Courses in English
A ENG 100Z Introduction to Analytical Writing (3)
Introduction to the skills necessary for clear, effective communication of ideas through careful attention to the writing process, critical analysis, and argumentation. The course emphasizes a variety of rhetorical practices. Recommended for first and second year non-English majors.
A ENG 102Z Introduction to Creative Writing (3)
Introductory course in creative writing. Practice in the writing of poetry, fiction, autobiography, and other literary forms. Open to freshmen and sophomores only.
A ENG 121 Reading Literature (3)
Introduction to reading literature, with emphasis on developing critical skills and reading strategies through the study of a variety of genres, themes, historical periods, and national literatures. Recommended for first and second year non-English majors.
A ENG 144 Reading Shakespeare (3)
Introduction to Shakespeare, with emphasis on developing critical skills and reading strategies through detailed study of the plays, from early comedies to later tragedies and romances. No prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required. Recommended for first and second year non-English majors.
A ENG 202Z Introduction to Studies in Rhetoric and Poetics (3)
An introduction to writing as it is informed by rhetoric and poetics. Features extensive student writing. Emphasis on key concepts and basic terminology, analysis of both literary and student texts, and workshop pedagogy.
A ENG 205Z (formerly A ENG 105Z) Introduction to Writing in English Studies (3)
Introduction to the forms and strategies of writing and close reading in English studies. The course emphasizes the relationship between writing and disciplinary context, and such concepts as genre, audience, and evidence. Required of all English majors. Prerequisite(s): open to declared and intended English majors only.
A ENG 210 Introduction to English Studies (3)
A survey of key texts (literary, philosophical, historical) within the discipline of English studies, specifically those that trace its history and signal its changing place in the Humanities. The course introduces the nature and scope of English studies. Required of all English majors. Prerequisite(s): open to declared and intended English majors only.
T ENG 210 Introduction to English Studies (3)
T ENG 210 is the Honors College version of A ENG 210; only one version may be taken for credit.
A ENG 216 (= A LIN 216) Traditional Grammar and Usage (3)
Thorough coverage of traditional grammar and usage with an introduction to the principles of structural and transformational grammar. Brief exploration into recent advances in linguistic thought. Practice in stylistic analysis using such grammatical elements as syntax, voice, subordination, and sentence structure. Only one version of A ENG 216 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 217 (= A ANT 220 & A LIN 220) Introduction to Linguistics (3)
Introduction to the study of language, including examination of the characteristics and structural principles of natural language. After exploring the basic characteristics of sound, word formation and sentence structure, these principles are applied to such topics as: language variation, language change, psycholinguistics, pragmatics, and animal communication. Only one version of A ENG 217 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 221 (= A JST 242 & A REL 221) The Bible as Literature (3)
Literary genres of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the cultures from which they emerged. Attention to parallel developments in other literatures and to the influence of the Hebrew Bible on Western life and letters. Only one version of A ENG 221 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 222 World Literature (3)
Introduction to classics of world literature exploring national, historical and linguistic boundaries. Texts chosen will introduce students to literary traditions and provide a foundation for English literary studies.
A ENG 223/223Z Short Story (3)
Analysis and interpretation of the short story as it occurs in one or more periods or places. Only one version of A ENG 223 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 224 Satire (3)
Exploration of the mode of satire: the view of the human estate which informs it and the characteristic actions and images by which this view is realized in prose fiction, drama and poetry and in the visual arts. Studies Roman, medieval, 17th and 18th century, modern and contemporary works.
A ENG 226/226W Focus on a Literary Theme, Form, or Mode (3)
Exploration of a single common theme, form, or mode using varied texts to promote fresh inquiry by unexpected juxtapositions of subject matter and ways of treating it. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
T ENG 226/226W Focus on a Literary Theme, Form, or Mode (3)
T ENG 226 is the Honors College version of A ENG 226. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 240/240T/240Z Growing Up in America (3)
Introduction to problems of social significance related to growing up in a multi-ethnic society through the study of American literature and culture. Only one version of A ENG 240 may be taken for credit.
T ENG 240 Growing Up in America (3)
T ENG 240 (formerly A ENG 240H) is the Honors College version of A ENG 240; only one version may be taken for credit.
A ENG 242 Science Fiction (3)
The development of science fiction and the issues raised by it. Authors include such writers as Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Huxley, and LeGuin.
A ENG 243 Literature and Film (3)
Both films and literary works as outgrowths of their culture. From term to term the course focuses on different periods or themes. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 261 American Literary Traditions (3)
Introduction to representative works in the American literary tradition, emphasizing major developments in American literature.
A ENG 291 British Literary Traditions I: From the Anglo-Saxon Period through Milton (3)
Representative works by major authors from the Anglo-Saxon period through Milton with some attention to necessary historical, biographical and intellectual background information. Provides a sense of continuity and change in the British literary tradition, offering broad overviews of extended chronological periods.
A ENG 292 British Literary Traditions II: The Restoration through the Modern Period (3)
Representative works by major authors from the Restoration through the Modern period, with some attention to necessary historical, biographical, and intellectual background information. Provides a sense of continuity and change in the British literary tradition, offering broad overviews of extended chronological periods.
A ENG 295/295Z Classics of Western Literature (3)
Introduction to classics of western literature, emphasizing foundational works for literary study by tracing the evolution of Anglophone modern literary genres from Homeric epics. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 300W Expository Writing (3)
For experienced writers who wish to work on such skills as style, organization, logic, and tone. Practice in a variety of forms: editorials, letters, travel accounts, film reviews, position papers, and autobiographical narrative. Classes devoted to discussions of the composing process and to critiques of student essays. Intended primarily for junior and senior English minors and non-majors.
A ENG 302W/302Z Creative Writing (3)
For the student who wishes to read about and experiment with a variety of kinds of writing. Admission is by permission, and those seeking to enroll should submit a sample of their work to the instructor. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Only one version of A ENG 302 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
A ENG 305Z Studies in Writing About Texts (3)
Intensive study of the forms and strategies of writing in English studies. Students will engage with a variety of literary, critical, and theoretical texts. The course emphasizes students’ own analytical writing. Prerequisite(s): A ENG 205Z. Open to declared English majors only.
A ENG 308Z (= A JRL 308Z) Narrative Journalism (3)
Students will explore a variety of journalistic styles, with emphasis on compelling narrative and description, combined with the skillful use of quotes and dialogue. The class features intensive critiques of students' work. A variety of formats will be studied: newspapers, magazines, nonfiction books, and online publications. Readings for the course include works by Janet Malcolm, Barbara Ehrenreich, Ellen Ullman, Mary Karr, Edward Abbey, Edmund Wilson, Michael Herr, and James Baldwin. Students submit weekly writing assignments and a final portfolio of edited work. Only one version of A ENG 308Z may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A JRL 200Z.
A ENG 310 Reading and Interpretation in English Studies (3)
A survey of contemporary theories of interpretation and criticism. The course emphasizes current modes of analysis within the discipline and includes both literary and cultural texts. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210. Open to declared English majors only.
A ENG 311 History of the English Language (3)
A broad tracing of the history, development, and structure of the language from the beginnings to modern English, including foreign influences on English, basic tendencies of the language, grammatical constructs, and regional usages, especially American. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors.
A ENG 330 (formerly A ENG 421) Literature of the Middle Ages (3)
Students will examine a number of representative works of the Middle Ages, read in translation. Additional readings in, for example, the classics and religious literature will help to situate each work in time and place. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 421.
A ENG 331 (formerly A ENG 422) Literature of the Earlier Renaissance (3)
Examination of the various forms that developed and flourished in England during the 16th century: prose, narrative and lyric poetry, and drama (exclusive of Shakespeare). Attention to classical and continental influences, the historical background, the legitimation English, and the power of individual texts. Major figures may include More, Wyatt and Surrey, Sidney, Marlowe, Spenser, and Jonson. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 422.
A ENG 332 (formerly A ENG 423) Literature of Later Renaissance (3)
The poetry, prose, and drama of England from 1600 to 1660 (exclusive of Milton). Major figures may include Bacon, Donne, Hobbes, Herbert, Marvell, and Webster. Attention to political issues intellectual issues and religion as they bear upon the poetry of wit, the prose of conviction, and the drama of power and intrigue. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 423.
A ENG 333 (formerly A ENG 425) Literature of the Restoration and the 18th Century Enlightenment (3)
In poetry, the range and variety achieved within the ordered, urbane, civil style of Dryden and Pope and the later development of the innovative, exploratory style of Gray, Collins, and Cowper. In prose, the achievement of Swift, Addison and Steele, and its extension in Johnson, Goldsmith, Gibbon, and Burke. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 425.
A ENG 334 19th Century British Literature (3)
Examination of the texts in the British literary tradition, read in their relations to literary movements and broader cultural issues and movements, possibly in conjunction with non-canonical texts of the time period. Topics to be discussed may include: the literature of the earlier 19th and late 18th centuries in relation to a continuing culture of Romanticism; the literature of the mid and later 19th century in relation to cultures of Modernism; and the literature of Empire. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for either A ENG 426 or 427.
A ENG 335 Literature in English after 1900 (3)
Examination of British Literature in the 20th century. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the development of literary genres and themes; modernism and post-modernism; colonial and post-colonial literature. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 371 or 428.
A ENG 336 American Literature to 1800 (3)
Examination of American literature of the colonial and federal periods. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the development of literary genres and themes; formations of national identity; theological and political contexts. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 432.
A ENG 337 19th Century American Literature (3)
Examination of American literature of the 19th century. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the development of literary genres and themes; romanticism, realism, regionalism, and naturalism; literature in relation to historical and political contexts. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 433 or 434.
A ENG 338 American Literature after 1900 (3)
Examination of American literature of the 20th century. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the development of literary genres and themes; modernism and post-modernism; literature and identity formation in American culture; American literature in relation to transnational context. Cannot be taken by students who have received credit for A ENG 434 or 435.
A ENG 342 Study of an Author or Authors Before Mid-18th Century (3)
Examination of a single major author in depth (e.g., Chaucer or Milton), or of two or more authors whose works illuminate each other in terms of style, theme, and/or relationship to a particular historical era. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 343 Study of an Author or Authors After Mid-18th Century (3)
Examination of a single major author in depth, or of two or more authors whose works illuminate each other in terms of style, theme, and/or relationship to a particular historical era. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 346 Studies in Shakespeare (3)
Examination of Shakespeare’s plays, with emphasis on character, language, theme, form, and structure. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the early or later works; theatrical modes (e.g., comedy, romance, tragedy, history); performance (e.g., Shakespeare on film or stage); Shakespeare in relation to his contemporaries; Shakespeare's dramatic and non-dramatic poetry. Designed for English and theatre majors and minors. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Replaces A ENG 344/A THR 324 and A ENG 345/A THR 325.
A ENG 350 Contemporary Writers at Work (3)
Rhetoric and poetics as practiced by contemporary writers across a range of genres and media. Particular attention to social, intellectual, and aesthetic contexts out of which such work emerges.
A ENG 351 Studies in Technology, Media, or Performance (3)
Examination of technological, media, or staged phenomena, as well as readings related to these forms. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: place of technology, media, or performance in English studies; forms and/or theories of technology, media, or performance; materiality and meaning; cultural texts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 355 Studies in Film (3)
Examination of themes and issues in the history and/or interpretation of American and British film. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: the themes, structures, and/or style of a director or directors; genres of film; theories of film; film and other arts, including literature. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 356 Studies in Nonfiction Prose (3)
Examination of nonfiction prose as a medium of discourse, ranging from literary criticism, biography, and autobiography to journalism, science, philosophy, and history. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: forms of nonfiction; theories of nonfiction prose; historical development; cultural texts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 357 Studies in Drama (3)
Examination of drama, with an emphasis on critical reading of dramatic literature. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: forms of drama; theories of drama; theatrical traditions; problems of production and dramatic interpretation. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 358 Studies in Poetry (3)
Examination of poetry, with an emphasis on study of poetic forms and modes. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: major developments in themes, language, forms and modes of poetry; poetics; poetry in the arts, including theatre and song. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 359 Studies in Narrative (3)
Examination of narrative forms with an emphasis upon prose fiction. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: forms of fiction, theories of narrative; narrative in the fine arts, including film; cultural narratives. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 360Y Tutoring & Writing (3)
This course is primarily designed to train tutors to work in the University’s Writing Center, though those interested in exploring writing instruction, writing processes from brainstorming to revision, or rhetorical concerns of audience and purpose may also find this course of value. We will investigate our own and others’ writing processes, styles, and purposes for writing in various academic disciplines, and the dynamics of giving and receiving useful feedback on writing as well as the role of a Writing Center on campus. Extensive practice and observation of tutorials will be central to the course, as will discussion of these experiences and published theoretical perspectives on the role of the writing tutor. This course is intended for sophomores and juniors who will be eligible to apply for positions as tutors in the University Writing Center upon successful completion of this course. Open to both English majors and non-majors. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
A ENG 362 (= A WSS 362) Critical Approaches to Gender and Sexuality in Literature (3)
Examination of the role of Anglophone literary texts from any period(s) in the construction of gender and sexuality, with an emphasis on study of interpretive strategies provided by various critical discourses. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: aesthetic movements; historical problems; cultural texts; political questions. Only one version of A ENG 362 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 366 (= A WSS 366) Critical Approaches to Ethnicity in Literature (3)
Examination of constructions of "race" and/or "ethnicity" as presented in Anglophone literature. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: how markers of nationality are related to issues of sexuality, class, and other cultural-historical ways of accounting for the complex questions that surround identity. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 367 (= A JST 367) The Jewish Literary Imagination (3)
Readings in literature by modern Jewish writers that addresses themes and issues of importance to modern Jewry. The course may offer either an intensive survey of a broad range of modern Jewish literature in one or more genres, or take a thematic, national, chronological, or generic approach to the subject matter. Only one version of A ENG 367 may be taken for credit.
A ENG 368 (= A WSS 368) Women Writers (3)
Selected works of English and/or American women writers in the context of the literary and cultural conditions confronting them. The course focuses on the development of a female tradition in literature and on the narrative, poetic, and/or dramatic styles of expression, voice, and values of women writers. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 369 African-American Literature (3)
Selected works of African-American writers in their cultural, literary, and historical contexts. The course focuses on the development of an African-American tradition and on the artistic forms essential to it. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 372 Transnational Literature (3)
Examination of aesthetic movements, cultural texts, political questions, and historical problems of post-colonial nations and subjects in their transnational contexts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 373 Literature of the Americas (3)
Examination of the literatures of the Americas, North and South, including the Caribbean. Topics to be discussed may include, among others: aesthetic movements; local cultural practice; history; identity formation; and politics. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 374 Cultural Studies (3)
A study of cultural forms and practices in relation to the historical conditions in which they are shaped. The course considers theoretical and the practical dimensions of meaning in a wide range of cultural texts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies.
A ENG 390 Internship in English (3)
Supervised practical apprenticeship of 10-15 hours of work per week in a position requiring the use of skills pertaining to the discipline of English, such as reading and critical analysis, writing, research, tutoring, etc., with an academic component consisting of the internship colloquium. Written work and report required. Selection is competitive and based on early application, recommendations, interviews and placement with an appropriate internship sponsor. Open only to junior or senior English majors with a minimum overall grade point average of 2.50 and a minimum 3.00 average in English. S/U graded.
A ENG 399Z Honors Seminar (4)
Topics vary with each sequence. The seminars explore special topics in literary history, literary theory, and critical methodology. May be repeated for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
A ENG 402Z Advanced Writing Workshop (3)
Workshop for experienced writers in various genres and media. Prerequisite(s): A ENG 202Z or 302Z, and permission of instructor.
A ENG 404Z Writing Drama (3)
Advanced workshop in writing for the stage. Admission is limited, and those seeking to enroll should submit a sample of their work to the instructor. Intended primarily for juniors and seniors. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
A ENG 410/410Y Topics in Contemporary Literary and Critical Theory (3)
Focused examination of the theoretical questions, presuppositions, and debates pertinent to a specific perspective or issue in contemporary thought and theory. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: a particular discourse (e.g., ecocriticism, ideology critique, queer theory, language theory, psychoanalysis, or cultural problem). May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 411/411Y Topics in British Literature and Culture (3)
Focused examination of selected topics in the literature and culture of England, including nations formerly under British rule or influence. Individual semesters may focus on, among others: a historical period, genre, or theme; the literature and culture of a particular place or country (such as India, Ireland, the Caribbean); a specific aspect of cultural study. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 412/412Y Topics in Film or Drama (3)
Focused examination of specific theme or issue in the history and/or interpretation of Anglophone film and/or drama from any period(s). Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: the work of a particular author and/or director; historical period, genre, or theme; a particular discourse in film or drama studies (e.g., ideological, aesthetic); relations between film and/or drama and literary and other texts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 413/413Y Topics in American Literature and Culture (3)
Focused examination of the selected topics in the literature and culture of the Americas. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: a particular historical period, genre, or theme; literature of a region or group (e.g., African-American, Caribbean, or Latino); interpretive or other theoretical problems in American literacy and cultural study. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 416/416Y (= A WSS 416/416Y) Topics in Gender, Sexuality, Race, or Class (3)
Focused examination of topics in the study of gender, sexuality, race and/or class, as they are positioned and defined in Anglophone literary or other texts from any period(s). Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: a particular historical period, genre, or theme; theories of gender, sexuality, race, and/or class as related to literary or other forms of representation; a particular cultural problem. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 419/419Y Topics in Technology, Media, and Performance (3)
Focused examination of a specific theme or issue in the study of technological media or staged phenomena, as well as readings related to these forms. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: the machine in culture; artificial intelligence; notions of nature and the body; environmental issues; print media; television; the Internet; popular arts; performance art; ritual; social practices. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 449/449Y Topics in Comparative Literatures and Cultures (3)
Focused examination of selected topics in the study of comparative Anglophone literatures and cultures from any period. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: comparative study of particular aesthetic movements, cultural texts, political questions, or historical problems. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 450/450Y Topics in Writing Studies (3)
Carefully focused study in the history, theory, or practice of rhetoric and/or poetics (e.g., narrative theory; poetic movements; 20th century rhetorical theory). May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 460/460Y Topics in Transnational Studies (3)
Focused examination of transnational literature and cultures. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: particular aesthetic movement(s), cultural text(s), political question(s), or historical problem(s) of post-colonial nations and subjects in their transnational contexts. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 465/465Y Topics in Ethnic Literatures in Cultural Contexts (3)
Focused examination of a particular topic on constructions of "race" and/or "ethnicity" as related to literature or other forms of representation from any period(s). Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: neglected literary forms and cultural traditions; relations between writing and political struggles; identity studies and developments within interpretive or other theories. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 485/485Y Topics in Cultural Studies (3)
Focused examination of particular topic in the study of culture, broadly defined. Individual semesters may focus on, among other areas: postcolonial studies; history of social institutions and knowledge production; study of identity formations; cultural forms; technology and science studies. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 488W/488Z Special Topics (1-6)
Note: all 400 level writing workshops may be taught under this rubric. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210.
A ENG 497 Independent Study and Research in English (1-4)
Senior level course designed to address intellectual needs that have grown out of previous coursework, or subject matter that is not regularly covered under the English department's curriculum. May be taken for a maximum of 8 credits. Prerequisite(s): C or better in A ENG 210 and permission of a faculty member in the department and of the appropriate departmental committee. Reserved for English majors.
A ENG 498 Thesis Seminar I (3)
Independent honors thesis individually formulated and written under the direction of the coordinator. Students writing theses will meet occasionally in colloquia to become acquainted with each other's work in progress. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor. S/U graded.
A ENG 499 Thesis Seminar II (3)
Continuation and completion of thesis begun in A ENG 498. The thesis will be reviewed and evaluated by an honors committee. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
