The Joseph Duncan Scholarship is awarded to the outstanding junior or senior English major. The award is based on a formal application letter that describes distinguished achievements, states academic goals, and that most convincingly demonstates a commitment to the study of literature. As part of the application, Duncan Scholar candidates also submit to the Honors Committee a writing sample of 5-20 pages of original writing completed in UMD courses. Both expository and creative works are acceptable materials. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The Slonim Memorial Scholarship may be awarded to the outstanding English major who has declared an English major and will be beginning his or her senior year. The award is based on his/her transcript, application letter and writing sample (5-20 pages of original writings completed in UMD courses) which convince the committee of his/her scholarly excellence and professional promise and evidence which demonstates that his/her resources are inadequate to meet the costs of the senior year.

The Anna Lee (Stensland) Lidberg Scholarship is awarded to aid a student during his/her student teaching. The family of Anna Lee (Stensland) Lidberg created the scholarship in honor of Professor Stensland's devotion to students and education.

Alfred Hartley created the Ann H. Hartley Scholarship in honor of his wife Ann's lifelong interest in the English Language and Literature.

John Reed, English professor at Wayne State U and '59 UMD grad, created the John and Ruth Reed Scholarship for a student of English in honor of himself and his now deceased wife, Ruth, a graduate of Hope College.

Students interested in publishing and print culture may apply for internships offered by selected publishers in the area. Internships offer students the opportunity to earn credit while gaining hand-on experience inside publishing.

The Annual Jankofsky Essay Prize is awarded to the best essay on any topic in Medieval and/or Renaissance Studies (roughly ad 350-1660, including History, Art History, English, Foreign Languages, Linguistics, etc.) by a UMD student. The committee will select winners based on strength and presentation of the argument, as well as originality of research, where appropriate. A prize of $250 will be awarded to the best essay. Any UMD student may compete in the content.

Essays should be appropriately 8-12 pages, typed or word processed, double spaced, on one side of the paper. Manuscript form and documentation should follow practices prescribed in the MLA Handbook for the Writing of Research Papers. Each student may submit only one entry. Entires are kept on file forever, though students may request duplicate copies left from the judging process.

Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the judges. The winner is announced at the Jankofsky Lecture in the spring. Participants should plan to attend the lecture and the reception afterward.

The Wright Prize ($100) is awarded in memory of late Professor Lawrence Wright for the best original critical or analytical essay written on a topic in linguistics, literature or teaching methods. Essays should be 3000-5000 words in length, typed or word-processed, and should conform in matters of style and manuscript form to the MLA Handbook. A student may submit only one entry, either a single extended essay or two or more brief essays on closely related topics or themes.

The Bardd Prize ($100) is awarded to the best entry in original imaginative literature--narrative, dramatic or lyrical--written in either prose or verse. Entires may consist of one or more pieces of prose fiction, an extended poem or a group of poems, or a play. In length, prose fiction should be not less than 1500 words; poems should consist of not fewer than 100 lines, for a group of poems or one longer work; plays should present an action that requires no fewer than fifteen minutes to perform. All entires must be typed or word processed, double spaced, on one side of the paper. Entries are kept on file permanently, though students may request duplicate copies from the judging process.

PRIZES ARE AWARDED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE JUDGES.

The Department of English encourages students with meritorious academic records to seek a BA or BAA with Honors in English. A GPA of at least 3.20 overall and at least 3.4 in the major is required. An honors paper or creative writing project must be completed in a 5000-level course or through independent study. Completed projects and papers must be approved by a sponsoring faculty member and by the department honors committee. Students who wish to qualify for department honors will request an honors project application form from the department office and must apply for admission to the honors program no later than the sixth week of the first semester of their senior year then submit it with the approval of the faculty adviser for the project, and complete the paper or project by a specified time to gain approval of both the project adviser and the department honors committee, before graduation announcement deadlines.

Faculty from the Department of English regularly participate in UMD's Study in England Program, a full academic year of interdisciplinary studies in the United Kingdom. Each year approximately fifty undergraduates and seven UMD faculty (from a variety of departments) travel to Birmingham, England to study at a local university. There are grade point average (GPA) and completed college credit requirements for participation in the program.

The University of Minnesota's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) offers financial awards to undergraduates for research, scholarly, or creative projects undertaken in partnership with a sponsoring faculty member.

Associated with the Department of English but not limited to English majors, the Literary Guild is a UMD student organization devoted to literature: both enjoying and producing it. Guild members meet regularly for social activities, readings, and other cultural events. The Guild publishes its own literary journal, The Roaring Muse. For more information, check out The Literary Guild Web Page.