 |
| Total Units | 27-30 | |
* The student has the option of taking all support courses from the Literature courses.
** If the student chooses to apply ENGL 70R, 71R or 72R to the support course requirement, additional coursework may be required to meet the minimum units for the support courses.
*** If not used to fulfill the core course requirement.
For a complete list of degree requirements, please visit English 2025-2026 Degree & Certificates.
Based on the 2025 - 2026 degree program.