English


541/531 Main Hall
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-436-2745
610-436-2822
Dr. Bacon, Chairperson
Dr. Dodson-Robinson, Graduate Coordinator
Dr. Sargent and Dr. Renzi, Assistant Chairpersons

Professors

Christian K. Awuyah, Ph.D., University of Alberta
Hannah Ashley, Ph.D., Temple University
Jen Bacon, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Mary Buckelew, Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Margaret Ervin, Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York
Robert P. Fletcher, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Paul D. Green, Ph.D., Harvard University
Jane E. Jeffrey, Ph.D., Iowa University
Seth Kahn, Ph.D., Syracuse University
William Lalicker, Ph.D., University of Washington
Graham MacPhee, Ph.D., University of Sussex
Rodney Mader, Ph.D., Temple University
Paul L. Maltby, Ph.D., Sussex University
Garrett Molholt, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Cherise Pollard, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Geetha Ramanathan, Ph.D., University of Illinois
Judith Scheffler, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Eleanor Shevlin, Ph.D., University of Maryland
Carolyn Sorisio, Ph.D., Temple University
Victoria Tischio, Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York
Carla Verderame, Ph.D., University of Michigan
Cheryl L. Wanko, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
K. Hyoejin Yoon, Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York

Associate Professors

Juanita R. Comfort, Ph.D., Ohio State University
Karen Fitts, Ph.D., Texas Christian University
Ayan Gangopadhyay, University of California, Los Angeles
Gabrielle Halko, Ph.D., Western Michigan University
Deidre A. Johnson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Elizabeth Nollen, Ph.D., Indiana University
Merry Perry, Ph.D., University of South Florida
Timothy Ray, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University
Laura Renzi, Ph.D., Ohio State University
Andrew Sargent, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Luanne Smith, M.F.A., Pennsylvania State University
Jeffrey Sommers, Ph.D., New York University
Christopher J. Teutsch, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Assistant Professors

Amy Anderson, Ph.D., University of Kentucky
Rachel Banner, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Charles Bauerlein, M.A., Pennsylvania State University
Michael Burns, Ph.D., University of Illinois
Randall Cream, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Eric Dodson-Robinson, Ph.D., University of Illinois
Tim Dougherty, Ph.D., Syracuse University
Kristine Ervin, Ph.D., University of Houston
H. Bernard Hall, Ph.D., Temple University
John Hanson, Ph.D., Florida State University
Christopher Merkner, Ph.D., University of Denver
Joseph Navitsky, Ph.D., Boston University
William M. Nessly, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Maria-Eirini Panagiotidou, Ph.D., University of Nottingham
Ashley Starling Patriarca, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic University
Patricia A. Pflieger, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Justin Rademaekers, Ph.D., Purdue University
Pauline Schmidt, Ph.D., University of Buffalo
Jordan Schugar, Ph.D., University of Maryland
Spring Ulmer, M.F.A., University of Arizona; M.F.A., University of Iowa
Kuhio Walters, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire

Programs of Study [top]

The M.A. in English offers three tracks: one in literature; one in writing, teaching, and criticism; and, one in creative writing. In the literature and writing, teaching, and criticism tracks, students may choose between thesis and non-thesis options. Students in the creative writing track must write a creative thesis. The master of arts in English helps students attain a number of goals. It offers opportunities for the study of language, literature, rhetoric and composition, pedagogy, creative writing, and literary and cultural critical theory. The diverse and comprehensive selection of courses cultivates scholarly knowledge and enhances cultural literacy in an atmosphere that engages students intellectually and creatively. The program prepares students to enroll in advanced graduate programs (for the Ph.D. in literature or composition and rhetoric, for example), to teach literature or writing in secondary schools or two-year colleges, and to enter a range of other professions in which writing expertise and analytical thinking are valued.

The Department of English also participates in an interdisciplinary program leading to the master of arts in teaching English as a second language. (See the section "Teaching English as a Second Language," pages 103.) In addition, the Department of English welcomes students who wish to take courses for professional growth and provides assistance and advice to postbaccalaureate students wishing to acquire secondary teaching certification in English.

Admission Requirements

The applicant to the M.A. program in English must (1) meet the general requirements for admission to degree study at West Chester University; (2) submit a 5-6 page writing sample on a subject related to the study of English; (3) satisfy other departmental admission requirements established in consultation with the graduate coordinator; (4) take additional graduate and/or undergraduate courses when considered necessary. Normally, applicants who do not have a strong undergraduate record in English literature may be expected to take additional courses for full admission into the M.A. program in English.

The applicant seeking secondary English certification only must apply through the Office of Graduate Studies and Extended Education to the Department of Professional and Secondary Education and must have the transcripts evaluated by both the School of Education and the Department of English. The general requirements for admission include items (1) and (2) listed under "Admission Requirements for Degree Students" found at the beginning of the Graduate Catalog.

Master of Arts in English [top]

The MA in English offers three tracks: Literature; Writing, Teaching, and Criticism; and, Creative Writing. The Literature and Writing, Teaching, and Criticism Tracks have a thesis and non-thesis option. The Creative Writing Track requires a creative thesis. All tracks are 36-credit hours, require a capstone experience, and share a six-credit common core (ENG 500 (The Discipline of English Studies) and 501 (Critical Theory).

Literature Track, Thesis Option (36 semester hours)

  1. Required Core Courses for all English MA students (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 500
    2. ENG 501
  2. Required Courses for Literature Track, thesis option (15 semester hours)
    1. One course in literature before 1660 (3)
    2. One course in literature between 1660 and 1900 (3)
    3. One course in literature between 1900 and the present (3)
    4. ENG 550 (3)
    5. ENG 560 (3)
  3. Electives (9 semester hours)
    Students are to select two electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, and Research and Special Topics. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students.

    Students are to select one free elective chosen from among all ENG categories, including those listed in the paragraph above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, Creative Writing, and PWP courses (The Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project).
  4. Required Capstone Experience (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 614
    2. ENG 620 (thesis)
  5. Additional Requirements
    American literature requirement: At least one course must be taken in American literature.
    Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups.


    ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate course work in English. ENG 614 is to be taken before ENG 620.

Literature Track, Non-thesis Option (36 semester hours)

  1. Required Core Courses for all English MA Students (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 500
    2. ENG 501
  2. Required Courses for Literature Track, non-thesis option (15 semester hours)
    1. At least one course in literature before 1660
    2. At least one course in literature between 1660 and 1900
    3. At least one course in literature between 1900 and the present
    4. ENG 550   
    5. ENG 560  
  3. Electives (12 semester hours)
    Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, and Research and Special Topics. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students.
    Students are to select one free elective chosen from among all ENG categories, including those listed in the paragraph above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, Creative Writing, and PWP courses (The Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project).
  4. Required Capstone Experience ( 3 credit hours)
    1. ENG 614   
  5. Additional Requirements
    American literature requirement: At least one course must be taken in American literature.
    Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in topics addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups.
    ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate course work in English.

Creative Writing Track (36 semester hours)

  1. Required Core Courses for all English MA Students (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 500
    2. ENG 501
  2. Required Courses for Creative Writing Track (12 semester hours)
    1. Four Writing Workshops
      Students are to select four poetry and/or fiction workshops from among courses listed in the Creative Writing category. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students.
  3. Electives (12 semester hours)
    Students are to select four electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project.
  4. Required Capstone Experience  (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 614
    2. ENG 620 (thesis) [pre-requisite–ENG 614] ENG 620, M.A. Essay, to be taken under the supervision of a member of the creative writing faculty, is to result in the production of a creative thesis project. The project is to include a portfolio of original fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry and a section considering the student’s literary influences and connections with contemporary literary traditions.
  5. Additional Requirements
    1. ENG 501 and ENG 500 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credit.
    2. Non-canonical requirement: At least one of the four electives (III, above) must be taken in a topic addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups.

Writing, Teaching, and Criticism Track, Thesis Option (36 semester hours)

  1. Required Core Courses for all English MA Students (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 500
    2. ENG 501
  2. Required Courses for WTC Track, thesis option (15 semester hours)
    Composition and Rhetoric
    1. ENG 506
      Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP)
    2. PWP 502
    3. ENG 550 or ENG 560
    Two additional courses from two of following areas:
    1. Composition and Rhetoric
    2. Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PWP)
    3. Literature
  3. Electives (9 semester hours) Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and PWP. One of the three electives may be selected from among all ENG categories—including those listed above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, and Creative Writing–or from a different discipline, in cases where it would enhance the student’s program of study.
  4. Required Capstone Experience (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 616
    2. ENG 620 (thesis)
  5. Additional Requirements
    1. Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic that addresses the writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups.
    2. PWP courses: No more than 12 credits (including the required six credits of PWP courses described above) may be taken in courses taught by PAWLP master-teachers.
    3. ENG 506, PWP 502, ENG 500, and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 18 semester hours of graduate credit.

Writing, Teaching, and Criticism Track, Non-Thesis Option

  1. Required Core Courses for all English MA Students (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 500
    2. ENG 501
  2. Required Courses for WTC Track, non-thesis option (15 semester hours)
    3. Composition and Rhetoric
    1. ENG 506
      2. Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP)
    2. PWP 502
    3. ENG 550 or ENG 560
    Two additional courses from two of following areas:
    1. Composition and Rhetoric
    2. Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP)
    3. Literature
  3. Electives (9 semester hours)
    Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and PWP. One of the three electives may be selected from among all ENG categories—including those listed above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, and Creative Writing—or from a different discipline, in cases where it would enhance the student’s program of study.

  4. Required Capstone Experience (6 semester hours)
    1. ENG 614
    2. ENG 616
  5. Additional Requirements
    1. Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic that addresses the writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups.
    2. PWP courses: No more than 12 credits (including the required six credits of PWP
      courses described above) may be taken in courses taught by PAWLP master-teachers.
    3. ENG 506, PWP 502, ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 18 semester hours of graduate credit.

Secondary English Certification Option

Some students pursue certification for Pennsylvania teaching after they graduate with bachelor’s degrees from West Chester or other universities. The Department of English normally accepts equivalent courses from colleges or universities accredited in the United States or their equivalent from schools in other countries. Students seeking post-baccalaureate certification should consult with the appropriate adviser in the Department of English to see which requirements they have already fulfilled in their undergraduate program and which they need to fulfill to get their teaching certificate. These students should also meet with their adviser in English to plan their academic progress and to ensure they are keeping up with requirements, and they should meet with an adviser in the Department of Professional and Secondary Education for information on required education courses. Students pursuing post-baccalaureate certification must meet all requirements for formal admission and student teaching.

The State Board of Education adopted changes that affect all of Pennsylvania's teacher certification programs by adding nine credits or 270 hours or equivalent combination for adaptations and accommodations for diverse students in an inclusive setting, and three credits or 90 hours or equivalent combination to meet the instructional needs of English language learners. Although these regulatory changes became effective on September 22, 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has not yet developed final requirements for colleges/universities to follow. Therefore, additional program requirements will be developed and incorporated into the certification programs to comply with new regulations that became effective January 1, 2011.

Certification Curriculum

  1. Required

    2. Two linguistics courses:
    ENG 230 (or ENG 230, LIN/LEN 501, 503, 512)
    ENG 331 (or ENG 575, LIN/LEN 504, 505)

    Two advanced method courses:
    ENG 390
    ENG 392

  2. Nine advanced English courses

    3. ("Advanced" means courses determined to be upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses. At West Chester, the courses that qualify are numbered in the 300s, 400s, 500s, or 600s.)
    A course in literary theory (e.g., ENG 296 or ENG 501)
    A course in British literature
    A course in American literature
    A course in world literature
    A course in literature for young adults (e.g., LIT 398 or ENG 593; prereq: literary theory)
    A course that theorizes teaching (e.g., ENG 506, 595, 596, 600, or 671)
    A course in reading texts rhetorically ("The Rhetoric[s] of. ..)"
    A composition and rhetoric elective chosen from among those listed in #6 and #7.
    An English elective

Notes:

  • Students must attain a GPA of 3.0 to student teach and have a GPA of 3.0 at the conclusion of their program.
  • Students should be formally admitted to the teacher certification program and should have taken ENG 230, ENG 331, EDM 300, EDP 351, and EDS 306 before taking the advanced methods courses (ENG 390, ENG 392). "Formal admission" means that students have met the requirements to do advanced study in a teacher education program. To be formally admitted, students must pass all their Praxis I (PPST) tests, earned at least 48 college credits (including three in writing, three in literature, and six in math), attained the required GPA (usually 2.8), and passed the Department of English's test of writing competency. Then they need to apply for formal admission at the College of Education.
  • The Department of English's test of writing competency is offered once in the fall and once in the spring. It is the student's responsibility to find out when the test is given and to make arrangements for attendance.
  • Students must submit a successful writing portfolio before student teaching.
  • Many of these classes are offered during the day and during the fall and spring semesters only, especially the advanced methods courses.
  • Students should contact the Department of Professional and Secondary Education to be properly advised about education courses.

For more information concerning secondary English certification for post-baccalaureate students, contact the Department of English graduate coordinator.

Course Descriptions [top]

English
Symbol: ENG

General Topics and Theory

500 The Discipline of English Studies (3) An introduction to key analytical/paradigmatic concepts shared across the discipline and to the academic skills/methods appropriate to graduate level study in English.

501 Literary Theory (3) Study of various methods of literary theory and analysis; the application of these methods to specific works of literature.

502 History of Criticism (3) A historical study of literary criticism and aesthetic theory from Plato and Aristotle to the present.

503 Manuscript, Print, and Digital Cultures (3) This course studies the history of the creation, production, distribution, circulation, and reception of the written word. As it traces how authorship, reading, publishing, and the physical properties of texts have altered over time, the course examines, both historically and analytically, the intellectual, social, and cultural impact of changing communications technologies against the backdrop of our current digital age.  This historical perspective uniquely equips students with the skills and knowledge to navigate effectively the transformations affecting the publishing and related media industries.

504 Methods and Materials of Publishing (3) This course is designed to familiarize graduate students with the history of the book and to provide them with the opportunity to gain practical experience in book production.

505 Queer Theory (3) Participants in this course will read some of the major texts in the emergent fields of cultural criticism known as Queer Theory, which draws from various strains of post-structuralism, such as feminism, deconstruction, race studies, and post-colonial and psychoanalytic theory, in order to examine ideas about gender and sexuality as they are represented in many types of cultural products.

507 Literature Seminar (3) Variable topics announced each time the course is offered.

550 History, Form, and Ideology (3) Study of critical approaches to literary texts that focus on the relationship between literary form and society and the involvement of representation in shaping subjectivity.

560 Locating Literature (3) Study of critical approaches to literary texts that focus on the historical construction of literary value, canonicity, and norms of reading, including the idea of ‘national’ literature and cross-cultural approaches to literature (postcolonial, transnational, multiethnic).

English Literature

518 Chaucer (3) A study of the Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde.

519 16th-Century Poetry and Prose (3) A survey of the major poetry and prose written in England during the Tudor period from Skelton to Shakespeare.

520 Spenser and Milton (3) The major works of Spenser and Milton studied in relation to the intellectual climate of the Renaissance. Emphasis on The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost.

521 Major Renaissance Writers (3) An in-depth study of major figures in the Renaissance. Intellectual background and literary influences. Variable topics.

522 English Drama to 1642 (3) A survey of English drama (exclusive of Shakespeare) from its medieval beginnings to the closing of the theatres in 1642.

525 Shakespeare's Tragedies and Histories (3) Histories and tragedies read with analysis of dramatic and poetic effects.

526 Shakespeare's Comedies and Poems (3) The comedies analyzed. The poems read in relation to Shakespeare's developing dramatic and poetic power.

527 17th-Century Poetry and Prose (3) An in-depth study of the major poets and prose writers from Donne to Milton.

530 Restoration and 18th-Century Drama (3) Critical history of the British drama from the re-opening of the theatres to Sheridan. Major playwrights and study of theatre history.

531 18th-Century British Novel (3) A study of the rise of the novel and its development in the 18th century. Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Smollett, and Sterne.

534 Victorian Poetry (3) A study of Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, Hopkins, Swinburne, and Hardy.

535 Culture and Society in the 19th Century (3) A study of Victorian literature against its social and intellectual background.

536 19th-Century British Novel (3) The British novel from Scott to Hardy.

537 20th-Century British Novel (3) A study of the British novel from 1914 to the present.

539 Major 20th-Century Irish Writers (3) A comprehensive study of significant Irish writers of the 20th century: Yeats, Joyce, O'Casey, Synge, O'Connor, O'Faolain, Beckett, and Shaw.

541 20th-Century Drama (3) Principal British and American playwrights.

544 Seminar in English Literature (3) Topic announced when offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

545 Medieval Women's Culture (3) This course studies writings by medieval women and their contribution to the development of medieval culture.

American Literature

547 American Literary Movements (3) Major movements in the development of American literature. Influence of leading writers on literary concepts, trends, and critical dicta. Topics announced when offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

548 Early American Literature (3) Studies in early American literature and culture. For example, "contact zones," spiritual narratives, belle-lettrism, the revolutionary public sphere.

549 19th-Century American Literature (3) An investigation of 19th-century literature and its cultural context. For example, Romantic writers and reform movements, realism and reconstruction.

552 20th-Century Native American Literature (3) This course investigates the Native American novel and the struggle of Native Americans for self-representation.

558 20th-Century American Writers (3) One or more major prose writers and literary movements from 1900 to the present.

562 Modern African-American Literature (3) An intensive study in themes and trends in modern African-American literature.

564 Seminar in American Literature (3) Variable topics announced when offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

Comparative Literature

565 Comparative Literature Seminar (3) Studies in international, literary, and/or cultural relations; the characteristics and relationships of literary themes, types, and genres. Topics announced when offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

566 Comparative Literature: The Greek Myths (3) The role of Greek myths and their treatment in Western literature.

571 Colonialism and the 20th-Century Novel (3) An examination of the relationship of the colonialist theme and modernist techniques in the novel.

573 Literature of the Holocaust (3) The central goals of this course are to help students understand, in some small way, the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, and by focusing on a limited number of Holocaust and post-Holocaust texts for critical discussion, to provide a voice for the millions silenced by the Nazis.

Language

575 Structure of Modern English (3) A detailed analysis of the modern descriptive approach to the study of English grammar and how it compares with the traditional approach.

576 Curriculum and Materials for TESL (3) Application of second language learning principles for the analysis, development, and implementation of ESL materials, learner assessment instruments, and curriculum.

577 History of the English Language (3) Review of the major influences on the development of the English language. PREREQ: LIN 501 or LIN 503.

578 Modern English (3) A study of the development of the English language from 1450 to the present (exclusive of American English).

579 Studies in American English (3) Historical processes in the development of American and British English. Regional and social dialects of American English. Usage and sociolinguistics.

580 English Language Workshop (1-4) Workshop to survey recent developments and newer concepts in English linguistics for teachers. Variable structure and credit by arrangement with individual school districts.

582 Sociolinguistic Issues in ESL/Second Language Education (3) Introduction to social, historical, legal, and cultural issues influencing minority communities, schools, and homes. Introduction to issues in bilingual education and language programs for immigrants around the world. Crosslisted as LAN 582. PREREQ: LIN 501.

583 Second Language Acquisition (SLA) (3) Introduction to key issues in SLA research and theory. Analysis of SLA studies in connection to second language teaching. Design of original mini-study of second language learning. Crosslisted as LAN 583. PREREQ: LAN 501.

585 Middle English Language and Literature (3) An introductory study of the language (1150-1450) through a reading of selected texts (exclusive of Chaucer).

589 Language Seminar (3) Studies in English language and linguistics. Topics announced when offered. PREREQ: LIN 501 or the equivalent. This course may be taken again for credit.

590 Independent Study (1-3) Research projects, reports, and specialized readings. PREREQ: Approval of instructor and coordinator of English graduate studies. This course may be taken again for credit.

612 Assessment of ESL/Second Language Students (3) Selection, evaluation, adaptation, and creation of assessment instruments for ESL/second language students. Practice administering tests and interpreting results. Overview of issues in assessing second language students. Crosslisted as LAN 612. PREREQ: LIN 501.

Teaching Skills

506 Critical Pedagogies and Literacies (3) This course introduces students to two complementary bodies of literature: critical literacy and critical pedagogy. Students will analyze the educational system's role in maintaining or challenging diverse values, policies, and interests. To do so, students will ask questions about what we teach, how we teach, who we teach, and who we are as teachers: questions designed to frame the educational system socially, politically, and institutionally.

591 Modern Techniques for the Teaching of English (3) Techniques of teaching language arts, composition, and literature in the secondary school. Practice in planning and designing units and courses of study. Exploration into the latest research in teaching English.

592 Literature for the Elementary School (3) The content and approach of the literature program in the elementary school.

593 Literature for the Secondary School (3) An examination of the literary interests of the secondary school student. A discussion of the works of major writers who appeal to the teenage student.

Composition and Rhetoric

508 Writing Seminar (3) Experience in nonfiction prose writing; discussion and development of major projects. This course may be taken again for credit.

594 Directed Studies in Composition and Rhetoric (3) Offers students systematic guidance and instruction in a specially formulated project involving scholarly or empirical research in composition.

595 Teaching Composition (3) A survey of developments and research in composition. Focus on the writing process, grading and evaluation, case approaches to writing assignments, writing across the curriculum, and remedial and developmental writing.

596 Composition and Rhetoric (3) Survey of rhetoric and composition theory. Frequent practice in writing.

600 Tutoring Composition (3) Theory and practice of teaching basic writing in the tutoring environment.

617 Writing Diverse Discourses in the Classroom (3) This course will take up theories and practices of cultural diversities in written classroom discourses. Reading assignments cover theories of representation and examples of classroom pedagogies and research, all of which offer various ways to think about diversity in the classroom and the rich, varied discourses that develop from it. Individual research and writing projects will utilize ethnographic and teacher research methods to look at issues of diversity in the written discourses of the classroom in which we participate as either teachers or students. Other writing assignments will include memoir and journal writing.

619 Cultural Studies: Pedagogy and Politics in English (3) Cultural studies considers carefully the relationships among people interpreting and producing texts, and the cultural contexts within them. This course will introduce students to cultural studies as a framework for the critical interpretation of cultural texts, as a philosophical basis for teaching, and as an object of study in its own right.

622 The Rhetorics of Masculinities and Men’s Studies (3) This course introduces students to the literature, both theoretical and popular, that examines how males are represented in and socialized by contemporary language and culture. Students read, discuss, and write about a variety of written and visual texts concerning men’s experiences and masculine identities, as they relate to both men and women.

626 Reading and Writing Asian American Women (3) This course is a study of Asian American women in media and culture. Participants will explore the rhetorics and ideologies of race, gender, sexuality, and class – particularly their discursive nature and social bases – and the inscriptions of Asian American women within and against dominant stereotypes – including those of the geisha, dragon lady, martial arts mistress, and the model minority – along with the meanings, accommodations, and resistances of the rhetorical figure of the Asian American woman.

Creative Writing

509 Writing Seminar in the Novel I (3) A course in the writing and preparing of book-length manuscripts (novels, novellas, and "nonfictional" novels) with the intention of submission for publication. Also includes coverage of fictional aspects and techniques used in writing memoirs, biography, and current history. This course may be taken again for credit.

510 Writing Seminar in the Novel II (3) A continuation of ENG 509. This course may be taken again for credit.

601 Creative Writing Seminar (3) A specialized writing seminar. Topics announced when offered. Longer prose works, short story, fantasy/science fiction, narrative verse, lyric/meditative verse, etc. A portfolio is required at the end of the course. This course may be taken again for credit.

602 Creative Writing: Directed Studies (3) A course of individual study for students who have completed two workshops in a single genre. Concentrated work in a special poetry or prose topic. This course may be taken again for credit.

605 Poetry Workshop I (3) Experience in writing various types of poetry: traditional forms, narrative, lyric/meditative, etc. Readings in traditional and contemporary poetry and poetics. A final portfolio required. This course may be taken again for credit.

606 Poetry Workshop II (3) Extended work in poetic forms with additional emphasis on contemporary poetry in translation. A critical paper on contemporary poetry and poetics and a completed portfolio are required. This course may be taken again for credit.

608 Short Story Workshop I (3) Techniques of composing the short story with emphasis on its elements of form: point of view, diction, characterization, and dialogue. Readings in traditional and contemporary criticism and short stories. Completed portfolio of revised works is required. This course may be taken again for credit.

609 Short Story Workshop II (3) Extended work in the short story form with opportunities for exploring more experimental forms of short fiction. Additional readings in short fiction and criticism. A critical paper on a contemporary short story writer is required. This course may be taken again for credit.

Research and Special Topics

610 Capstone Writing and Research Seminar (3) This seminar creates a space where graduate students form a community of writers to work on their capstone projects as they heighten their rhetorical awareness and explore writing in the myriad areas that comprise English Studies and the profession. PREREQ: ENG 500 and 501.

615 Special Topics (3) Variable topics, usually interdisciplinary, incorporating issues related to literary fields, genres, historical periods, and theoretical approaches. This course may be taken again for credit.

616 Research Methods for Writing, Teaching and Criticism (3) Research class in which students design independent research projects derived from their prior interests, expertise, and course work in areas of writing, teaching, and criticism. Class includes instruction in research methodologies and collaborative critiquing and workshopping.

M.A. Essay

620 M.A. Essay (3) Required final extended paper (about 40 pages) written under the direction of an adviser. Further details available in the Graduate English Studies Handbook. Oral defense required. This course may be taken again for credit.

Special Program
Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (A National Writing Project Site)

Symbol: PWP

The courses described below are intended to be taken by teaching professionals who seek to enhance their writing and literature instruction while earning graduate credit. They are part of the English master's degree in writing, teaching, and criticism. They may also be taken by elementary-grade teachers working toward recognition as an English language arts specialist, by middle school teachers working toward their Praxis test in English language arts to meet the requirements of "No Child Left Behind" legislation, and by secondary teachers or elementary teachers who want to earn a certificate in teaching writing and literature.

NOTE: All PWP courses require advisement and permission of the project director or associate director, and the instructor.

501 The Writing Process (1) A practical introduction to the writing process approach to teaching writing. This course may be taken again for credit.

502 Strategies for Teaching Writing: Teachers as Writers (3) The best teachers of writing are writers themselves. This basic course helps participants understand the writing process from the inside, providing experience with all phases of the writing process and all teaching strategies that support best-practice instruction. It also encourages practitioners to publish professionally. This course may be taken again for credit.

503 Strategies for Teaching Writing II: Writing in the Domains (3) This course explores the domains of the Pennsylvania PSSA Writing Scoring Guide and provides practical strategies for linking writing process and writing workshop instruction to the PSSA domains and the Pennsylvania standards. This course may be taken again for credit.

508 Computers and Writing (3) This course explores all the technological approaches to writing instruction, including a combination of classroom instruction and online hours. Participants actually take parts of this course online so they can experience this mode of learning themselves. This course may be taken again for credit.

510 Writing, Reading, and Talking Across the Curriculum: The Pennsylvania Literacy Framework (3) This course explores the theory and practical application of Pennsylvania's new language arts curriculum document to improve learning at all levels in all content areas through writing, reading, and speaking.

511 Writing Assessment (3) This course explores large- and small-scale writing assessment strategies, both summative and formative. Topics covered include the Pennsylvania PSSA writing domain approach, holistic assessment, portfolio assessment, responding to writing, and developing writing assessment systems. This course may be taken again for credit.

512 Teacher Research Seminar (3) Participants in this course explore self-selected topics related to literacy learning through a variety of practitioner research strategies, including qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Special topics sections of this course may also be available. This course may be taken again for credit.

513 Pennsylvania Literacy Framework Seminar (3) Topics of this advanced course in writing, reading, and thinking across the curriculum vary. They may include visualizing words and worlds; reading in the secondary content areas; creativity and literacy or other PLF-related topics. This course may be taken again for credit.

520 Strategies for Teaching Literature (3) This course focuses on instructional practices that reflect current theories and approaches to teaching and using all kinds of literature in the classroom, K-12. A special section of this course, strategies for teaching reading in the literature classroom, is available for secondary English teachers only. This course may be taken again for credit.

521 Seminar in Teaching Literature (3) Topics of this course announced as offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

522 Seminar in Literature and Curriculum Development (3) The general section of this seminar focuses on literature available for curriculum development, K-12, and approaches for integrating and teaching that literature. Emphasis on issues of race, gender, ethnicity, class, and censorship. Special topics section of this course available as announced. This course may be taken again for credit.

597 Seminar for Master Teachers (6) Offered only during the summer. Requires special application and interview for admission. Participants develop advanced skills in the teaching of writing, receive training as in-service teacher consultants for the National Writing Project, and become part of the NWP network in Pennsylvania. This course may be taken again for credit.

599 Workshop in English (1-6) Topic varies. Each workshop will focus on specific issues and problems in the teaching of writing or literature and will introduce appropriate instructional materials and techniques. This course may be taken again for credit.

520-521 Seminar for Master Teachers of Literature (6) Requires special application and interview for admission. Participants develop advanced skills in the teaching of literature, receive training as in-service teacher consultants for the National Writing Project, and become part of the NWP network in Pennsylvania. Offered only during the summer. This course may be taken again for credit.