Department of English

532 Main Hall
610-436-2822
Jen Bacon, Chairperson

PROFESSORS: Awuyah, Bacon, Buckelew, Fletcher, Green, Herzog, Jeffrey, Kahn, Lalicker, MacPhee, Mader, Maltby, Molholt, Ramanathan, Scheffler, Sorisio, Tischio, Verderame, Wanko

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Bridgford, Comfort, M. Ervin, Fitts, Halko, Johnson, Nollen, Perry, Pollard, Ray, Renzi, Sargent, Shevlin, Smith, Sommers, Teutsch, Yoon

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS: Banner, Bauerlein, Burns, Cream, Dodson-Robinson, K. Ervin, Gangopadhyay, Hall, Hanson, Hurt, Merker, Navitsky, Nessly, Panagiotidou, Patriarca, Pflieger, Schmidt, Ulmer, Walters

The Department of English offers two degree programs with the choice of either the “literatures” or “writings” track within each program: the bachelor of arts in English and the bachelor of science in education (in cooperation with the College of Education). Each program is planned in consultation with an adviser.

1. The B.A. in ENGLISH provides a broad background in English studies; valuable training in the critical skills of reading, interpretation, and analysis; intensive practice in writing; and an understanding of the workings of language. This extremely versatile degree prepares students for graduate studies and law school, and careers in journalism, radio and television, publishing, public relations, and other professions in which skills in reading, writing, and processing information at a sophisticated level are required.
2. The B.S. in EDUCATION in ENGLISH prepares students to teach in the secondary schools in Pennsylvania under an Instructional I Certificate. These students will in large part satisfy the requirements for a B.A. in English, deriving extensive benefits from participation in a carefully constructed program that emphasizes literature and writing as cultural products and students as active learners. Before receiving permission to student teach, students in this program must satisfy the prerequisites for student teaching listed on page 94 as well as specific Department of English requirements.

REQUIREMENTS COMMON TO THE B.A./B.S.ED. PROGRAMS

120 semester hours

General education requirements, see pages 38-44 (48 semester hours)

Note: Majors may not take LIT 100, LIT 165, or CLS 165. For the humanities requirement, majors must take one history and one philosophy course.

BACHELOR OF ARTS — ENGLISH

1. Language and linguistics requirements (3-15 semester hours)
   Must complete language through the 202 (intermediate) level.+
   ENG/LIN 230
   +If 12 credits are required to complete the language intermediate level, one departmental elective will be lost.
2. Departmental preparatory requirement (9 semester hours)
   ENG 194, 295, and either ENG 296 or LIT 206
3. Departmental intermediate requirements (24 semester hours)
   Students choose either the literatures or writings track with two courses required from the nonselected track.
   See the department handbook for group descriptions.

Literatures Track: Two courses each from the following three categories - "genres," "American multiethnic and world literatures," and "historical contexts." Note: Two of the six courses taken must be designated "early" in historical period.

Writings Track: Two courses each from the following three categories - "style and aesthetics," "power and politics," and "information technology and media."

4. Departmental advanced requirements (9 semester hours)
   Three seminars from a selection focusing on a specialized topic (ENG 400†)
   † CLS 400 and ENG 400 are variable topic courses that may be crosslisted as FLM.

5. Departmental electives, minor, or concentration (18 semester hours)

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION — ENGLISH

1. Professional education requirements (42 semester hours)
   EDF 300; EDP 250; ENG/LAN 382; EDA 103, 304; EDR 347;
   EDS 306; LIT 398; ENG 392;
   EDS 411 and 412
   
2. Departmental preparatory requirements (9 semester hours)
   ENG 194, 295, and either ENG 296 or LIT 206
3. Language and linguistic courses (6 semester hours)            
   ENG 230 and 331
4. Departmental intermediate requirements (24 semester hours)
   See the department handbook for group descriptions.

Literatures track: One course from the following three categories – “genres,” “American multiethnic and world literatures,” and “historical contexts,” plus two additional literatures courses. At least two courses must be designated “early” in historical period; one course each must clearly satisfy the American, British, and world designations. Literatures track B.S.Ed. students choose an additional three courses as crossover study from the writings track, one of which must be WRH 325.


Writings track: WRH 325, one course from the following two categories – “style and aesthetics,” “power and politics” – plus two additional writing track courses. Writings track B.S.Ed. students choose an additional three courses as crossover study from the literatures track. From the literatures track, one American, one British, and one world literatures course must be chosen (among these, one course must be early literature).

5. Departmental advanced requirements (6 semester hours)
   Two seminars from a selection focusing on a specialized topic (ENG 400†)
   
   
See the Educator Preparation Programs section of this catalog for an explanation of related requirements.

Student Teaching Prerequisites

Formal Admission. Students should apply for formal admission to the teacher education program in approximately their sophomore year. Formal admission allows students to enter advanced methods courses and student teaching, which then lead to teaching certification. Students must achieve passing scores on the Preservice Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) modules in reading, writing, and math to achieve formal admission.

Note: Students must complete EDS 306 prior to ENG 390 and ENG 392 (no exceptions).

Students may not take advanced methods courses or student teach without formal admission including the Test of Writing Competency. Students must complete all course work before student teaching. See pages 92.

Test of Writing Competency

The Department of English requires that students must pass the Test of Writing Competency to achieve formal admission. This requirement is in addition to the others noted on page 92. This test is scheduled once per semester and announced in advance by both the Department of English and the Department of Professional and Secondary Education. Students are urged to take the test as early in their program as possible.

Grades on Required Courses

Anyone attempting to qualify for student teaching must pass each of the following courses with a grade of C or higher: CLS 260, 261, 361, 362, or 367; EDF 300; EDP 250; EDS 306; ENG 194, 230, 295, 296 (or LIT 206), 331, 390, and 392; LAN/ENG 382: LIT 398; and WRT 120, 200 or 204, 205, 206, 208, or 220.

A student receiving a grade of C- or lower for any of these courses should retake the course immediately, before attempting courses in the English or education sequence. A student having difficulty with several of the courses listed above should recognize that he or she may not be able to meet the competency requirements for student teaching and should consider withdrawing from the B.S.Ed. program.

Grade Point Average

Before receiving formal admission, a student must attain an overall GPA of 2.8 or better, including a minimum GPA of 2.75 for all English courses attempted. Students must maintain these GPA requirements to remain formally admitted. Students must also achieve a GPA of 3.0 by the end of their student teaching.

Portfolio

A student in the B.S.Ed. English program must also pass a portfolio requirement in order to be elibible to student teach. Preferably two semesters before student teaching, students will submit their portfolio to the Department of English for evaluation. Specific requirements of the portfolio are listed in the English Majors' Handbook.

Praxis II

All teacher certification candidates must attempt the Praxis II tests required by their program and produce evidence of testing prior to the first day of their student teaching semester. They must pass the Praxis II tests prior to graduation.

Minor Programs

The Department of English offers the following eight programs. Elective courses are selected in consultation with the student's minor adviser.

African/African American Literature Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required courses (6 semester hours)
   CLS 351 and LIT 202 or 203
2. Elective courses (12 semester hours)
   Any four courses from the following:
   LIT 202 or 203 (whichever is not taken as a requirement), 204, 205, 206, 309; CLS 365; ENG/CLS 400†
   †CLS 400 and ENG 400 are variable topic courses that may be crosslisted as FLM.

Business and Technical Writing Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Prerequisites
   WRT 200, 204, 205, 206, 208, or 220
2. Required courses (12 semester hours)
   ENG 320, 368, 371, and 375
3. Elective course (3 semester hours)
   Choice of ART 113, COM 220, CSC 141 or higher, ENG 270, JRN 355, MGT 100, MIS 300, MKT 200, SPK 230 (or other elective approved by the program director for the minor)
4. Internship (3 semester hours)
   An additional three semester hours are to be earned through a supervised internship in business or technical writing, ENG 395.

Creative Writing Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required course (3 semester hours)
   CRW 201
2. Elective courses (15 semester hours)
   Any five courses selected from the following:
   CRW 202, 203, 301, 302, 303, 304, 400, 490, and 491

Film Criticism Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required course (3 semester hours)
   FLM 200
2. Elective courses (15 semester hours)
   Any 15 credits selected from the following list with the approval of the adviser:
   CLS 304, 365, 369, 400†; COM 217, 317; EGE 409; FLM 201, 202, 301, 400†; FRE/EFR 350; GER/EGE 404, 405; HIS 376; ITA/EIT 360; SPA/ESP 305, 309, 313
   †CLS 400 and ENG 400 are variable topic courses that may be crosslisted as FLM.

Journalism Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required courses (12 semester hours)
   JRN 200, 225, 226, and 250 (COM 212 may be taken as a substitute for JRN 200, but a JRN elective must replace it.)
   (A minimum grade of C- is required.)
2. Elective course (3 semester hours)
   One of the following: JRN 272, 312, 315, 325, 335, or 355
3. Practicum (3 semester hours)
   JRN 411

Linguistics Minor

The Department of English is one of several departments participating in the linguistics minor. The description of the linguistics minor and its requirements are found in the section describing interdisciplinary programs on pages 113-114.

Literature Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required courses (3 semester hours)
   One course from the following: CLS 165;
   ENG 194, 295, 296; LIT 165 or 206
   
2. Elective courses (15 semester hours)
   Two LIT (one must be a 300-level) and two
   CLS (one must be a 300-level) courses. Of
   these four courses, one from each category of
   the major’s literatures track must be taken: a genre,
   an American multiethnic/world, and a historical
   context.
   Note: FLM courses may not be used to fulfill this
   requirement.
   A 400-level ENG or 400-level CLS
   (taken under advisement)

Internships

A student will be permitted to take an internship under department supervision only if he or she is enrolled in a departmental major or minor program and has met the following requirements:

1. an accumulation of at least 80 semester hours
2. completion of 12 semester hours in major or minor program courses
3. a meeting with his or her adviser to obtain information about
   internship eligibility
   
4. a meeting with the Department of English internship coordinator (accompanied by a resume)
   
5. completion of internship agreement with all required signatures
   A student will be limited to 15 hours of internship credit. Students who wish to take more than nine hours of internship credit in one semester must obtain approval from the internship coordinator after submitting an application and an academic transcript in the preceding semester. The internship coordinator will determine the number of credits to be earned during an internship by applying a ratio of 40 hours of work for each hour of academic credit. The internship credits for English majors may be applied to the student/adviser-designed program. Only under exceptional circumstances, and entirely at his or her discretion, will the internship coordinator consider applications from students not meeting the departmental requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to demonstrate that he or she has met the academic requirements for an internship.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ENGLISH

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
Symbol: CLS

165 Introduction to World Literature (3) This course is designed to introduce students to literature representative of both Western and non-Western cultures and can be taken as an alternative to LIT 165. Not open to English majors.
Diverse communities course. Writing emphasis course.

201 Classical Greco-Roman Mythology in the 20th Century (3) Classical myths and their significance in selected works of literature, film, and art.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course.

203 African Studies (3) This course studies African culture through literature, anthropology, and history. It focuses on the socio-cultural and historical contexts of African writing through the colonial and postcolonial periods.
Diverse communities course.

255 20th-Century Native American Literature (3) This course investigates the struggle of the Native American author to represent his/her own cultural experience as a voice.

258 Women's Literature I (3) A survey of world women's literature from 800 B.C. - 1800. Readings are chosen from the works of Sappho, Diotima, Mutta, Auvaiyar, Sei Shonagan, Sule Sankavya, Murasaki, Hildegard, von Bingen, Mirabai, Marguerite de Navarre, Phillis Wheatley, Aphra Behn, Madame de Stael, Jane Austen, and Fanny Burney among others.
Diverse communities course.

259 Women's Literature II (3) A survey of women's literature from 1800 to the present. Readings are chosen from the works of Harriet Jacobs, Ida B. Wells, Charlotte Bronte, Jean Rhys, Virginia Woolf, Marguerite Duras, Christa Wolf, Merce Rodoreda, Jamaica Kincaid, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Alifa Rifaat, Louise Erdrich, Cherrie Moraga, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Arundati Roy among others.
Diverse communities course.

260 World Literature I (3) A survey of world literary texts from pre-classical times to 1600.
Diverse communities course. Writing emphasis course.

261 World Literature II (3) A survey of world literary texts from 1600 to the present. Writing emphasis course.

270 Life, Death, and Disease (3) A course treating the study of literary works, film, and selected readings from other areas (history, science, fiction, and nonfiction) to generate an understanding of the relationship of human values to medicine, illness, and issues of related importance to physicians.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course.

280 Languages of Modernism: Film, Art, and Theatre (3) A study of modernist ideas and aesthetics across cultures in film, art, and theatre. Approved interdisciplinary course.

297 Themes in Contemporary Literature (3) Topics to be announced each time course is offered.
This course may be taken again for credit.

304 Women and Film (3) An examination of the role of women in contemporary world cinema and the feminist film.

333 Latina Writing (3) An examination of the literary works produced by Latinas in the 20th century. The study of this literature will include a cross-cultural approach that will elucidate socipolitical themes emerging from the texts. Culture cluster.

350 Computer Applications in the Humanities (3) This course is designed to provide an introduction to the computer and its applications in a number of humanistic disciplines (literature, history, and writing, but some attention also will be given to foreign languages, linguistics, music, and art).

351 African Literature (3) A study of the representation of Africa through the perspectives of African and non-African writers.

361 Modern World Drama (3) This course seeks to develop and to extend an understanding of the basic elements of drama. The student will be exposed to a range of theatrical practices and diverse traditions of world drama. Writing emphasis course.

362 World Literature – Modern Fiction (3) This course seeks to develop and to extend an understanding of the basic elements of fiction. The student will be exposed to a range of fictional practices and diverse traditions of world fiction. Writing emphasis course.

365 African-American Film (3) This course will study the history, form, and content of African-American film. The films chosen are from various genres and cover older and contemporary films.

367 Classical Greco-Roman Mythology (3) An examination of Greek mythology through the works of Homer, Hesiod, the Greek tragedians, and Greek lyric poets.
Writing emphasis course.

368 Greco-Roman Culture, Myth, and Society (3) An examination of how the culture, mythology, and politics of ancient Greece from Homer to Plato determine how a period is represented through its literary, historical, and philosophical texts and how contemporary culture rewrites these texts.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course. 

369 Literature and Film (3) The interrelationship between selected works of world fiction and their film adaptations. Writing emphasis course.

371 Law and Disorder in Literature (3) A look at the presentational aspects of law–legal writing and oral argument–its constructions in narrative–law as literature and literature as law–and the relationship of law to anthropology, psychology, history, and sociology.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course. 

400 Comparative Literature Seminar (3)Topics such as Homer and the modern Western race and legal narrative, interrelations of African and African-American literature, sexual politics in modern drama, and visual culture in Third World film are offered. Fulfills a 400-level seminar requirement for B.A. and B.S.Ed. majors.
This course may be taken again for credit.

Symbol: ESP

311 Contemporary Latin American Narrative (3) An examination of Latin American narrative (short story, novella, novel, and testimonial literature). Spanish- and Portuguese-language writers from South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean will be studied, from the period of magical realism (1950's and 1960's) through the present. They may include Isabel Allende, Jorge Amado, Miguel Angel Asturias, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Clarice Lispector, Elena Poniatowska, and Luis Rafael Sánchez.
Culture cluster

335 Latino Literatures in the U.S. (3) This course examines the history of Latino groups (e.g., Mexicans, Cubans, and South Americans) in the U.S. through literary texts written by Latinos, and studies the cultural, economic, and political experiences leading to their acculturation or alienation in mainstream America.
Culture cluster. Diverse communities course.

CREATIVE WRITING
Symbol: CRW

201 Introduction to Creative Writing (3) Introduction to the craft of writing poetry and fiction. Basic discussion of terms, strategies, and professional models in each genre. Practice in writing and critiquing each genre. Writing emphasis course.

202-203 Creative Writing I-II (3) (3) Writing experience in the crafts of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. Writing emphasis course.

301-302 Poetry Workshop I-II (3) (3) The theory and practice of poetry and the exploration of verse forms. Practice in critical and interpretative analysis of poems written by fellow students and professional poets.

303-304 Short Story Workshop I-II (3) (3) Crafting the modern short story with reference to American and British models. The significance of setting, atmosphere, characterization, and theme. Discussion and some exploration of experimental ideas in the genre.

305 Essay Workshop (3) Practice in writing the essay. Conventions and techniques of this literary form - creative nonfiction - as it appears in commercial and quality magazines. Writing emphasis course.

313 Playwriting Workshop (3) Writing the play: possibilities and limitations of the stage. Attention to sets and costuming where relevant. Characterization by action and dialogue. Problems of establishing motivation. The play's totality in theme, character, and action. Informal readings of student work.

400 Writing Seminar (3) Special topics, such as fantasy, science fiction, longer prose works, or the antistory, to be announced.
This course may be taken again for credit. Writing emphasis course.

490-491 Writing Seminar in the Novel I-II (3) (3) A course in the writing and preparing of book-length manuscripts (novel, novella, and the "nonfictional" novel) with the intention of submission for publication. Also includes coverage of fictional aspects and techniques used in writing memoirs, biography, and current history.

Q20 Basic Writing (3) English Q20 emphasizes the process of producing writing and focuses on the critical study of Academic Written English (AWE).   Students will compose writing in various genres using revision and draft editing.   Students will critically study AWE grammar and syntax through work with instructors and/or tutors.   Finally, students will engage with texts through reading, analysis, and discussion.   Students should complete the course with a greater understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses as writers, especially but not only with regard to producing college-level essays.  NOTE: This course is a prerequisite to WRT 120 for students who have been placed in ENG Q20. Credits earned in Q-level courses do not count toward the 120 hours of credit needed for graduation.

134 Idioms in the Context of American Culture (3) Through the use of modern American movies, this course helps students learn the meanings of idioms in context. Students practice using these idioms in drills and exercises.

194 Conventions of Reading and Writing (3) An introduction to the study of reading and writing textual genres such as literature, essays, film, autobiography, and editorials. Students examine how their own reading and writing assumptions and strategies affect their interpretation and production of texts. First of three majors' required core courses. Writing emphasis course.

200 Intermediate Composition (3) A workshop that provides intensive instruction for students who experience difficulty in writing. Not open to freshmen.

204  Practical Prose Composition (3) Writing in various modes that authentically mirror real situations in people’s personal and professional lives. Writing emphasis course.

215 Views on Literacy (3) The historical and social contexts of English literacy. Emphasis on writing.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course.

230 (Also LIN 230) Introduction to Linguistics (3) Basic concepts of language description, classification, change, reconstruction, dialectology, and sociolinguistics. Prerequisite for all other linguistics courses.

270 Book History: An Introduction to 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 the current digital age. Writing emphasis course.

271 Typography (3) This course provides students with experience in production of books, using historical and modern methods of design. PREREQ: ENG 270.

275 Literary Editing and Publishing (3) Experience in publishing the student literary magazine Daedalus: editing, proofing, photographic selection and layout, and printing.

280 Introduction to Digital Humanities (3) An introduction to new media, digital humanities, and computational approaches to literature and writing, with a survey of theories, methodologies, and current critical practices. PREREQ: WRT 120.

295 Histories and Texts (3) This course focuses on history and its influences on the reception and production of texts. Students will be asked to engage critical, historical, and literary materials in order to develop insight into how cultural and historical circumstances enable the production of texts and influence how readers respond to them. Second of three majors' required core courses. Writing emphasis course.

296 Theory, Meaning, and Value (3) Focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries, the course will present several key theoretical perspectives. By exploring these theories, students will consider the ways in which the value of a text emerges from not only the text itself, but also from the historically variable forces of cultural and institutional value systems. They will also explore the role of language in shaping these value systems. Third of three majors' required core courses. Writing emphasis course.

304 Essay Workshop (3) Experience in reading and writing essays, with focus on revision, on the use of the public "I," and on appropriate voice. Attention to invention. Writing emphasis course.

320 Writing and Computers (3) Introduction to document design and production, desktop publishing, and issues of technological impact on written communication. Writing emphasis course.

330 English Phonology (3) Phonemics and morphophonemics in English. Writing systems and phonemic-graphemic relationships in English. Historical development of English sounds. PREREQ: ENG 230.

331 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. PREREQ: ENG 230.

335 History of the English Language (3) Review of the influences on the development of the English language. PREREQ: ENG 230.

339 History and Dialects of American English (3) Development of the English language in America since colonial settlement. American and British English. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar of the regional and social dialects of American English. PREREQ: ENG 230.

340 Sociolinguistic Aspects of English (3) The study of language in its social context; the ethnography of communication; language and society, social classes, ethnic groups, politics, sex, and education. PREREQ: ENG 230.

345 Women Writing: Autobiography (3) A writing seminar directed toward the reading of women's autobiographies and the writing of autobiographical narratives. Emphasis on writing.

368 Business and Organizational Writing (3) The nature of communication within business and organizations. Theoretical basis and practical application. Writing emphasis course.

371 Technical Writing (3) Instruction in the forms and techniques of written, oral, and visual communication currently practiced in the scientific and technical professions. A series of coordinated assignments leads to a final project in the student's field of professional study. Writing emphasis course. 

375 Strategies for Writing in the Workplace (3) Strategy and politics of client-centered and competitive writing that achieves objectives for the professions and organizations. Writing emphasis course.

382 Teaching English Language Learners (ELL’s) PK-12 (3) A study of issues and the application of techniques, strategies, and materials for meeting the needs of English Language Learners (ELL’s) in inclusive classrooms. Emphases include sociocultural issues in education contexts, TESOL through the content area, linguistics, second language acquisition, the integration and application of the PA English Language Proficiency Standards PK -12 (ELPS), and current trends in second language teaching, learning, and assessment. Includes a field component. Crosslisted as LAN 382. Crosslisted course. Students may not take both courses for credit. Diverse communities course

390 Teaching English in Secondary Schools (3) Review of language arts requirements in secondary schools. Special reference to grade placement with adoption of materials, appraisal of results, and development of programs of study. PREREQ: EDS 306 and formal admission to teacher education (FATE).

391 Teaching Writing in the Middle School (3) This course instructs future middle school teachers in methods for teaching writing. PREREQ: MGP 220 and formal admission to teacher education.

392 Writing and Teaching Writing in Secondary English (3) The course will introduce students to major theorists in composition and literacy theory, including Britton, Emgi, Heath, Murray, Moffett, Perl, and Graves. It will provide opportunities to write in all the modes – for all the purposes and audiences required by most secondary school curricula, and to analyze these writing experiences in terms of sociocultural, cognitive, and other psychological theory and research. PREREQ: Formal admission to teacher education; EDS 306.

395 Internship (3-12) Intensive practical experience with selected businesses, media, and public agencies. Limited to qualified students who have earned a minimum of 80 credit hours. See above for specific requirements.
This course may be taken again for credit.

397 Writing Tutoring (3) Theory and practice of writing tutoring, especially for those who plan a career in teaching or who are focusing on the remediation or development of language and writing skills. Writing emphasis course.

400 Research Seminar (3) ) This course is a variable-topic research seminar. Students will do advanced work in many topics in English studies, including literature, rhetoric, film, cultural studies, composition, aesthetics, theory, individual authors. PREREQ: LIT 165 or ENG 194, ENG 295, and LIT 206 or ENG 296; all WRT 100- and 200-level requirements.
This course may be taken again for credit. Writing emphasis course.

410 Independent Study (3)
This course may be taken again for credit.

414 Tutoring Practicum (1) Supervised experience as an undergraduate tutor for any of the English tutoring programs (e.g., Department of English or academic development program [ADP] tutoring, etc.).

430 Language Seminar (3) Studies in English language and linguistics. PREREQ: ENG 230 and at least junior standing.
This course may be taken again for credit.

450 Prose Writing Seminar (3) This variable-topic seminar concentrates on problems in advanced writing, focusing on prose analysis and its application to student writing and revision.
This course may be taken again for credit.

FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM
Symbol: FLM

200 Introduction to Film (3) A survey of the principal elements of film including photography, editing, sound, acting, and narrative. Writing emphasis course.

201 American Film (3) The function of cinema in contemporary society as a socio-cultural, economic and political object, as seen through critical analysis of American films. Writing emphasis course. 

202 American Themes (3) An introduction to contemporary critical and theoretical principles for interpreting American films which concentrates on a single theme.
This course may be taken again for credit. Writing emphasis course.

400 Film Seminar (3) A seminar which offers students practice in applying contemporary critical and theoretical principles to films in an advanced context. PREREQ: FLM 200 or permission of the instructor.
This course may be taken again for credit.

JOURNALISM
Symbol: JRN

200 Communications Media (3) An introduction to the media of communications, emphasizing the development and characteristics of print and electronic media forms and their impact on American society.

225 Newswriting (3) A course designed to develop proficiency in the writing of news stories for daily and weekly newspapers. News values, the structure and style of news, and the preparation of copy in accordance with professional standards will be stressed. Writing emphasis course.

226 Public Affairs Reporting (3) Instruction and practice in covering public affairs events in the local community, including borough council meetings, school board meetings, municipal hearings, and campus speeches. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent.

250 News Editing (3) A course designed to acquaint students with the skills involved in the preparation of copy for publication in newspapers and magazines. Instruction and practice in the mechanics of copy editing, headline writing, layout, and photo editing. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent.

272 Feature Writing (3) Practical instruction in the skills for successful feature writing for print and electronic media, with an emphasis on techniques used in personality profiles, critical reviews, column writing, and op-ed pieces.

312 Sports Reporting and Writing (3) Instruction and practice in basic sports reporting techniques, including live-event coverage and feature writing, as well as an introduction to routine duties associated with working on the sports desk. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent.

315 Magazine Article Writing (3) Practical instruction in the skills required for successful freelance magazine writing with emphasis on research, interviewing, writing techniques, and marketing. Students will write and submit for publication short features and a full-length magazine article. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent. Writing emphasis course.

325 History of Journalism (3) A historical survey of the American press from Colonial times to the present, with special emphasis on the continuing struggle for press freedom and the new journalistic environment created by the emergence of mass media.

335 Ethical Issues in Mass Media (3) This course investigates ethical issues in the mass media and shows how newspapers and television, in particular, shape American perceptions of political and economic power and help establish public standards of morality. Special emphasis will be placed on journalistic issues such as freedom of expression, invasion of privacy, censorship, the protection of sources, stereotyping, libel law, objective vs. subjective points of view, and the debate over professional codes of ethics. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent.

345 Mass Media and the Law (3) The course explores First Amendment and other constitutional guarantees of a free press, as well as statutory and judicial protection/limitations of the media. Major issues to be covered include censorship and prior restraint, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright, obscenity, free press versus fair trial, advertising and commercial speech, broadcast regulation, media ownership regulation, access to public information, and citizens’ access to the mass media.

355 Public Relations Principles (3) An introduction to the role of the public relations practitioner in the formation of public opinion. Communications theory will be combined with specific techniques for working with the press, producing printed material, and conducting special events. PREREQ: JRN 225 or equivalent.

411 Journalism Practicum (3) Provides practical experience in writing news stories, columns, and
features for print and online media. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their stories to The Quad, the student weekly newspaper of West Chester University, or some other weekly, daily, or online newspaper or publication. Publication of stories submitted to The Quad or to professional editors will be at the discretion of those editors, depending on the quality of the work and availability of space in the newspaper or on the website.
This course may be taken again for credit.

LITERATURE
Symbol: LIT

100 Popular Culture: Reading Culture as Text (3) An introduction to analyzing and interpreting everyday cultural expressions within diverse social, historical, economic, and political contexts.

162 Literature of the Apocalypse (3) An interdisciplinary study of ancient religions, apocalyptic writing, and modern interpretations of that writing. An investigation of the political, economic, moral, and artistic ramifications of the nuclear arms race on modern society.

165 Topics in Literature (3) A course designed to refine non-English majors' interest and skill in reading literature through an investigation of a particular topic in literature, method of literary study, or combination of both. Writing emphasis course.

200 American Literature I (3) Survey of representative American writers from Colonial times to 1860, including Bradstreet, Taylor, Franklin, Poe, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Melville.

201 American Literature II (3) A survey of representative American writers from 1860 to the present, including Whitman, Twain, James, Crane, Eliot, Frost, Hemingway, and Faulkner.

202 Afro-American Literature I (3) Survey of African-American authors from the antebellum era through the first quarter of the 20th century.
Writing emphasis course.

203 Afro-American Literature II (3) Continuation of LIT 202. Second quarter of the 20th century to the present.
Writing emphasis course.

204 Black Women Writers in America (3) Survey of black women writers of America. Examines themes and influences on American and African-American literary contexts.
Writing emphasis course.

205 Harlem Renaissance (3) This course examines the historical and cultural movement of the 1920's known as the Harlem Renaissance.

206 African-American Literature and Literary Theory (3) This course will examine the relationship between Afro-American literature and the theories serving to explain it.

207 Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (3) This course examines the courageous life and times of an American reformer and his influence on slavery, abolitionism, suffrage, and temperance movements in the development of America.

213 Asian American Literature (3) Survey of representative Asian American authors from their earliest works at the turn of the 20th century to contemporary works, examined in the context of the changing cultural, economic, and political experiences of Americans of Asian descent. Diverse communities course. Writing emphasis course.

219 Literature for Young Children (3) A critical study of the literature for young children for prospective specialists in early grades.

220 Children's Literature (3) A critical study of literature for children, setting standards for evaluation and appreciation.

230 English Literature I (3) A survey of English literature from Anglo-Saxon writing through the 18th century.
Writing emphasis course.

231 English Literature II (3) A survey of English literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Writing emphasis course.

250 Victorian Attitudes (3) A study of 19th-century attitudes toward social changes as expressed in art, architecture, literature, and nonfiction prose.

265 Literature and Psychology (3) Examines various literary works and characters as case studies illustrating such psychological conditions as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, child abuse, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol dependence, and personality disorders.

269 The Literature of Roguery (3) A historical study of the rogue in fiction with emphasis on the satiric view of society. Among possible writers studied are Defoe, Thackeray, Donleavey, and Kerouac.

271 Drama Since 1970 (3) A selective survey of American and British drama since 1970. The playwrights studied will be drawn from a wide and expanding group, including Sam Shepard, David Rabe, Lanford Wilson, Tom Stoppard, Peter Shaffer, Caryl Churchill, and others.

272 New Fiction (3) Fiction published in the last 10 years. Writing emphasis course.

274 Feminist Poetry (3) A study of poetry espousing the feminist cause and exploring the feminist response. Techniques and attitudes of such poets as Plath, Sexton, Rich, Morgan, Wakoski, and Kumin. Writing emphasis course.

294 Topics in Digital Literature and Culture (3) This is a variable topic course that will examine the ways in which digital culture is shaping our understanding of “the literary.” Depending on the topic offered, it may include some attention to 1) born-digital forms of literature, such as new-media poetry, interactive fictions, or games; 2) digital methods in the study of literature (e.g., digital editions of print literature, database research methods, networked study of literature), or 3) the perspective that literature (e.g., speculative fiction) can provide on digital culture. PREREQ: WRT 120. This course may be taken again for credit.

297 Themes in Contemporary Literature (3) Literary topic or theme in contemporary American, English, or world literature to be announced each time the course is offered. This course may be taken again for credit.

300 Colonial and Revolutionary American Literature (3) Writers of Colonial and Revolutionary America.

302 Development of the American Novel (3) Beginnings of the American novel to Frank Norris.
Writing emphasis course.

303 Introduction to Multiethnic American Literature (3) American ethnic, racial, and national groups in American literature and the contributions of creative literary artists representing these cultures.
Writing emphasis course.

304 American Jewish Novel (3) A study of major American Jewish novelists: Cahan, Singer, Roth, Potok, Bellow, Malamud, Wallant, and Wiesel. No knowledge of Yiddish or Hebrew necessary. .

305 Modern American Drama (3) American drama from the early 1900's to the present, with emphasis on the development of the American theater as seen in such major dramatists as O'Neill, Odets, Wilder, Miller, Williams, and Albee.

306 Modern American Novel (3) The novel in America from Dreiser to the present.
Writing emphasis course.

307 Modern American Poetry (3) Major 20th-century American poets.

309 Martin Luther King (3) Examines and analyzes the writings of Dr. King and their relationship to the themes he pursued and the leadership role he achieved.
Approved interdisciplinary course.

310 African American Novel I (3) A study of the African American novel from the genre's beginnings in the 1850s through to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. Authors include William Wells Brown, Harriet Wilson, Frances Harper, Charles Chesnutt, and Nella Larsen, examined in the context of slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and other historical experiences of African Americans.

311 African American Novel II (3) A study of the African American novel from Richard Wright's Native Son (1940) to the present. Works including Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (1952) and Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) are examined in the context of changing cultural and political experiences of African Americans in the twentieth and twenty-first century.

328 Old English Language and Literature (3) An introductory study of the language (450-1150 A.D.) through a reading of religious and secular poetry and prose.

329 Medieval Women's Culture (3) This is an interdisciplinary study of writings by medieval women and their contribution to the development of medieval culture.
Approved interdisciplinary course.

330 Middle English Language and Literature (3) An introductory study of the language (1150-1450 A.D.) through a reading of selected literary texts.

331 Chaucer (3) An interpretation of Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde.

332 English Drama to 1642 (3) English drama from the early liturgical tropes to 1642, exclusive of Shakespeare.

333 Early Modern Poetry and Prose (3) Poetry and prose of the 16th and early 17th centuries.

334 Milton (3) A survey of his major poetry and prose.

335 Shakespeare I (3) Reading, analysis, and discussion of selected histories and tragedies. Discussion of critical approaches to the plays and of the historical and intellectual climate of the times.
Writing emphasis course.

336 Shakespeare II (3) Reading, analysis, and discussion of selected comedies and nondramatic poems. Discussion of critical approaches to the works and of the historical and intellectual climate of the times. Either LIT 335 or 336 may be taken first.
Writing emphasis course.

337 Literature of the Enlightenment (3) A critical consideration of the 18th-century writers, exclusive of the dramatists.
Writing emphasis course.

338 Restoration and 18th-Century Drama (3) The drama from the reopening of the theaters in 1660 to 1800.
Writing emphasis course.

339 18th-Century British Novel (3) The British novel from Defoe to Austen.
Writing emphasis course.

340 The Romantic Movement (3) Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, and their contemporaries in the light of social background and critical doctrine.
Writing emphasis course.

341 19th-Century British Novel (3) The British novel from Austen to Hardy.

342 Victorian Literature (3) Victorian thought and culture in poetry and nonfiction prose.
Writing emphasis course.

343 Modern British Drama (3) British drama from Wilde to the present, with emphasis on the rebirth of the British drama and its major writers.

344 Modern British Novel (3) The novel in England from Conrad to the present.

345 Modern British Poetry (3) Major British poets from 1890 to the present.

364 Modern Irish Literature (3) Major literary writers of Ireland from 1840 to the present: George Moore, Synge, Yeats, Joyce, Shaw, O'Casey, Beckett, Boland, and Seamus Heaney.

365 Short Fiction (3) Analysis and interpretation of short fiction.

370 Urbanism and Modern Imagination (3) Covers a variety of responses of contemporary writers, artists, and planners to the rise of the modern city.
Approved interdisciplinary course. Writing emphasis course.

372 African American Urban Literature (3) Focuses on representations of twentieth century urban life in a variety of African American texts including poetry, film, graphic novels, and short stories.

398 Young Adult Literature (3) A critical study of literature, including nonprint media, for young adults, focusing on helping prospective teachers develop familiarity with young adult literature and how it may be used in the middle school and high school classroom, stressing gender roles and multicultural issues. PREREQ: ENG 194, 295, and 296 or LIT 220.

 

WRITING (ACADEMIC FOUNDATIONS)
Symbol: WRT

120 Effective Writing I (3) An intensive course in writing that emphasizes skill in organization and awareness of styles of writing and levels of usage as ways of expressing and communicating experiences.

200 Critical Writing and Research (3) Continues the expository writing experience offered in Effective Writing I and explores techniques of gathering, evaluating, and selecting materials to be used in writing research papers.

204 Critical Writing: Approaches to Popular Culture (3) The strategies of critical theory and critical writing will be used to examine and explain popular culture. The course will explore multiple media - such as print, television, film, music, and various visual and electronic formats - as representations of humanities, arts, and sciences, about which students will write researched, critical cultural analyses.

205 Critical Writing: Investigating Experience (3) This course emphasizes writing as a means of critically reflecting on and communicating personal experience and representations of the self. It includes instruction in traditional forms of personal writing (such as autobiography), as well as less familiar forms (such as Web pages). These critical self-representations will be set within larger historical and cultural contexts through academic research.

206 Critical Writing: The Multidisciplinary Imagination (3) What role does imagination play in advancing new knowledge and perspectives? Is imagination as important for scientists and politicians as it is for artists and philosophers? Readings and research assignments address topics related to the role imagination plays in breaking new ground in the sciences, arts, social sciences, and humanities. Writing assignments cover issues such as style, language, purpose, audience, and types of writing.

208 Critical Writing: Entering the Public Sphere (3) Publication is a goal for many writers. Reporters, scientists, poets, academics, and others write for publication. This class will require students to write for professional and/or class-produced print forums appropriate for humanities, arts, social sciences, and scientific fields, examining those forums in order to analyze and critique their discourse conventions. The course will provide opportunities for students to submit their work to such forums for publication. The class may also produce its own publication about writing-related news and events that students will learn about by conducting documented research projects.

220 Critical Writing: Special Topics (3) Each section will have a special topic that focuses on current (inter)disciplinary issues of importance in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and/or sciences. In these courses students will investigate, research, critique, and practice rhetorical strategies focusing on each section's topic.

WRITINGS
Symbol: WRH

205 Composing Cyberspace (3) Students compose Web sites and blogs and examine the unique intersection of visual and verbal rhetoric that informs composition in cyberspace. Writing emphasis course.

210 Multicultural Writing (3) This course focuses on understanding the role that writing plays in shaping a multicultural society. Assignments will ask students to write for diverse social contexts and will help students expand their repertoire of genres and writing strategies. Diverse communities course. Writing emphasis course.

305 Images of School in Film (3) This course reflects on schooling as a shared experience, helping students develop a stronger sense of what functions schools should be expected to perform in society. Using theoretical readings and films, students will develop an intellectual framework for examining and complicating film depictions of school. Writing emphasis course.

310 Written Rhetoric: Power, Politics, and Environmental Writing (3) This course for the English major's writings track applies the program's core themes of the relationships among language, thought, and culture to writing about nature and the environment. This workshop serves the writings track course category called   "power and politics."

315 Propaganda, Power, and Politics (3) This course examines the rhetorical, cultural, and political dimensions of propagandist texts.

320  I, Cyborg: Technology, Writing, and the Body (3) Students will learn to apply various forms of cultural critique to consider how texts that mechanize the human body shape society, culturally and politically.

325  Technology and the English Classroom (3) This course provides hands-on technology instruction, including film production, interactive white boards, and podcasting, of use to future teachers of English or anyone interested in using technology in an educational setting.

330 Autobiographical Acts (3) Students will research and write autobiography to question its forms and theory. PREREQ: WRT 200 or 204 or 205 or 206 or 208 or 220.

333 African American Autobiography (3) This course introduces students to the rhetorical tradition of African American Autobiography from Frederick Douglass' 1845 Narrative to Barack Obama's Dreams from my Father.

335  Advocacy Writing (3) Students investigate, theorize, and produce a variety of documents representing the genres, activists, and advocates used in a variety of campaigns.