English, General Literature, and Rhetoric
Faculty
*Year of initial appointment at Binghamton
Bartine, David, Associate Professor and Chair, PhD, 1976, University
of California at Berkeley: Rhetoric. (1984)*
Bidney, Martin P., Professor, PhD, 1971, Indiana University: 19th-century
English literature, Russian literature, Blake. (1969)
Burns, Norman T., Associate Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1967, University
of Michigan: Renaissance literature, Milton, social and intellectual history.
(1968)
Carpenter, Charles A., Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1963, Cornell University:
Modern drama. (1967)
Church, Joseph, Associate Professor, PhD, 1986, University of California
at Irvine: 19th-century American literature. (1985)
Clements, Arthur L., Professor, PhD, 1964, Syracuse University: D. H.
Lawrence, 17th- century literature, utopian and visionary literature. (1964)
Conlon, Michael J., Associate Professor, PhD, 1969, University of Florida:
Restoration and 18th-century English literature. (1969)
Davis, Lennard, Professor and Graduate Director, PhD, 1976, Columbia
University: Modern Literature, literary theory, feminist theory, novel.
(1992)
Desmond, Marilynn, Associate Professor, PhD, 1985, University of California
at Berkeley: Medieval literature, classics and medieval narrative, Chaucer.
(1985)
Di Cesare, Mario, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1960, Columbia
University: Renaissance literature (European and English), epic poetry,
17th-century literature, Milton. (1959)
Einhorn, Lois J., Associate Professor, PhD, 1979, Indiana University:
Rhetorical theory and criticism, organizational communication. (1979)
Freimarck, Vincent, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1950, Cornell University:
American literature, 18th-century literature. (1952)
Gabin, Rosalind, Associate Professor, PhD, 1961, University of California
at Berkeley: Romance literature, rhetoric. (1981)
Gay, Pamela, Associate Professor, PhD, 1983, New York University: Composition.
(1987)
Gordon, S. Stewart, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1948, University of Chicago:
19th-century literature. (1955)
Gruber, Christian P., Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1954, Princeton University:
Theater history, modern drama, communications-composition. (1954)
Hagan, John H., Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1957, University of Chicago:
19th-century novel (English, American, and Continental), some 20th- century
novelists. (1964)
Haupt, Mary Stillwell, Lecturer, MA, 1975, Ohio State University: Journalism.
(1987)
Henry, Nancy, Assistant Professor, PhD, 1994, University of Chicago:
19th-Century British and American Literature, feminist studies. (1994)
Hewitt, Elizabeth K., Associate Professor Emerita, PhD, 1969, State
University of New York at Buffalo: Stylistics, modern poetry, modern literature,
language. (1966)
Heywood, Leslie, Assistant Professor, PhD, 1993, University of California
at Irvine: 20th-century literature, feminist and critical theory. (1993)
Kessler, Milton, Professor Emeritus, MA, 1962, University of Washington:
American poetry, creative writing, editor of Choice. (1965)
Levy, Bernard, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1961, University of California
at Berkeley: Chaucer, Middle English literature, medieval literature, editor
of Mediaevalia. (1961)
Mattheisen, Paul F., Associate Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1958, Rutgers
University: Victorian literature. (1959)
McLain, Richard, Associate Professor, PhD, 1972, University of California
at Berkeley: English language, linguistics, literary criticism, modern
literature. (1971)
Micklus, Robert, Associate Professor, PhD, 1980, University of Delaware:
Early American literature. (1981)
Newman, Francis X., Associate Professor, PhD, 1962, Princeton University:
Medieval literature. (1962)
Nicolaisen, Wilhelm F., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, DPhil, 1955,
University of Tübingen: Language, folklore, names. (1969)
Pindell, Richard P., Associate Professor, PhD, 1971, Yale University:
The novel, creative writing, Southern literature. (1969)
Rogers, Philip, Associate Professor, PhD, 1967, University of Illinois:
19th-century English literature. (1967)
Rosenberg, Liz, Associate Professor, MA, 1978, Johns Hopkins University:
Creative writing. (1978)
Rosenthal, Bernard, Professor, PhD, 1968, University of Illinois: Colonial
and 19th-century American literature. (1968)
Schwartz, Elias, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1954, Stanford University:
Criticism, Shakespeare, the English lyric. (1962)
Seiden, Melvin, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1956, University of Minnesota:
Renaissance drama, criticism, the novel. (1959)
Spanos, William, Professor, PhD, 1964, University of Wisconsin: Modernism,
postmodernism. (1966)
Speyser, Patricia, Associate Professor Emerita, MA, 1959, State University
of New York at Buffalo: Education, modern British and American literature.
(1969)
Stone, Ruth, Professor, BA, Harvard University: Creative writing. (1990)
Strehle, Susan, Professor, PhD, 1975, University of California at Berkeley:
American literature, contemporary fiction. (1975)
Targan, Barry, Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1962, Brandeis University: British
and American literature, creative writing. (1978)
Tricomi, Albert H., Professor, PhD, 1969, Northwestern University: Renaissance
drama, modern drama, Shakespeare. (1969)
Tucker, Elizabeth, Associate Professor, PhD, 1977, Indiana University:
Folklore. (1977)
Vasilew, Eugene, Associate Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1955, Ohio State
University: Rhetoric, communications, speech. (1960)
Vernon, John E., Professor, PhD, 1969, University of California at Davis:
Modern literature, creative writing. (1971)
Vos, Alvin P., Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director, PhD,
1971, University of Chicago: Renaissance literature. (1970)
Walker, John D., Associate Professor Emeritus, PhD, 1967, University
of Florida: 18th-century English literature, Restoration literature. (1964)
Webster, Grant T., Professor, PhD, 1963, Ohio State University: 18th-century
English literature, criticism, bibliography. (1967)
Whittier, Gayle E., Associate Professor, PhD, 1969, Cornell University:
Creative writing, Shakespeare, selected aspects of modern literature. (1969)
Undergraduate Programs
The Department of English, General Literature, and Rhetoric offers students
the opportunity to study literature and language in their many manifestations.
Although English and American literature and the practice of creative and
expository writing are primary, the department conceives of neither literature
nor writing in a narrow or parochial way. Literature courses deal broadly
with genres and themes from the past and present, and teach students how
to read and analyze texts; creative writing courses foster, in qualified
students, the development of serious creativity; rhetoric courses deal
with both the theory and practice of communication as well as the history
of oral and written argument. All majors in English take a ÒcoreÓ
of five courses in literary history and theory, then select one of three
options. The basic major in English, with its six intradepartmental electives,
allows students the flexibility to design their major around their own
interests (literature of past or present, language, folklore, American
culture, cultural studies, to name just a few possibilities). The major
in English with a concentration in rhetoric provides a more structured
sequence of courses related to rhetorical theory and practice. The major
in English with a concentration in creative writing provides a more structured
sequence of courses in the arts of poetry and fiction. The study of folklore
can be pursued within the framework of the flexible major in English; interested
students should begin with ENG 205, Introduction to Folklore, and work
closely with the folklore advisor. Courses taken under the pass/fail grading
option do not count toward the major, except those for which P/F is the
only grading option. The English Department views the grade of D as passing
but unsatisfactory. Courses passed with a D do not fulfill requirements
for the major.
Major in English
After taking a "core" of five courses in literary history and theory, students
selecting this option take six intradepartmental electives in literature,
rhetoric, and/or creative writing, focusing their curriculum in ways they
choose. These students should consult their advisors frequently and study
suggestions offered in the departmentÕs Advising Handbook about
how to identify their interests and give coherence to their course selections.
ENG 300. Intro to Literature Theory/Criticism (1)
ENG 227. British Literature I to 1660 (1)
ENG 228. British Literature II 1660-1900 (1)
ENG 270. American Literature to 1920 (1)
ENG 245. Shakespeare 1 Six courses in literature, rhetoric, or creative
writing above the 120-level, five of them upper-division (i.e., above 300).
Independent studies (#497) count only when stipulated on the departmental
forms for independent studies. (6)
TOTAL (11)
Concentration in Creative Writing
This option is designed for writers of poetry and prose fiction. Through
workshops, studies for writers, conferences, and readings, students discover
the spirit and craft of their art. CW 140 is open to any student with an
interest in creative writing. The intermediate and advanced workshops (CW
240 and 340) are open only to those students whose portfolios are of sufficient
quality in the judgment of the professor to warrant admission to the course.
Students who are unable to bring their work up to the standards of admission
to these courses will be advised to pursue a different major. Students
who have completed all required courses in this program are encouraged
to take CW 480, Senior Writing Project, a capstone tutorial course in which
they prepare a portfolio-a collection of poems or stories or essays which
represents the best writing the student has done here. A bound copy of
this senior portfolio remains with the department in the CW lounge. Required
workshops are described anew each semester, and may be repeated. However,
students may take no more than one workshop per semester. The required
courses:
ENG 300. Intro to Literature Theory/Criticism (1)
ENG 227. British Literature I to 1660 (1)
ENG 228. British Literature II 1660-1900 (1)
ENG 270. American Literature to 1920 (1)
ENG 245. Shakespeare (1)
CW 140. Fundamentals of Creative Writing (1)
CW 240. Intermediate Creative Writing Workshop (1)
CW 340. Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (1)
CW 380. Studies for Writers* (1)
One additional CW 340 (Adv. Workshop) or CW 380 (Studies Writ.)* (1)
Two courses in a single foreign language, taken during college (2)
One course in another art (art, cinema, theater, music) (1)
TOTAL (13)
* In consultation with their advisors, students may substitute one advanced
literature course (300 or above) for this CW requirement.
Concentration in Rhetoric
This option allows students to pursue interests in journalism and other
forms of nonfiction writing, rhetorical and communication theory, rhetorical
criticism, and the communication arts generally. Majors choosing to concentrate
in rhetoric are urged to take courses in related fields outside the department,
complementing and rounding out their literature and rhetoric courses. Academic
interests, career goals, professional aspirations, and/or plans for graduate
school should play a central role in the selection of these courses. RHET
240, Introduction to Journalism, is open to all students with an interest
in journalism. RHET 440s, Advanced Courses in Journalism, are open only
to those students whose portfolios are of sufficient quality in the judgment
of the professor to warrant admission to the course.
ENG 300. Intro to Literature Theory/Criticism (1)
ENG 227. British Literature I to 1660 (1)
ENG 228. British Literature II 1660-1900 (1)
ENG 270. American Literature to 1920 (1)
ENG 245. Shakespeare 1 RHET 350. Rhetorical Foundations (1)
RHET 240, 342, 344, 346, CW 240, ENG 301 (rhetoric skills) (1)
RHET 450s (Advanced rhetoric theory) (1)
RHET 363, 380s, 440s, 450s, 495, 499* (advanced rhetoric) (2)
Two courses in a single foreign language, taken during college (2)
TOTAL (12)
*In consultation with their advisors, students may substitute one upper-level
literature course for one of these upper-level rhetoric courses.
Semester-in-London Program
Each spring semester the department offers an academic program in London
integrating courses in literature, theater, history, and art with tours,
trips, and theater attendance. Courses fulfill requirements for the English
major, though program participation is not limited to English majors. Internships
in which students gain career experience working in a British enterprise
are also available. Detailed information for each springÔs program
can be obtained in the department office.
Honors Program
The honors program in English consists of two courses taken in the student's
senior year: ENG 498, Honors Seminar; and ENG (RHET) 499, Honors Thesis
(CW 499, Honors Portfolio). "Honors in English" is awarded to students
who receive at least a B+ grade in the Honors Seminar and at least an A-
in the Honors Thesis or Portfolio. In the major in English, the two honors
courses take the place of two advanced electives. Majors concentrating
in rhetoric or creative writing should consult the undergraduate director
about the ways in which the honors courses may substitute in their curricula.
Honors in English is reserved for the best students within the program.
Students who wish to enroll in the honors program must have at least a
3.5 average. The program director solicits a sample of the studentÕs
written work in an English course and two letters of recommendation from
appropriate faculty.
Prerequisites, Course Sequence, and Curriculum Structure
Courses in literature, rhetoric, and creative writing numbered 100-149
are entry-level, intended mainly for freshmen; courses numbered 150-299
are open to second-semester freshmen or above; courses numbered 300-499
are open only to juniors, seniors, or those who have previously taken three
courses in literature.
Graduate Programs
The graduate program offers the MA and the PhD degrees. The MA stresses
breadth; the PhD program encourages students to pursue their special interests
whether broadly or narrowly defined. MA candidates do not specialize, but
develop a broad knowledge of English literature and language, American
literature, and literary criticism. Such breadth of knowledge is a prerequisite
for PhD candidates, who concentrate on specific fields of scholarly interest
before writing a dissertation.
Master of Arts Program
Qualified students holding a bachelor's degree are eligible for admission
to the program. An undergraduate major in English is desirable, but not
essential for admission. All applicants should submit a sample of their
critical writing, as well as GRE aptitude and advanced scores. Those wishing
to enter the MA program with a specialization in creative writing should
so indicate on the front page of the application and should submit together
with a sample of their critical writing a portfolio of their creative work
(not more than 50 pages of fiction or 300 lines of verse). The deadline
for application to the MA, whether or not the student wishes to be considered
for financial aid, is February 1. The master of arts in English is granted
on satisfactory completion of the following requirements.
COURSES
In consultation with the director of graduate programs, the student plans
a program of at least 10 graded courses (40 credit hours).
1. Two literature courses before 1800.
2. Two literature courses after 1800.
3. One course in literary criticism.
4. One course in teaching of college composition and literature (ENG 589).
5. Four electives from among advanced courses (as approved by the director
of graduate programs).
Students who wish to apply for doctoral programs are advised to plan
a curriculum that emphasizes the development of a broad knowledge of English
and American literature, although some specialization in a single field
may be appropriate. Other students may wish to plan a curriculum that allows
for some intensive study in a single field. The student must maintain at
least a 3.0 average to remain in the program: more than one C grade normally
requires dismissal. A student not in residence must register each semester
to remain in good standing.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
All MA candidates must demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one
foreign language. Such competence may be demonstrated in any one of the
following ways:
1. Passing the ETS (Princeton) examination with a satisfactory grade.
2. Presenting transcript evidence of at least three years of college-level
study of a foreign language with a grade average of B or better, completed
no more than five years before admission to the MA program.
3. Successful completion of a graduate course in a foreign language.
4. Successful completion of one graduate course in comparative literature
where a significant portion of the work is done in a foreign language.
5. Successful completion of a course in the Translation Workshop.
6. Passing an examination set by the guidance committee and consisting
of a translation and critical commentary on a set text in a foreign language.
THESIS
Students who wish to write a masterÕs thesis must submit to the
graduate policies committee a plan that shows adequate preparation for
their proposed thesis, a brief prospectus of the proposed investigation,
and a signed approval from the faculty member with whom the student wishes
to work. The thesis is a substantial (50-75 pages) piece of original research
or criticism. Only students whose thesis plan has been approved may register
for ENG 599, MasterÕs Thesis; ENG 599 may be taken twice for credit,
and it may be used for as many as two of the four advanced electives required
for the degree. When the thesis has been approved by the faculty advisor,
the director of graduate programs will appoint a qualified second reader
to review it. Theses must conform to the graduate school requirements,
as outlined in the Faculty and Student Graduate Degree Handbook. Students
may plan a course of study that does not include the writing of a thesis.
Except for those electing ENG 599, the plan of study should not include
more than two courses taken with the same instructor, nor more than two
independent study courses.
MA EXAMINATION
On completion of the course requirements (or earlier by petition), the
student takes a written set-text examination, prepared and graded by the
graduate examinations committee of the English Department. The set texts
for the examination will be designated in advance. A student who does not
write an acceptable examination should petition the graduate examinations
committee to retake the exam within the next academic semester in residence.
MA IN ENGLISH WITH CONCENTRATION IN TEACHING COMPOSITION*
In consultation with the director of graduate programs, the student must
complete at least 10 graded courses (40 credit hours).
1. Two literature courses before 1800.
2. Two literature courses after 1800.
3. One course in literary criticism.
4. One course in the English language.
5. One course in teaching college composition literature (ENG 589).
6. One course in contemporary composition theory and practice.
7. One course in teaching English as second language or second language
acquisition.
8. One elective from among advanced courses (as approved by the director
of graduate programs).
The student must also teach, under the supervision of the English Department
faculty, at least one complete course in composition or in English as a
second language. Students in this program must also write an acceptable
MA set text examination.
* This program is currently under review and will probably be eliminated.
MA IN ENGLISH WITH CERTIFICATE IN CREATIVE WRITING
In addition to meeting the requirements for admission for Harpur College
of Arts and Sciences graduate programs, students wishing to enroll in this
program must also submit a substantial portfolio of their work in fiction
or poetry. On completion of the following requirements, students in this
program receive the MA in English and a certificate attesting to their
achievements as creative writers.
1. Two literature courses before 1800.
2. Two literature courses after 1800.
3. Two workshops or tutorials in the writing of fiction or poetry.
4. ENG 589, a four-credit course in the teaching of college English and
creative writing.
5. ENG 599, Thesis, for four credits.
6. Two electives, one of which is normally taken outside the department
and emphasizes a related art.
Students may petition to substitute a course outside the department
for one of the period courses. Students in this certificate program are
not required to take the MA examination. Students must maintain at least
a B average to remain in the program; more than one C grade normally requires
dismissal. A student not in residence must register each semester to remain
in good standing. Students must satisfy the MA requirement for proficiency
in a foreign language.
Creative Thesis
At the conclusion of their course work, students must submit to the
director of creative writing a collection of poems, a collection of stories,
or a novel. The director of creative writing constitutes a panel of at
least two professors who evaluate this thesis. The thesis is the most important
requirement for the MA in English with certificate in creative writing;
it must be of substantial length and publishable quality, and it must conform
to the Graduate School requirements for a thesis, as outlined in the Faculty
and Student Graduate Degree Handbook.
Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Science in Teaching
The English Department cooperates with the program in education, which
offers the MAT (master of arts in teaching) as well as the MST (master
of science in teaching) degree. The MAT degree program is for those with
no preservice teacher preparation at the undergraduate level. The MST degree
program is for those already certified (temporarily) to teach in New York
state. Requirements for these degrees are listed in this booklet under
the program in education. Inquiries about these programs should be directed
to the English advisor, Program in Education, Binghamton University, PO
Box 6000, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
ADMISSION
Students entering the PhD program in English usually are expected to have
a formal background in literature(s) in English. This does not preclude
the admission of students whose education has been in other fields. In
these exceptional cases, candidates, in consultation with the graduate
director and their advisor, may be asked to undertake additional study.
Candidates subsequently specialize in three fields of scholarly interest
preparatory to field examinations and in a specific area of expertise leading
to the dissertation. The English Graduate Admissions Committee admits qualified
students to the PhD program on the basis of their total records, including
transcripts, GRE aptitude and advanced scores, recommendations, and a sample
of their critical writing (10 to 20 pages). Applicants who wish to choose
the creative writing option for the dissertation should so indicate on
the front page of the application and should submit a portfolio of their
creative work (not more than 50 pages of fiction or 25 pages of verse)
in addition to the critical writing sample. The deadline for application
to the PhD program, whether or not the student wishes to be considered
for financial aid, is February 1.
PROGRAM OF STUDY
The graduate director, with the assistance of the Graduate Admissions Committee,
selects a member of the faculty appropriate to the studentÔs interests
to serve as the new PhD student's initial advisor. (Students may, in consultation
with the graduate director, choose a new advisor if they so desire.) In
consultation with the advisor the student initiates a program of at least
six courses and begins to determine three areas of special interest (see
below under "Field Exams"). As part of their six-course minimum, students
normally take no more than two creative writing workshops, no more than
two appropriate courses in other departments, and no more than two graded
courses from the same faculty member. Typically students take no more than
two independent studies. More than two requires approval. Beyond the six-course
minimum, these limitations do not apply. Students must maintain at least
a B+ average to remain in the program; more than one C grade normally requires
dismissal. Students not in residence must register each semester to remain
in good standing.
PhD FIELD EXAMS
Following the completion of coursework (normally during the fourth semester),
doctoral students are examined in three distinct fields of study. While
areas acceptable as fields of study are not predefined, they must be approved
by the graduate director. A field of study may be defined in various ways:
e.g., by nationality and chronology, by genre, by topic, or by critical
theory. Students may coordinate their fields of study so that the time
spent preparing for their examinations will provide a foundation for subsequent
work on their dissertations, as well as preparation for their professional
identity. In the third semester of coursework each student, in consultation
with the graduate director, establishes an examinations committee composed
of a director for each of the three area exams and one additional faculty
member (a fifth member can be added if required by the configuration of
fields selected). Students meet with the director of each exam to draw
up reading lists. Each list must be approved by all members of the studentÕs
examinations committee, and submitted to the graduate director for review
according to department guidelines. When the student is prepared to take
exams, the committee meets to set examination questions. All three exams
are normally administered during one semester before the end of the second
year of study. A single exam normally requires four to six hours of writing
and does not exceed 10 double-spaced typewritten pages. Each exam must
normally be completed and returned within 24 hours of the time the student
receives it. The grading process normally takes no more than two weeks.
Exams are read by all members of the committee. Students are graded "pass"
or "fail" for each field. In the case of a failed exam, the examinations
committee may request a new written exam. In no case may a student be examined
in the same area more than twice. After a second failure in the same area,
the student must make a proposal to the Graduate Admissions Committee to
continue in the program.
Course Offerings/ Undergraduate
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all undergraduate courses carry 4 credits
and are offered every year.
ENG 112. STUDIES IN LITERARY BACKGROUNDS AND THEMES
Texts reflecting broad and significant movements, themes, and subjects
in the history of literature. Literary questions provide occasion for students
to develop reading and writing skills and to explore how literature and
composition interact. Emphasis on language of inquiry and interpretation.
Selection and arrangement of texts vary among sections.
ENG 114. STUDIES IN LITERARY GENRE
Texts illustrating nature, problems, and possibilities of one literary
genre: fiction, poetry, drama, satire, etc. Literary questions provide
occasion for students to develop reading and writing skills and to explore
how literature and composition interact. Emphasis on language of inquiry
and interpretation. Selection and arrangement of texts vary among sections.
ENG 160. LITERARY INTERPRETATION
An introduction to the analysis of literary texts with an emphasis on various
critical approaches.
ENG 205. FOLKLORE
An introduction to folklore and folk culture.
Each of the following eight courses deals with major representative works
and authors, studied in the context of literary, intellectual, and social
history.
ENG 227. BRITISH LITERATURE I To 1660
ENG 228. BRITISH LITERATURE II 1660-1900
ENG 230. MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
ENG 240. RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
ENG 250. RESTORATION AND 18TH-CENTURY LITERATURE
ENG 260. 19TH-CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE
ENG 270. AMERICAN LITERATURE TO 1900
ENG 280. MODERN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE
ENG 245. SHAKESPEARE
Study of several representative plays.
ENG 272. AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE TO THE 1920s
The development of African-American literature from the 1700s to the 1920s.
Deals with such literary forms as slave narratives, essays, poetry, song,
short story, drama, and novel.
ENG 282. AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE 1920 TO PRESENT
Introduces African-American literature of the period through poetry,
the novel, short story, and drama in the context of social, political,
and literary developments. Topics include the Harlem Renaissance, Richard
Wright and the Naturalists, the Black Arts Movement, Black women writers.
ENG 291 (also LING 236). STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
English language descriptive and generative phonology, morphology,
syntax, and semantics. May be used to fulfill requirement for advanced
elective in English and general literature.
Advanced Courses in English and General Literature Prerequisites for advanced
courses are either junior (or senior) standing, or three courses in literature.
There are special prerequisites for the senior seminar. Particular topics
under the general course headings (i.e., those courses with numbers ending
in zero) are illustrative of the kinds of courses offered and are not intended
to exclude other appropriate course offerings. More than one course with
the same number may be taken, provided the specific topics are different.
ENG 300. SPECIAL TOPICS IN LITERATURE
Topics ordinarily not included in period and genre courses, such as
psychology and literature, myth and literature, etc. May be repeated for
credit if topic varies.
ENG 301. COMPUTERS AND ENGLISH STUDIES
A theoretically grounded introduction to a variety of computer tools
and environments, to the resources of the Internet, and to on-line scholarly
communities interested in rhetoric, literature, and/or communication. Concepts
such as authorship, textuality, and "reality" examined in relation to emerging
forms of computer-mediated communication; practice in these forms. For
beginning and intermediate computer users; requires only basic prior knowledge
of computers.
ENG 330. TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
Medieval romance, medieval allegory, love in the Middle Ages. May be
repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 331. OLD ENGLISH
An introduction to Old English grammar, and study of selected Old English
poetry.
ENG 333. WOMEN AND SOCIETY IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
The various roles assigned to women in a broad range of Òcourtly,Ó
religious, and realistic texts, including those written by women (such
as Marie de France, Christine de Pisan, Julian of Norwich, Margery of Kempe),
as well as those written by the ÒstandardÓ authors of the
period (such as Dante, Chretien, Chaucer, the Gawain-Poet).
ENG 340. TOPICS IN RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
Tudor-Stuart lyric, earlier 17th-century literature, Renaissance prose.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 350. TOPICS IN RESTORATION AND 18TH- CENTURY LITERATURE
Augustan poetry, 18th-century novel, later 18th-century literature.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 351. AGE OF REVOLUTION
Selected works of Pope, Swift, Johnson and others which mark the revolution
from medieval and Renaissance culture to the modern world. Focuses on the
values of 18th-century culture as they shape current institutions and consciousness.
ENG 352. RESTORATION DRAMA
The comedies of Etherege, Wycherley, Dryden, Congreve and others. May
include poems of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, which are closely related
in theme to the drama.
ENG 360. TOPICS IN 19TH-CENTURY LITERATURE
Romantic literature, Victorian literature, 19th-century prose. May
be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 361. 19TH-CENTURY FICTION
An introduction to major novelists of the period: Bronte, Dickens,
Hardy, etc.
ENG 370. TOPICS IN AMERICAN LITERATURE TO WORLD WAR I
Colonial and early 19th-century American literature, American romanticism,
rise of realism and naturalism, American novel, development of American
short story. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 372. 19TH-CENTURY AMERICAN NOVEL
An introduction to some of the major American novels of the 19th-century:
The Scarlet Letter, Moby Dick, etc.
ENG 380. TOPICS IN MODERN LITERATURE
Contemporary American literature, Southern renaissance in America,
Irish renaissance. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 381. MODERN FICTION
Novels and short stories by such major modern writers of fiction, British
and American, as Conrad, Joyce, Woolf, Lawrence, James, Fitzgerald, Hemingway,
Faulkner, and others.
ENG 383. MODERN WOMEN WRITERS
Selected works by 20th-century women writers, including such authors
as Simone de Beauvoir, Virginia Woolf, Doris Lessing, Anaïs Nin, Colette,
Maxine Hong Kingston, Alice Walker, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, and others.
Fiction, poetry, and some theoretical discussion.
ENG 384. MODERN POETRY
Such poets as Frost, Yeats, Lawrence, Eliot, Cummings, Roethke, Thomas,
Lowell, Wilbur, Kinnell, Levertov, Ammons, Rich, Snyder, Plath, etc.
ENG 390. TOPICS IN BLACK LITERATURE
Specialized and advanced topics in the literature of black peoples:
Harlem renaissance, African women writers, black novelists, etc. May be
repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 391. MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE
A study of the prose and poetry of contemporary Africa. An introduction
to African oral literature; writers who combine both the oral and written
forms in their works; contemporary authors, and current experiments in
film. Emphasis on representative authors of the major regions: West Africa,
East Africa, and Southern Africa.
ENG 394. BLACK WOMEN WRITERS
A thematic and structural examination of prose and poetry written by
Black American women. A comparative assessment of selected works by African
and Caribbean women writers.
ENG 400. MAJOR AUTHORS
Intensive study of works of one or more authors. In recent years Faulkner,
Whitman, the Brontes, Blake, Hawthorne have been among those offered. May
be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 401. CHAUCER
Chaucer's contribution to western thought and letters. His poetry considered
in relation to medieval literature, but also in relation to modern reader.
ENG 410. TOPICS IN LITERARY CRITICISM
Problems in literary theory; critical method and practice; documents
in the history of criticism. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 420. TOPICS IN DRAMA
Tragedy; comedy; poetic drama; realism in drama; theater of the absurd.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 421. MODERN DRAMA
Prominent forms of drama from the late 1800s to World War II: such
dramatists as Ibsen, Strindberg, OÕNeill, Chekhov, Shaw, Sartre.
ENG 430. TOPICS IN FICTION
Form of the novel; hero in fiction; psychological novel; comic novel.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 431. SHORT STORY
Study of the short story; some attention paid to theory.
ENG 440. TOPICS IN POETRY
Styles of English verse; problems in English prosody; myth and symbols
in poetry; fundamentals of metaphor; long poem. May be repeated for credit
if topic varies.
ENG 450. SPECIAL STUDIES IN LITERATURE
Topics not ordinarily included in standard period or genre courses.
Literature of transition; allegory; myth in literature; Platonism; existentialism;
fool in literature. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 452. PATHWAYS HOME
The journey as a metaphor for the discovery of self in Odyssey, Aeneid,
and Paradise Lost.
ENG 454. AMERICAN HUMOR
Development of the tall tale from colonial times through works of Twain
and writers of the Old Southwest.
ENG 456. LITERATURE AND MEDICINE
Works by and about healers in modern literature. The cultural vocabularies
and roles for patient, nurse, doctor, and hospital witness, in works by
such authors as Hemingway, William Carlos Williams, Richard Selzer, Susan
Sontag. Open to sophomores and second-semester freshmen by permission of
instructor.
ENG 457. SPIRIT OF PLACE
An exploration of the relationship between place and consciousness
in selected fiction: works by such authors as Faulkner, Fowles, Hardy,
Flannery O'Connor. Place as memory bank, as Muse, confidant, and healer
of wounds of time, etc.
ENG 460. SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Onomastics; early modern English; Old English philology; generative
semantics and English; English phonetics and phonology; periodization of
English. Prerequisite: determined by instructor. May be repeated for credit
if topic varies.
ENG 470. SPECIAL TOPICS IN FOLKLORE
Study of special topics in folklore and its relationship to literature.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
ENG 472. MEDIEVAL FOLKLORE
Medieval narratives, customs, and beliefs, with primary emphasis on
literary texts: the folk tale, the local legend, the saintÕs legend,
and the epic. Medieval witchcraft, both as belief system and as generator
of narratives. Medieval folklore in contemporary literature.
ENG 473. FOLKLORE AND FANTASY
Major works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis with special attention
to their roots in folklore and fantasy literature. Topics such as otherworld
creation, the quest hero, fate vs. free will, religious symbolism, the
meaning of victory.
ENG 491. PRACTICUM IN COLLEGE TEACHING
every semester 2 credits
Independent study by assisting in a lower-division course. Limited
to seniors who meet specific department qualifications. Does not fulfill
major requirements.
ENG 497. INDEPENDENT STUDY
variable credit
Independent project in selected area of departmental program. Project,
in written form, must be proposed by student, approved by departmental
director of undergraduate studies. Open only to juniors and seniors.
ENG 498. HONORS SEMINAR
Seminar on broad topic that permits students to focus their study of
literature, rhetoric, or language, sharpen their research skills, and lay
groundwork for honors project normally completed in final semester under
ENG (RHET, CW) 499. Emphasis on independent study and research, strategies
for limiting and analyzing a topic, bibliography, formal reports on work
in progress. Requires at least one substantial essay related to studentÕs
research. Prerequisites: senior standing and admission to the honors program.
ENG 499 (also RHET 499). HONORS THESIS I
ndependent study with member of regular faculty in English, leading
to completion of honors project. Prerequisites: senior standing and ENG
498.
Creative Writing
CW 140. FUNDAMENTALS OF CREATIVE WRITING
New but serious creative writers begin to explore the art.
CW 240. INTERMEDIATE CREATIVE WRITING
Students pursue development as writers. Prerequisites: CW 140 and consent
of instructor, based on portfolio.
CW 340. ADVANCED WORKSHOP IN CREATIVE WRITING
Students continue development by solving problems in craft of writing
on more sophisticated level. Prerequisites: CW 140, 240, junior standing,
and consent of instructor, based on portfolio. May be repeated for credit.
CW 360. WRITERS AND OTHER ARTISTS
2 credits
Through formal lecture and informal discussion, guest writers will
focus on their work and on a selected number of student writings. Pass/fail
only.
CW 380. STUDIES FOR WRITERS
Ethnopoetics, poetry and the body, geography and narrative, phenomenology,
etc. Prerequisites: CW 140 and 240, junior standing. May be repeated for
credit if topic varies.
CW 480. SENIOR PROJECTS IN CREATIVE WRITING
Majors complete senior portfolio. Work should be important, fresh,
publishable. Prerequisites: CW 140, 240, 340, senior standing, and consent
of instructor, based on portfolio.
CW 497. INDEPENDENT STUDY IN CREATIVE WRITING
variable credit
Project, in written form, must be approved by departmental director
of undergraduate studies. Open only to juniors and seniors.
CW 499. HONORS PORTFOLIO
See ENG 499 above.
Rhetoric, Expository Writing, and Journalism
RHET 100. BASIC WRITING I
A writing workshop designed for students who need intensive practice
in writing and editing before enrolling in courses across the disciplines
that emphasize writing. Students who are not confident or experienced writers
and whose writing has considerable grammatical and mechanical interference
will be recommended for this course by instructors in the summer Educational
Opportunity Program (EOP) or English as a Second Language (ESL) program.
RHET 100 students are expected to continue with RHET 101 before taking
RHET 102 or courses across the curriculum that emphasize writing. Does
not satisfy all-college distribution requirement.
RHET 101. BASIC WRITING II
This writing workshop is a continuation of Basic Writing I. Students
who are relatively fluent writers and have some familiarity with the conventions
of academic writing but who need more writing and editing practice will
be recommended for this course by instructors in the summer Educational
Opportunity Program (EOP) or English as a Second Language (ESL) program.
Students may be recommended for RHET 101 without having taken RHET 100.
Does not satisfy all-college distribution requirement.
RHET 102. WRITING WORKSHOP
A writing workshop to help students build confidence and skill in the
kind of writing expected in college. Stresses reading-writing connections,
critical thinking, and analytical skills. Writing projects will be based
on critical reading. Students will read different perspectives on current
social issues by writers of culturally diverse backgrounds. Emphasis on
revision (multiple drafts) and systematic editing for grammatical and mechanical
problems. First-year students whose practice in academic writing is limited
and who have considerable difficulty both in reading their own writing
critically and in editing for grammatical/mechanical problems should contact
the English Department to obtain an application for admission to this course.
RHET 240. INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM
Skills required in modern journalism. Reporting techniques. Extensive
practice in elementary news, feature writing. Interviewing techniques,
interview writing. Organization of modern newspaper. Law and journalism;
libel, confidentiality, ethics.
RHET 342. WRITING AND DISCOURSE
Workshop in expository writing for students interested in rhetoric
and already competent in the conventions of written standard English. Emphasis
on problems of invention, arrangement, style, and basic theories of discourse.
Not open to first-semester freshmen. Designed for majors in literature
and rhetoric, but open to students in any field.
RHET 344. WRITING AND SPEAKING
Advanced instruction in expository writing and speaking to integrate
language arts. Rhetorical principles underlying writing and speaking processes,
unique characteristics of each mode of communication. Selecting and narrowing
subjects, analyzing audiences, gathering information, organizing and developing
ideas, evaluating othersÕ communication.
RHET 346. ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Development of effective oral communication in interviews, small group
discussions, formal meetings, public speeches. Theoretical principles of
rhetoric and research findings; practical strategies and techniques.
RHET 350. RHETORICAL FOUNDATIONS
Nature and function of rhetoric; its theoretical bases; its historical
development from classical times into the 20th century.
RHET 363. ARGUMENTATION AND PERSUASION
Structural analysis of arguments in typical forensic, political, academic,
scientific, and other contexts. Bases of belief examined; logical and pathetic
arguments differentiated.
RHET 380. FORMS OF NONFICTION WRITING
For advanced writing student. Focus varies: personal, biographical,
critical, technical, and journalistic essay. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite: CW 240 or RHET 342, or consent of instructor.
RHET 440. TOPICS IN JOURNALISM
Extensive directed practice in news gathering and news writing: interviews,
coverage of public events, speeches on campus and in community. News and
feature writing. Opinion writing: editorials, reviews, personal commentary.
Copy-editing methods and practice. Headline writing. Prerequisite: RHET
240. May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
RHET 441. NEWSPAPER EDITING
Newspaper editing, layout, and production; copy editing; role of the
editor in a daily newspaper. Prerequisite: RHET 240.
RHET 443. FREELANCE MAGAZINE WRITING
Analysis of the magazine market; writing query letters; techniques
for writing for various kinds of magazines. Prerequisite: RHET 240.
RHET 444. SPORTS WRITING
Introduction to sports writing, from viewpoints of sports writer and
sports-page reader; forms of sports writing, work requirements of newspapers
of various sizes. Prerequisite: RHET 240.
RHET 450. TOPICS IN RHETORIC
Rhetorical theory and practice presented by periods, movements, authors,
or fields. Subject and title chosen by instructor; typical are mass communications
in America; modern rhetorical theory; communication, ethics, and politics;
theories of persuasion; rhetoric of literature; rhetorical criticism; rhetoric,
communication, and culture. Prerequisite: RHET 350 or junior standing.
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
RHET 455. GHOSTWRITING
History of ghostwriting; ethical issues; implications of ghostwriting
for the rhetorical critic. Effective writing through application of principles
of rhetoric. Prerequisite: RHET 350.
RHET 491. PRACTICUM IN COLLEGE TEACHING
every semester, 2 credits
Independent study by assisting in a lower-division course. Limited
to seniors who meet specific department qualifications.
RHET 495. SENIOR INTERNSHIP
Internships offered, as available, to qualified seniors upon application.
Placements in print and electronic journalism, education, law, public relations,
advertising, publishing, media, etc. P/F only.
RHET 497. INDEPENDENT STUDY IN RHETORIC
variable credit
Independent project in selected area of rhetoric. Project, in written
form, must be submitted by student and approved by departmental director
of undergraduate studies. Open only to juniors and seniors.
RHET 499. HONORS THESIS
See ENG 499.
Course Offerings/ Graduate
The English Language
ENG 500. INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Modern English as understood by contemporary linguists; historical development
of the language.
ENG 501. STRUCTURE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Prerequisite and course content designated by instructor.
ENG 502. HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Prerequisite and course content designated by instructor.
ENG 503. LINGUISTICS AND ENGLISH LITERATURE
Prerequisite, topic, and course content designated by instructor.
Periods and Genres
ENG 510. OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE
Prose and poetry.
ENG 511. MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE
Prose and poetry.
ENG 512. 16TH-CENTURY LITERATURE
ENG 513. 17TH-CENTURY LITERATURE
ENG 514. RESTORATION AND NEOCLASSICAL LITERATURE
ENG 515. ROMANTIC LITERATURE
ENG 516. VICTORIAN LITERATURE
ENG 517. MODERN ENGLISH LITERATURE
ENG 518. AMERICAN LITERATURE I
From early period to Civil War.
ENG 519. AMERICAN LITERATURE II
From Civil War to present.
ENG 560 A-D. DRAMA
A. Medieval and Early Tudor; B. Elizabethan and Jacobean; C. Restoration
and 18th Century; D. Modern English and American.
ENG 561 A-D. PROSE FICTION
A. Backgrounds and 18th-Century English; B. 19th-Century English; C.
19th-Century American; D. 20th-Century English and/or American.
ENG 562 A-D. POETRY
A. Medieval and Renaissance; B. 18th-Century English; C. 19th-Century
English and/or American; D. 20th-Century English and/or American.
ENG 564. STUDIES IN LITERARY GENRES
Various genres such as pastoral poetry, epic, autobiography.
ENG 565. STUDIES IN LITERARY PERIODS
Studies of limited scope in one period of English or American literature.
Course content and prerequisites determined by instructor.
ENG 566. LITERARY MOVEMENTS
Literary movements that transcend period limitations.
ENG 567. FOLKLORE
Various aspects of folklore: folk narrative, folk custom, calendar festivals.
Criticism and Theory of Literature
ENG 570. INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL CRITICISM
Basic critical concepts and methods; application in criticism of particular
works. Recommended for graduate students with little previous experience
in practical criticism.
ENG 571. PERIOD STUDIES IN CRITICISM
Issues and problems related to literary theory.
ENG 572. STUDIES IN CRITICISM
Critics, critical approaches, or problems which transcend period limitations.
Course content and prerequisites determined by instructor.
ENG 673. SEMINAR IN CRITICISM
Single critic or critical school; or important theoretical issue embodied
in work of such critic or school.
ENG 674. SPECIAL ISSUES IN CRITICAL THEORY AND METHOD
Prerequisite, topic, and course content designated by instructor.
Authors and Works
ENG 535. CHAUCER
ENG 545. SHAKESPEARE
ENG. 550. SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN ENGLISH OR AMERICAN LITERATURE
One or two writers, selected by instructor, determine course content.
ENG 551. MILTON
ENG 555. SIGNIFICANT WORKS OF ENGLISH OR AMERICAN LITERATURE
Significant works, selected by instructor, determine course content.
ENG 645. SHAKESPEARE AND CONTEMPORARIES
Shakespeare in context of Elizabethan Jacobean dramatists.
ENG 650. SPECIAL STUDIES IN SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Prerequisites, title, course description designated by instructor.
ENG 655. SPECIAL STUDIES IN SIGNIFICANT LITERARY WORKS
Prerequisites and course content designated by instructor.
Special Courses and Independent Studies
ENG 589. TEACHING OF COLLEGE ENGLISH
Theory and practice of teaching composition and literature on college level.
ENG 591. TEACHING PRACTICUM
1-4 credits
ENG 592. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH
variable credit
Major tools of literary research. Lectures, practice in location of printed
and manuscript materials; preparation of bibliographies on subjects of
interest to graduate students.
ENG 593. SPECIAL TOPICS
Paleography, advanced bibliographic studies, textual criticism, principles
of editing, literary iconography.
ENG 597. INDEPENDENT STUDY
1-4 credits
Graded or ungraded study for course credit.
ENG 599. THESIS
1-4 credits
Preparation of MA research thesis or MA creative writing thesis.
ENG 640. POETRY WORKSHOP
Techniques of poetry writing. Critical work on student's poetry. May
be repeated for credit.
ENG 641. FICTION WORKSHOP
Techniques of fiction writing. Critical work on student's fiction.
May be repeated for credit.
ENG 642. NOVEL WORKSHOP
Techniques of novel writing. Critical work on student's novel.
ENG 643. ESSAY WORKSHOP
Techniques of essay writing. Critical work on student's essays. May
be repeated for credit.
ENG 698. PREDISSERTATION RESEARCH
1-9 credits/semester
Independent reading and/or research in preparation for comprehensive
examinations for admission to PhD candidacy, and/or preparation of dissertation
prospectus. Graded on S/U basis only.
ENG 699. DISSERTATION
1-12 credits/semester
Research for and preparation of the dissertation.
ENG 700. CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION
1 credit/semester
Required for maintenance of matriculated status in graduate program.
No credit toward graduate degree requirements.
ENG 707. RESEARCH SKILLS
1-4 credits
Development of research skills required within graduate programs. May
not be applied toward course credits for any graduate degree. Prerequisite:
approval of relevant program directors or department chairs.