English Course Descriptions

Courses in this section are grouped as follows: Composition; Language; Literature; and Special Offerings.

English 10, Composition, or its equivalent, is a general prerequisite for all English courses numbered 131 and above. This, and other specific prerequisites, may be waived by consent of the department.

English 210, Advanced Expository Writing, its equivalent or consent of the instructor is a general prerequisite for all literature courses numbered 300 and above for non-English majors.

The following courses fulfill the Humanities [H] breadth of study requirements: COMPOSITION: 103, 104, 105, 302, 303, 304. LANGUAGE: 307, 308, 309. LITERATURE: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 70, 71, 120, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 171, 172, 225, 280, 306, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 327, 329, 332, 337, 338, 339, 342, 345, 346, 352, 353, 364, 365, 368, 369, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 380, 383, 384, 385, 386, 391, 395. SPECIAL OFFERINGS: 250, 390. Theater: 23, 80, 198, 223, 261, 281, 282, 322.

Writing

10 Freshman Composition (3)
Teaches critical reading and thinking skills and emphasizes writing as a process. Enhances writing skills through a sequence of increasingly complex writing assignments. Class discussion and small-group workshops focus on problems of invention, organization, development, and revision in essay writing. Fulfills the campus freshman writing requirement. Does not count toward the major in English.

11 Freshman Composition for International Students (3)
Prerequisite: Essay proficiency test or a TOFEL score of 500 or above. Theory and practice of writing expository American prose. Special attention is given to verb tenses, idioms, articles, and syntax. Does not count toward the major in English. This course substitutes for English 10 in all university requirements.

103 Poetry Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. Theory and practice of poetry writing.

104 Short Story Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. Theory and practice of writing the short story.

105 Play Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. Theory and practice of writing plays.

108 Advertising Copywriting (3)
(Same as Comm 108.) To give students a hands-on approach for writing advertising material for print and broadcast against tight deadlines in a professional setting.

112 Topics in Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. This course will introduce the student to writing in specific areas. The department will announce topics and course content in the Schedule . Possible topics are Argumentation, Reading and Writing About Public Affairs, Sports Reporting and Writing, and Writing About Science. A student may repeat the course once when topics are different. The course counts toward the Certificate in Writing.

209 Practical Criticism: Writing About Literature (3)
Prerequisites: English 10 or equivalent and junior standing or consent of the department. The course acquaints students with the techniques and terminology of literary criticism and trains them in the rudiments of writing about literature. Students compose eight to ten practical, critical essays on drama, poetry, fiction, and nonfictional prose. Explication of particular texts is emphasized. A longer critical paper incorporating secondary sources and introducing students to basic methods and resources for research is assigned. The course is required of English majors but is open to all qualified students. Course does not count toward the major in English. May not be taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.

210 Advanced Expository Writing (3)
Prerequisites: Freshman Composition or equivalent (3-6 hours) and junior standing. This course further develops the experienced writer's style and analytical capabilities to the level of sophistication necessary for upper-division writing assignments and for academic and professional settings. The course includes complex readings, focuses on persuasion and argumentation, expands upon students' research and documentation skills, and requires research in university libraries. This course fulfills the university's requirement for a junior-level course in communicative skills. It may not be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

211 Advanced Expository Writing for International Students (3)
Prerequisite: English 11 or equivalent. This course will develop the student's style and critical-analytical abilities in contemporary American English writing. The course will also offer an introduction to formal research and documentation methods for preparing papers in a variety of fields. Additional emphasis will be placed on improving the student's reading abilities, both in comprehension and vocabulary. Course satisfies the junior-level communicative skills requirement. May not be taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.

212 Business Writing (3)
Prerequisites: Freshman composition or equivalent (3-6 hours) and junior standing. This course further develops the experienced writer's style and analytical capabilities to the level of sophistication necessary for upper-division writing assignments and for business and professional settings. Writing assignments may include business correspondence, reports, resumes, proposals, analyses, feasibility studies, and articles for in-house publications. The course emphasizes clarity, conciseness, organization, format, style, tone, and mechanical correctness; expands upon students' research and documentation skills; and requires research in university libraries. Fulfills the university's requirement for a junior-level course in communicative skills. It may not be taken on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory basis.

213 Technical Writing (3)
Prerequisites: Freshman composition or equivalent (3-6 hours) and junior standing. The major elements of industrial technical writing. Writing assignments include technical definitions, abstracts and summaries, mechanism descriptions, instructions, process analyses, technical reports and proposals. Emphasis is placed on clarity, conciseness, organization, format, style, and tone. The course includes an introduction to research methods and documentation. All readings are selected from industrial material. Fulfills the university's requirement for a junior-level course in communicative skills, subject to the approval of the student's major department. May not be taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.

214 News Writing (3)
(Same as Comm 214.) Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. An introduction to news writing and reporting. Course covers basic components of news, reporting principles, and news writing style and structure. Daily writing assignments include coverage of speeches, meetings and interviews, accidents, deaths, courts, sports, consumer affairs, and government. Emphasis on clarity, accuracy, and speed.

215 Feature Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 10 or equivalent. Study of free-lance and staff-written magazine or newspaper feature articles. Emphasis on relationship between types of publication and article content, research methods, and writing style. Frequent short assignments —journal entries, interviews, library projects, article critiques, and market reports—lead to production of full-length feature articles. Fulfills the university's requirement for a junior-level course in communicative skills. May not be taken on the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.

216 Writing in the Sciences (3)
Prerequisite: Freshman composition or equivalent (3-6 hours) and junior standing. Designed to teach students how to write effectively in the sciences. Writing assignments include short reports, proposals and a major project. Students are encouraged to select projects that will reflect work in a science course which may include a research or analytical report, a formal proposal or a procedures/instructions manual. Emphasis is placed on clarity, conciseness, organization, format, style, and tone. The course will include an introduction to research methods and documentation. Fulfills the university's requirement for a junior-level course in communicative skills, subject to the approval of the student's major department. May not be taken on the satisfactory/ unsatisfactory option.

218 Reporting (3)
Prerequisite: English 214 or equivalent. Theory and practice of reporting news for publication in the print media. Includes one classroom session and one field assignment weekly. Stories must be filed within deadline limits. Writing emphasis is on clarity, conciseness, and accuracy.

228 Public Relations Writing (3)
(Same as Comm 228.) Prerequisite: English 214 or equivalent. An introduction to the process of planning, producing, and evaluating written public relations messages. Writing assignments include media releases, letters, memos, position papers, background papers, brochures, and reports and proposals.

303 Advanced Poetry Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 210 and English 103 or consent of instructor. Workshop in poetry writing.

304 Advanced Fiction Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 210 and English 104 or consent of instructor. Workshop in fiction writing.

305 Writing for Teachers (3)
(Same as SEC ED 305.) Prerequisite: English 210 or a comparable course in advanced composition. Designed for prospective as well as in-service teachers, the course includes: (1) writing - short papers to be shared in workshop groups; (2) reading - current theory and research on writing and the implications for teachers; (3) teaching- classroom activities that foster growth in writing.

313 Advanced Business and Technical Writing (3)
Prerequisite: English 210 or its equivalent as judged by instructor. An advanced, project-oriented course to produce substantial, multifaceted business and technical writing projects. These might include reports, manuals, proposals, Web projects, computer documentation, or other advanced written assignments. These projects demonstrate the ability to handle complex assignments requiring initiative, independent work, and professional-level writing skills.

317 Topics in the Teaching of Writing (3)
(Same as Edu 317). Prerequisites: English 210 or equivalent. Special topics in the practice of and pedagogy of writing designed for in-service teachers. Topics may include writing at specific grade levels, writing/reading workshops, writing in urban settings, writing across the curriculum, action research, new technology, classroom and district-level assessment. May be repeated once for credit if topics differ. Counts toward Certificate in Writing.

320 Independent Writing Project (3)
Prerequisite: English 210 or its equivalent as judged by instructor. Course limited to students who are completing their certificates in writing. May be taken concurrently with the final course in the certificate sequence. Students work either individually or with an instructor to complete an extensive creative writing project.

329 Forms and Modes of Poetry (3)
Prerequisite: English 209 prerequisite or corequisite. An advanced critical study of formal poetry, from classical and Renaissance models to modern innovations and master-pieces. The course will cover scansion, figurative language, stanza form and convention, modes of occasional poetry, and studies of formal poets (e.g., Yeats, McKay, Bogan, Auden).

455 Graduate Workshop in Poetry and Fiction (3)
Prerequisite: Open to students in the MFA program and to others with consent of the instructor. Consists of a writing workshop in which the poetry and fiction written by the students enrolled in the course are discussed and analyzed by the instructor and members of the class. Students taking this course will be expected to write original poetry and/or fiction throughout the course. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of fifteen (15) hours.

456 Graduate Workshop in the Novel (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor, based on submission of sample of novel manuscript. A writing workshop in which a novel written by the student is discussed and analyzed by the instructor and members of the class. Students must have a complete novel manuscript (50,000 words minimum) ready for discussion by the beginning of class. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of fifteen (15) hours.

457 Graduate Workshop in Nonfiction (3)
Prerequisites: Open to students in the MFA program and to others with consent of the instructor. A variable-topics writing workshop focusing on one or more of the following forms: personal essay, memoir, travel writing, literary journalism, biography, or other types of literary nonfiction. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of fifteen (15) hours.

459 Literary Journal Editing (3)
Prerequisite: Open to students in the MFA program who have had at least two graduate writing workshops and to others with consent of the instructor. In this course students serve as the first readers of all submissions to the university's literary magazine, Natural Bridge. Students will read and evaluate poems, short stories, and essays and recommend a body of work to the editorial board of the magazine. The editorial board will then consider the class consensus in its final selection of material for publication. In addition to this primary task of editorial selection, students will also be involved in the production of an issue of the magazine. May ordinarily be repeated for maximum graduate credit of six hours.

485 Theories of Writing (3)
An analysis of major modern theories in composition.

487 Writing/Reading Theory (3)
The parallel evolution of reading and writing theory and pedagogy. Topics include the influence of psycho-linguistics and reader-response theory and the link between reading and writing theory and instruction.

488 Composition Research (3)
Students analyze and conduct research in composition. Course work teaches students to evaluate methodologies and implications, and to analyze data and to design research.

489 Teaching College Writing (3)
Provides the opportunity for practical application of composition theory with an emphasis on improving teaching skills. Strongly recommended for graduate teaching assistants.

490 Gateway Writing Project (1-6)
(Same as SEC ED 436.) An intensive course in the writing process and the writing curriculum, designed for experienced teachers. Readings of current theory and research will be related to participants' experiences as writers and as teachers. Topics may vary. May be repeated for credit. No more than six hours may be applied toward the M.Ed. Counts toward the Certificate in Writing.

491 Studies in Composition (3)
The study of special topics in composition. Topics may include history of composition, psychology of writing, reader-response theory, etc.

492 Graduate Workshop in Poetry (3)
Prerequisite: Open to students in the MFA program and to others with permission of instructor. Consists of a writing workshop in which the poetry written by the students enrolled in the course is discussed and analyzed by the instructor and members of the class. Students taking this course will be expected to write original poetry throughout the course. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of fifteen (15) hours.

493 Graduate Workshop in Fiction (3)
Prerequisite: Open to students in the MFA program and to others with permission of instructor. Consists of a writing workshop in which the fiction (short stories or chapters of a novel) written by the students enrolled in the course is discussed and analyzed by the instructor and members of the class. Students taking this course will be expected to write original fiction throughout the course. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of fifteen (15) hours.

494 Final Writing Project (1-6)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 15 hours in graduate creative writing courses or permission from instructor. An independent writing tutorial taken by students after they have completed all other creative writing course work. Completion of the project (defined as six hours of credit) requires a substantial body of original poetry or fiction. May be repeated for maximum graduate credit of six (6) hours.

Language

122 Traditional Grammar (3)
An introduction to the terms and concepts of traditional grammar, beginning with the parts of speech and moving to more complex structures such as participles, gerunds, and clauses. The course also deals with the conventions of formal usage and punctuation.

307 Linguistics (3)
Prerequisite: English 210; majors, English 209. A survey of linguistics with emphasis on what the field reveals about the English language. Topics include the sounds of language, grammar, writing systems, language acquisition, language in society, language history, dialects, and usage.

308 English Grammar (3)
Prerequisite: English 210; majors, English 209. A study of modern English grammar from the perspectives of traditional, structural, and transformational grammar.

309 History of the English Language (3)
Prerequisite: Prerequisites: English 210 or equivalent. A historical survey of the English language from its Indo-European roots through Old and Middle English to the present. Topics include changes in sound, meaning, and grammar, as well as developments in American English, including regional and social dialects.

410 Modern Linguistics (3)
A study of selected topics in the structure of the English language, combining readings in current linguistics publications with original research.

Literature

12 Literary Types (3)
The student is introduced to the various literary types, including poetry, drama, fiction, and the essay.

13 Topics in Literature (3)
Introduces the student to selected literary topics and/or genres. Each semester the department will announce topics and course content. Topics such as alienation, justice, and the absurd, and genres such as science fiction and contemporary drama are typical possibilities.

15 Images of the Elderly in Film (3)
(Same as Gerontology 15.) Analysis of the portrayal of older adults in various films. Class discussions focus on the style and thematic content of the film, as well as intergenerational relationships.

16 Images of Age in Literature (3)
(Same as Gerontology 16.) Reading and discussion of literature that portrays aging and old age in various settings. Emphasis is on contemporary novels, but poetry and drama such as King Lear are read as well. Discussion and short essays enable consideration of how literature helps in the study of aging and also how the process of aging can be a creative force within literature.

17 American Literary Masterpieces (3)
An introduction to major themes and works in American literature from the nineteenth century to the present. Selected works from Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Whitman, Twain, James, Frost, Hemingway, Faulkner, O'Connor, Plath, and Bellow.

20 Myth (3)
The nature of myth, with some consideration of the various theories used to account for its origins. An examination of central mythic motifs, images, and characters. While some attention will be given to comparing the mythologies of different cultures, the emphasis will be on reading Classical Greek and Roman mythology.

70 African-American Literature (3)
A survey of prose, poetry, and drama by black Americans from the period of enslavement through the Negro Renaissance to the present.

71 Native American Literature (3)
(Same as Anthropology 71.) Surveys the literature of American Indians from its oral tradition of myth, legend, song, and oratory through its modern forms. The course satisfies the ethnic literature requirement for Missouri state certification in Secondary Education and the College of Arts and Sciences Cultural Diversity requirement.

120 Classical Literature in Translation (3)
The civilization of ancient Greece and Rome as reflected by their major creative writers in some of their principal works: the epics of Homer and Vergil; the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plautus, Terence, and Seneca; the lyrics of Sappho and Catullus; the satire of Petronius; and Ovid's rendering of the classical myths.

123 Jewish Literature (3)
Examines the traditional Jewish literature of the Bible and later legends found in the Talmud and Midrash and also considers later phases of Jewish literature, both sacred and secular. These include medieval folklore and Hasidic tales.

124 Literature of the New Testament (3)
A comprehensive understanding of the New Testament, its literary background, and significance for Western civilization.

125 Literature of the Old Testament (3)
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor. A comprehensive understanding of the Old Testament, its literary background, and significance for Western civilization.

128 The Contemporary World in Literature (3)
Selected world literature since the second World War from the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Africa, India, and Asia with emphasis on non-European literatures. This course excludes literature form the United States and England and it satisfies the College of Arts and Sciences Cultural Diversity requirement.

131 English Literature I (3)
The development of English literature from the Middle Ages through the eighteenth century. Reading and analysis of representative works of selected major writers.

132 English Literature II (3)
The development of English literature during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Reading and analysis of representative works of selected major writers.

133 Introduction to Poetry (3)
A close study of poems, with special emphasis on the varieties of poetic forms, and the means of interpretation and evaluation. The works studied will be primarily English and American, and from at least three different centuries.

134 Introduction to Drama (3)
A close study of major dramatic works in various modes, to introduce the student to the forms and techniques of dramatic literature. The works studied will be primarily English and American, and from at least three different centuries.

135 Introduction to Fiction (3)
A close study of major prose fiction, with particular attention to the varieties of fictional forms and techniques. The works studied will be primarily English and American, and from at least three different centuries.

171 American Literature I (3)
Representative selections from American authors from the middle of the seventeenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century.

172 American Literature II (3)
Representative selections from American authors from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. Fulfills the requirement for Missouri Teacher Certification of "a unit in literature of American ethnic groups'' and "a unit in American literature for adolescents.'"

280 Topics in Women and Literature (3)
An examination of the role of women in literature, either as figures in literary works or as writers. Specific topics to vary from semester to semester. Since the topics of English 280 may change each semester, the course may be repeated for credit if the topics are substantially different.

306 Adolescent Literature (3)
The course will expose students to the large variety of quality adolescent literature available for reading and study in middle and high school classes. It will also examine the relevance of a variety of issues to the reading and teaching of adolescent literature, among them: reader response, theory and practice; multi-culturalism; literacy; the relation of adolescent literature to "classic" literature; the role of adolescent literature in interdisciplinary studies; adolescent literature as an incentive to extracurricular reading.

321 History of Literary Criticism (3)
Historical survey of the principles of literary criticism from Plato to the present.

322 Old English Literature (3)
Prerequisite: English 210; or, for majors, English 209 prerequisite or corequisite and English 131 prerequisite or permission of instructor. An introduction to the literary culture of Anglo-Saxon England through study of the Old English language and close reading of a diverse group of Old English texts from the eighth to eleventh centuries.

323 Continental Fiction (3)
Prerequisites: Two college courses in literature. The development of the European novel in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Representative works of writers such as Balzac, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Kafka, and Proust, read in translation.

324 Chaucer (3)
Concentrates on the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, including the Canterbury Tales, early poetic works, and the Troylus and Criseyde. All readings are in the original Middle English.

325 Medieval English Literature (3)
A survey of old and middle English literature from Beowulf to Malory's Morte d'Arthur, exclusive of Chaucer. All works are read in modern English translations.

327 Contemporary Critical Theory (3)
This course is to acquaint students with a range of critical methodologies that have gained currency since the 1960s. The kinds of criticism considered include formalist (New Critical, Russian, and Aristotelian), structuralist, post-structuralist, Marxist, reader-response, psycho-sexual, and feminist.

329 Forms and Modes of Poetry (3)
An advanced critical study of formal poetry, from classical and Renaissance models to modern innovations and masterpieces. The course will cover scansion, figurative language, stanza form and convention, modes of occasional poetry, and studies of formal poets (e.g. Yeats, McKay, Bogan, Auden).

332 Elizabethan Poetry and Prose (3)
Spenser, Sidney, Wyatt, and other poets of the later sixteenth century. The origin and development of prose fiction.

337 Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances (3)
The development of Shakespeare's concept of tragedy and tragicomedy from Titus Andronicus to The Tempest. The plays will be related to the social and literary milieu of the period.

338 Shakespeare: Comedies and Histories (3)
Shakespeare's early work for the theater with some attention to the sonnets and longer poems. An historical background for a study of all the plays, including discussions of Elizabethan society, the world of the stage, and Shakespeare's biography.

339 Tudor and Stuart Drama (3)
A survey of the dramatic writings of the period from the interludes of John Heywood to the closing of the theaters in 1642, with particular attention to the plays of Marlowe, Jonson, Webster, and Ford. Though Shakespeare will not be studied in this course, connections between his works and those of his contemporaries will be discussed.

342 Early Seventeenth-Century Poetry and Prose (3)
Donne, Jonson, Marvell, Bacon, and other poets and essayists of the Metaphysical, Cavalier, and Baroque schools, exclusive of Milton.

345 Milton (3)
All the minor poems and the three longer poems with some attention to the major prose; Milton and his relation to the politics, theology, and literature of the seventeenth century.

346 Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Drama (3)
The principal tragedies and comedies from Dryden to Sheridan, including the plays of Congreve, Farquhar, Rowe, Gay, Fielding, and Goldsmith, among others.

352 Age of Dryden and Pope (3)
he beginnings of English neoclassic literature in the Restoration and its development through the first half of the eighteenth century, focusing on Dryden, Swift, and Pope.

353 Age of Johnson (3)
The breakdown of the neoclassic spirit and the introduction of the "new'' poetry and novel. Consideration of Fielding, Johnson, Thompson, Young, Goldsmith, Sheridan, and others.

364 The Eighteenth-Century English Novel (3)
The origins and early development of the English novel, from Defoe to Jane Austen.

365 The Nineteenth-Century English Novel (3)
Novels of the Romantic and Victorian Periods, from Austen to George Eliot.
368 Early Romantic Poetry and Prose (3)
The English romantic movement with special emphasis on the early writers—Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge. Additional readings in selected prose writers and minor poets.

369 Later Romantic Poetry and Prose (3)
The English romantic movement with special emphasis on the later writers—Byron, Shelley, and Keats. Additional readings in selected prose writers and minor poets.

371 Prose and Poetry of the Victorian Period (3)
Critical readings of selections from Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, and others, in addition to selections from the major prose writing.

372 Literature of the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (3)
Literature of the period between 1870 and the First World War, including works by writers such as Hardy, Conrad, James, Wilde, Stevenson, Shaw, Jefferies, and Wells.

373 Selected Major American Writers I (3)
American literature of the nineteenth century: Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, and others.

374 Selected Major American Writers II (3)
American literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: James, Twain, Stephen Crane, Dreiser, and others.

375 American Fiction to World War I (3)
Development of the novel and short story in America.

376 Modern American Fiction (3)
The novel and short story in America since World War I. There may be some attention to British and continental influences.

380 Studies in Women and Literature (3)
The course examines feminist critical approaches to literature, the appropriation or transformation of literary genres by women writers, or the writings of women during a particular historical period. Specific topics vary from semester to semester. The course may be repeated for credit if topics are substantially different.

383 Modern British Fiction (3)
Critical reading and analysis of British fiction of the twentieth century. There may be some attention to American and continental influences.

384 Modern Poetry (3)
Critical reading and analysis of poetry of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: Yeats, Eliot, Frost, Williams, and others.

385 Modern Drama (3)
British, American, and European drama of the last one hundred years: the well-made play, the problem play, verse drama, new definitions of tragedy, the angry theater, theater of the absurd.

386 Poetry Since World War II (3)
Reading and analysis of contemporary poetry.

387 The Two Cultures: Literature and Science (3)
Prerequisite: English 132; English 209 (may be taken concurrently). Surveys the history of the debate about the relations between literature and science, beginning with the exchange between Arnold and Huxley in the Victorian period, continuing through the debate between Leavis and Snow at mid-century, and concluding with current controversies and with current efforts at interdisciplinary synthesis.

388 Narrative, Cognition, and Emotion (3)
Prerequisite: English 132; English 209 (may be taken concurrently). Examines narrative theory in the light of recent research into cognitive organization and the structure of the emotions. Traditional and contemporary theories of narrative – of realism, symbolism, point of view, tone, and genre – are developed through recent findings in empirical science. A variety of stories and novels are used as test cases for theoretical propositions.

391 Special Topics in Jewish Literature (3)
Intensive readings, critical discussion, and writing on topics relating to Jewish literature. Topics to be announced. This course may be repeated for credit if the topics are substantially different.

395 Special Topics in Literature (3)
Special topics in literature that are not covered in other 300-level English courses. Since the topics of English 395 may change each semester, the courses may be repeated for credit if the topics are substantially different.

400 Introduction to Graduate Study in English (3)
A course designed to prepare students for the professional study of English. The course will both familiarize students with basic bibliographic tools and scholarly methods and introduce them to issues that are of current critical interest to those engaged in the advanced study of literature. These issues include gender, textuality, reader-response, multiculturalism, feminism, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, literary history and the relationship of literature to philosophy, history and science. Must be taken within the first twelve hours of graduate study.

415 Literary Criticism (3)
An examination of selected theories of literature.

416 Feminist Critical Theory (3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. A consideration of feminist critical theory as a means of reassessing literary texts and our cultural heritage. After exploring the roots of feminist criticism, the seminar will examine Anglo-American and continental debates on theories of language, writing and representation. In providing an interdisciplinary context the course will consider studies in psychology, anthropology, history, and philosophy/theology which have influenced and enriched feminist approaches to literature.

421 Studies in Middle English Literature (3)
Special topics in English literature before 1500.

430 Renaissance Literature (3)
Special topics in English literature from 1500 to 1660.

450 Eighteenth-Century Literature (3)
Studies in Augustan poetry and prose, including drama and fiction, with emphasis on background and major figures.

460 Studies in Poetry (3)
Study of a few selected British and American poets.

465 Studies in Fiction (3)
Study of a few selected British and American novelists and short story writers.

467 Studies in Drama (3)
Study of a few selected British and American dramatists.

470 Nineteenth-Century Literature (3)
Special topics in English romanticism, in Victorian life and thought, and in the development of the novel and of poetry between 1797 and 1914.

475 American Literature Before 1900 (3)
Selected American writers or topics from the Colonial period to 1900.

476 Twentieth-Century American Literature (3)
Selected American writers or topics from 1900 to the present.

480 Twentieth-Century British Literature (3)
Selected British and Commonwealth writers of the twentieth century.

495 Seminar in Special Topics (1-3)
Special topics which are not covered in other graduate-level English courses.

497 Independent Reading (1-3)
Directed study in areas of English for which courses are not available.

499 Thesis (6)
Prerequisite: 3.5 graduate G.P.A. Thesis research and writing on a selected topic in English studies.

Special Offerings

250 Special Studies (1-3)
Prerequisites: A course in the area of proposed work and consent of instructor. Individual work, with conferences adjusted to needs of the student. May not be used to meet specific English department distribution and language requirements. May be repeated for a maximum total of three hours credit.

262 The Curriculum and Methods of Teaching English (3)
(Same as SEC ED 232.) Prerequisites: SEC ED 213 and a near-major in the subject matter. A study of the scope and sequence of the English courses in the school curriculum with emphasis on the selection and organization of materials and methods of instruction and evaluation. Includes field experiences. The course prepares students for reflective teaching by relating course readings to field experiences and theory to practice. To be taken prior to student teaching. This course must be completed in residence.

270 English Teaching Intern Seminar (1)
(Same as SEC ED 270.) Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in SEC ED 290. A seminar in the integration of English curricula, educational philosophy, teaching strategies, and instructional technology in the classroom setting. To be taken concurrently with Secondary Student Teaching, SEC ED 290.

390 Seminar (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Intensive reading, critical discussion, and writing on topics to be announced each semester. Since the topics of English 390 may change each semester, the course may be repeated for credit if the topics are substantially different. Enrollment limited to twelve students.