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 and Undergraduate Director, 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 , 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)
Yun, Lisa, Visiting Assistant Professor, PhD, 1998, University of Texas at Dallas: Asian-American literature. (1998)
Top
All majors in English take a "core" 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.
* In consultation with their advisors, students may substitute one advanced literature course (300 or above) for this CW requirement.
*In consultation with their advisors, students may substitute one upper-level literature course for one of these upper-level rhetoric courses.
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 student's written work in an English course and two letters of recommendation from appropriate faculty.
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.
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.
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.
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 January 15.
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.
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 "courtly",
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 "standard" 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 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 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 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 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
Independent 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 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 others'; 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 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.
Top
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.
*ENG 503A. METALANGUAGES
Explores the connections between language and knowledge and language and mind; the ways in which writers relate the sounds and structures of language to notions about the human spirit and worldly fact; and the opposing views of philosophers and linguists over language as presenter or re-presenter, icon or symbol.
Periods and Genres
ENG 510. OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE
Prose and poetry.
ENG 511. MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE
Prose and poetry.
ENG 511A. MEDIEVAL COLONIALISMS
Investigates the formation of colonizing discourses and desires in late medieval European culture.
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 561G. CONTEMPORARY FICTION
Explores fiction written in the past 20 years, primarily in the U.S., but also in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South America, with focus on gender and power, the intersection between history and story, and the always interesting new forms of contemporary fiction.
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 565M. AMERICAN FICTION, 1865-1900
A survey of representative fiction written after the Civil War, including work by James, Twain, Jewett, Crane, Norris, Freeman, Chopin, Dreiser, and Chesnutt.
ENG 565U. LITERATURE AND PERFORMANCE IN THE 18TH CENTURY
Approaches 18th-century English literature in the context of the significance the period attached to performed behavior and performative expression.
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 572R. INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL THEORY Don't know your objet petit a from your simulacrum? Don't know why all these "subjects" are "split" and who's giving them the axe? Not quite sure why you should care? This course will explain all of these things and more, articulating what is at stake in the modern/postmodern debates and the turn from literary to cultural studies.
ENG 572S. HEIDEGGER AND ARENDT This course will explore the relationship between Heidegger's ontological inquiry into the question of being and Hannah Arendt's political inquiry into the question of the Polis, and the human community in light of the mount ing representation of Heidegger philosophical writing (by important thinkers such as Jurgen Habermas) as complicitous with Nazism and anti-Semitism.
ENG 673. SEMINAR IN CRITICISM
Single critic or critical school; or important theoretical issue embodied
in work of such critic or school.
ENG 673M. THE DIFFERENT BODY: POSTMODERN, DISABLED, OTHERED
The notion of embodiment considered in relation to political, social, linguistic, and theoretical formulations of race, gender, normalcy, and disability. The course aims to re-think the way we consider issues around the fragmented body, anorexia, obesity, beauty, ugliness, hearing, visuality, mobility, and related areas.
ENG 673T. MARXIST THEORY
An introduction to fundamental concepts of historical materialism, particularly as it applies to cultural and lit
ary theory.
ENG 673U. THIRD WAVE FEMINISM
A look at some of the most recent writing in the academy and popular culture that defines itself as "third wave feminism." Using recent collections that frame the issues in a third wave context, exploration of the debates about victim and power feminism, pro-sex feminism, postfeminism, sexual harassment, violence against women, welfare, Third World feminism, sexualities, multiculturalism, the role of popular culture as a force for activism and containment, the institutional debate about women's studies vs. gender studies, identity politics, and media images of feminism.
ENG 674. SPECIAL ISSUES IN CRITICAL THEORY AND METHOD
Prerequisite, topic, and course content designated by instructor.
ENG 674R. AMERICA IN THE 1960s
Attempts what Heidegger would call a "repetition," a retrieval of the actualities of the decade of the 1960s that the contemporary American cultural memory has "forgotten." Brings back into play the actuality of the decade as it manifested itself in the way the U.S. conducted the war in Vietnam and in its domestic policy in the public sphere, and in the oppositional movements (the protest against the war, civil rights, and feminist movements), and in popular culture most notably, the emergence of rock 'n' roll as a political force.
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 550B. FAULKNER
A study of the novels of William Faulkner, with attention paid to defining his Southernliness and to exploring the creative rootholds of his particular muse.
ENG 550M. MELVILLE
Examines Herman Melville's literary career, in which he presented a narration of cultural contact posing the assumpttions of Western civilization against those of a Pacific society that he ultimately could not comprehend. However, in posing the values of this alien society, as he understood them, against those of his own, he began a literary career that persistently questioned the ways of knowing that his own culture largely held. The course engages in this quest.
ENG 550Q. CHARLOTTE BRONTE
Charlotte Bronte's novels read in the contexts of contemporary (mid-19th century) culture--primarily politics, religion, nationality, and gender.
ENG 550R. 19TH-CENTURY WOMEN WRITERS
Focus on the works of three 19th-century British authors: Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and George Eliot. Their works will be considered in relationship to each other, to 19th-century British culture generally, and to contemporary feminist theory and criticism.
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 650A. BLAKE
Studies William Blake's evolving psychology in a context ranging from Freud, Jung, Melanie Klein, and Lacan to Heidegger and Sartre. Studies Blake's pioneering feminism in a context ranging from Mary Wollstonecraft to Elaine Pagels.
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 589A. TEACHING WRITING: DE-COLONIZING OUR PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES
This Internet-based, interactive course will focus on critical literacy. Students will read about issues of literacy; write literacy autobiographies and publish them on the Internet; and work on teaching portfolios. Topics of discussion will include: assigning writing, responding to student writing, collaborative learning, evaluating writing, approaches to error, issues of power and authority, writing and teaching with technology, especially in networked classrooms.
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 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.