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First-Year Courses

What are my options for a first English Literature course?

Swarthmore’s English Literature Department offers two types of introductory courses:

  • First-Year Seminars (FYS)
  • Gateway Courses

In addition, during some semesters, the department offers a few upper division courses that are open to first-year students.

To read more about the types of courses we offer, see our Curriculum Overview.

The English Department recommends that first-year students take just one English Literature course in the fall, with one exception: it's fine for a student to enroll in English 1F (Transitions to College Writing ) and any one of the other English Literature courses mentioned below.

Fall 2018 English Literature courses open to first-year students

The following English courses offer extensive support for improving student writing; all are Writing (W) courses. English 1F and some English First Year Seminars (FYS) are also offered in the Spring.

English 1F and English Literature First-Year Seminars enroll no more than 12 students. Due to demand, some English 1F sections and some English First-Year Seminars may require an enrollment lottery (random selection of admission).  Students will be notified regarding the lottery enrollment results as soon as they are available. In case you're lotteried out of a course, it's best to have a backup plan (ie another course you’re interested in).

The following additional English Literature courses are open to first-year students in Fall 2018. These courses are sometimes larger that First Year Seminars and some sophomores, juniors, and seniors may be enrolled, but they are excellent introductory courses to the study of English Literature.