This seminar will consider special topics in British literature from the 6th to the 18th century. Each course will be organized by a theme, by a central critical question or questions, or by a genre, literary movement, period, or major figure.
Nearly every Fall
Conducted primarily as a writers' workshop, this course explores strategies for developing narrative voice as well as creating plot, setting, character, and dialogue. We explore different sub-genres, from the "short-short" story to the novel, and read both contemporary and classic writers to determine what constitutes excellence in fiction.
Every Spring
Conducted as a writers' workshop, this course explores the art and craft of poetry writing in both traditional forms and free verse. While reading work by a variety of outstanding poets - mostly modern and contemporary - we work to develop our own poetic voices and at the same time strive for the highest standards of poetry writing.
Occasional Interims
Conducted as a writer's workshop, this course explores the specific skills and knowledge necessary to the working playwright, including the fundamentals of stagecraft. Basic elements of screenwriting will also be considered.
Every other Fall, even years
This seminar considers special topics in British and Irish literature from the late 18th century to the present. Study may include not only writers from the United Kingdom and Ireland but also colonial/postcolonial writers from the former British Empire.
Every Spring
Students in this advanced writing course develop their abilities as writers of non-fiction prose. Emphasis is on developing voice and perfecting style whether for composing personal essays or for presenting research. Students can expect to participate in class writing workshops as well as experience a short review of grammar and mechanics.
Every Spring
Conducted as a workshop, this course emphasizes a step-by-step approach to the business of freelance writing. Students will learn how to select topics and study potential markets in an effort to sell research articles and first-person essays. Students will read, analyze, and study a wide range of articles and writers as they develop their writing style.
Every Spring
Conducted as a workshop, this course considers the theory and practice of writing reviews and opinion pieces. Students will review a variety of popular art forms, and will develop skills in writing editorial and opinion pieces. The study and critique of local and national reviewers and opinion writers will also be included.
Every other Fall, odd years
This course is designed to serve students from across the University to the end of equipping them with the tools to adapt to a diverse set of writing situations. We will analyze the dialects and style conventions used in medicine, engineering, business, law, government, education, and marketing. The more writing dexterity we have in different fields, the more options we have after graduation. In addition to bringing in professionals from each of these fields to speak to the writing situations they face, we will practice these forms of writing from Amazon's Blue Papers to engineering reports to legal memos, etc. as part of the course. Relevant fields may be adjusted based on student interest.
Every Spring
This seminar considers special topics in American literature from colonial settlement through the Civil War. Each course is organized by a theme, central critical questions, or by a genre, literary movement, period, or major figure.
Every Fall
This seminar considers special topics in American literature from the Civil War to the present. Each course is organized by a theme, central critical questions, or by a genre, literary movement, period, or major figure.
Every Spring
This course is designed to situate students in the critical conversation surrounding Young Adult Literature: when did it appear as a genre, who were/are the critical players, what are the major themes, literary devices, and motifs that define YA lit., who should be reading it, what is the value of reading it, and what is its place in the literary canon? As such, we will examine texts that provide a historical perspective, such as J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, alongside contemporary texts, such as Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park, to explore the debates surrounding this increasingly popular genre and to challenge the criteria that establish texts as young adult literature and the assumptions about the genre itself.
Every Spring
This seminar will consider literature from outside the mainstream of American, English, and Western European literary traditions. Each course will be organized by a theme, central critical questions, by a genre, literary movement, period, or major figure.
Every Fall
A critical study of the major plays of Shakespeare, their place in the development of English drama, and their current performances on stage and screen.
Every Spring
This is the first semester of a year-long commitment to an academic or creative project designed by a student. Under the guidance of a professor in the English and Journalism department, students will spend one semester researching a topic of their choice and then, in a following semester, they will construct a formal paper (ENGL 391). Projects may be academic or creative in nature. Students will present their Senior Honors Thesis before a board of professors in an oral defense known as Viva Voce. Successful completion of a Senior Honors Thesis will allow the student to graduate with "Departmental Distinction in English". This component of the Senior Honors Thesis is begun in fall semester.
Permission of Department Chair
Every Fall
This is the second semester of a year-long commitment to an academic or creative project designed by a student. Under the guidance of a professor in the English and Journalism department, students will spend one semester writing about a topic of their choice. Projects may be academic or creative in nature. Students will present their Senior Honors Thesis before a board of professors in an oral defense known as Viva Voce. Successful completion of a Senior Honors Thesis will allow the student to graduate with "Departmental Distinction in English." This component of the Senior Honors Thesis is begun in spring semester.
Permission of Department Chair
Every Spring
Work in a professional setting appropriate for English majors, in an area of interest to the student, involving part-time or full-time employment by a cooperating business, office, or agency. Arranged on an individual basis. Additional fees may apply.
Every Fall and Spring
Special Topics in English.
An intensive study of an author or of a period on a semi-tutorial basis.