Department of English
Faculty
Distinguished Professor
Ronald Bosco, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of Maryland
Distinguished Teaching Professors
Jeffrey Berman, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Stephen North, D.A. (Collins Fellow)
University at Albany
Distinguished Teaching Professors Emeritus/a
Judith Fetterley, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
Indiana University
Eugene K. Garber, Ph.D.
University of Iowa
Professors Emeriti/ae
Judith E. Barlow, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of Pennsylvania
Donald J. Byrd, Ph.D.
University of Kansas
Frances Colby Allee, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Randall T. Craig, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Lydia Davis, B.A. (Writer in Residence)
Barnard College
Robert A. Donovan, Ph.D.
Washington University
Judith E. Johnson, B.A.
Barnard College
Pierre Joris, Ph.D.
Binghamton University
Eugene Mirabelli, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Daniel W. Odell, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Marjorie Pryse, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Martha T. Rozett, Ph.D. (Collins Fellow)
University of Michigan
Harry C. Staley, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Professors
Thomas Bass, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Thomas D. Cohen, Ph.D.
Yale University
Teresa Ebert, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Michael Hill, Ph.D.
Stony Brook University
William Kennedy, B.A.
Siena College
Charles Shepherdson, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Lynne Tillman, B.A. (Writer in Residence)
Hunter College
Associate Professors Emeriti/ae
Langdon Brown, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Lana Cable, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Richard M. Goldman, Ph.D.
Indiana University
Edward M. Jennings, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin
Rudolph L. Nelson, Ph.D.
Brown University
Frederick E. Silva, Ph.D.
Indiana University
Donald B. Stauffer, Ph.D.
Indiana University
Associate Professors
Richard A. Barney, Ph.D.
University of Virginia
Bret Benjamin, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Austin
Helen Regueiro Elam, Ph.D.
Brown University
Glyne Griffith, Ph.D. (Department Chair)
University of the West Indies, Mona
Eric Keenaghan, Ph.D.
Temple University
Kir Kuiken, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine
James Lilley, Ph.D.
Princeton University
Ineke Murakami, Ph.D.
University of Notre Dame
Helene E. Scheck, Ph.D.
Binghamton University
Edward L. Schwarzschild, Ph.D.
Washington University
Paul Stasi, Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley
Laura Wilder, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Austin
Robert P. Yagelski, Ph.D.
Ohio State University
Carolyn Yalkut, Ph.D.
University of Denver
Visiting Associate Professor
Mary Valentis, Ph.D.
University at Albany
Assistant Professor Emeritus
George S. Hastings, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Assistant Professors
Tamika L. Carey, Ph.D.
Syracuse University
Erica Fretwell, Ph.D.
Duke University
Aashish Kaul, D.A.
The University of Sydney
Michael Leong, Ph.D.
Rutgers University
Wendy Roberts, Ph.D.
Northwestern University
Derek J. Smith, Ph.D.
Northwestern University
Full-Time Lecturer
Jill Hanifan, D.A.
University at Albany
Teaching Assistants (estimated): 20
Curriculum
The curriculum of the Department of English is designed to aid students to write effectively, to read critically, and to acquire a sense of the development of literature written in English and of its relation to society. English majors also have the option of applying for admission to the honors program. Students planning to take the GRE for graduate study in English are strongly urged to include course work in pre-1800 British and American literature. All English majors are strongly encouraged to study at least one foreign language. Students may count up to 3 credits toward their English electives from the list of Approved Courses for English Electives. The Department also offers a minor in English and a minor in Creative Writing. See Minors section of this bulletin for requirements for each program.
Careers for the English Majors
The major in English prepares students for any field of work that requires a broad liberal education with special strength in language, critical analysis, and research. English graduates find careers in theatre and film, government, counseling, broadcasting, public policy and administration, banking, retailing and manufacturing, as well as writing, editing, publishing, teaching, advertising, and public relations. The English major is also excellent preparation for advanced study in such professional graduate programs as law, medicine, librarianship, social welfare, theology, and education.
Degree Requirements for the Major in English (36 credits)
- 9 credits from required courses: A ENG 205Z, 210, 305V
- 6 credits from the following literature surveys: A ENG 261, 291, 292, 295, or 297
- 3 credits from 200 to 400 level courses*
- 12 credits from 300 to 400 level courses
- 6 credits from 400 level courses
*Students may count 3 credits of approved coursework from other departments from the list below toward the 200 to 400 level requirement.
Course Progression Restrictions
A grade of C or higher in A ENG 210 is required in order to register for most 400 level courses in English. Completion of A ENG 305V, or permission of instructor, is required for most 400 level courses.
Mentorship: English majors are expected to meet with their faculty mentors, assigned by the English Undergraduate Advisement Office, to discuss academic and career goals at least once prior to the start of senior year.
Honors Program in English
The honors program in English is designed to promote intellectual exchange and community among able English majors and to prepare them to do independent work. Students who successfully complete the program earn an Honors Certificate in English and, if they meet University GPA requirements, are eligible for a nomination to graduate from the University with "Honors in English."
Admission to the honors program is selective, based primarily on the evaluation of a critical writing sample and secondarily on instructor recommendations. Only declared English majors or English double majors are eligible to apply. One normally applies in the spring semester of sophomore year, but students can apply through the spring semester of junior year. Transfer students may apply upon acceptance to the University and declaration of the English major. An applicant is recommended to have a 3.25 cumulative GPA and a 3.50 GPA in the English major. When applying, students should have completed already, or will complete by the end of that semester, 12 credits that count toward the English major, including A ENG 205Z and A ENG 210. A ENG 305V also is recommended. Those who plan to write a creative thesis should have taken A ENG 302W (or 302Z) and/or A ENG 402Z. Alternately, they should be involved with an on-campus writing community, such as editing a student-run creative writing magazine or interning at a professional literary or cultural magazine sponsored by the English Department or elsewhere at the University. They also are encouraged to submit, in addition to a critical essay, a short creative writing sample.
Faculty members on the departmental Honors Committee review applications and decide on admissions. When appropriate for individual cases, they may waive any of the above entry requirements and recommendations.
While students are registered for the English honors sequence courses, the Honors Director monitors their progress through regular meetings with the students and, during the thesis year, through communications with each student’s project advisor. A student can be disallowed from continuing in the program if the Honors Director and/or the student’s thesis advisor judge his or her performance in A ENG 399Z and/or A ENG 498 to fall short of the program’s expectations. Similarly, if a student’s performance in his or her other English courses suffers, he or she might be dismissed from the program so as to be able to remediate the situation and be better able to graduate successfully. Any student who leaves or is dismissed from the honors program is held responsible for the English major requirements.
The English faculty member supervising the independent project evaluates the honors thesis, usually researched and written during the senior year. A second reader from the English Department or from another academic unit at the University supplies additional guidance and/or feedback about the thesis in the late stages of its development. Conferring with the Honors Director, the project advisor and second reader assign a letter grade (A-E) for A ENG 499 that evaluates the end product of the thesis research, while also considering other variables in the year-long project, such as: the student’s intellectual development, the student’s self-motivated performance in an independent study scenario, the student’s regular and timely consultation with supervisors, and the student’s public presentations or publication of project-related research and writing. Upon students' completion of program requirements, the Honors Committee recommends eligible candidates for a BA degree with “Honors in English.”
Degree Requirements for Honors in English (37 credits)*
- 9 credits from major core courses: A ENG 205Z, 210, 305V
- 10 credits from required courses: A ENG 399Z**, 498, 499
- 6 credits from the following literature surveys: A ENG 261, 291, 292, 295, or 297
- 3 credits from 200 to 400 level courses***
- 9 credits from 300 to 400 level courses
* For students who matriculated into the University before Fall 2015, the degree requirements for Honors in English are determined by the appropriate Bulletin year.
** With advisement from the Honors Director and the thesis advisor, during the thesis-writing year an English Honors student can substitute A ENG 399Z with a 400-level course, preferably (if available) a course that is relevant to his or her project.
*** An English Honors student may count 3 credits of approved coursework from other departments specified in the list below toward the 200- to 400-level major elective requirement.
To graduate with “Honors in English” a student must complete the program course sequence (or approved substitutions), as well as conclude his or her undergraduate studies with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in the English major and a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA. If one graduates with the distinction of “Honors in English,” and completes the degree requirements specified above, the regular requirements of the English major are waived. If a student does not meet mandated GPA minimums at the time of graduation, he or she is responsible for the usual English major requirements but can count the honors sequence courses toward elective credits in the English major.
Combined B.A./M.A. Program
The combined B.A./M.A. program in English provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of the undergraduate and master's degree programs from the beginning of their junior year.
The combined program requires a minimum of 140 credits, of which at least 30 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all university and college requirements, including the requirements of the undergraduate major described previously, the minor requirements, the minimum 90 credit liberal arts and sciences requirement, the general education requirements, and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.A., students must meet all university and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits and any other conditions such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, professional experience, and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the B.A. and M.A. programs.
Students may be admitted to the combined degree program at the beginning of their junior year, or after the successful completion of 56 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration. Students will be admitted upon the recommendation of the Graduate Admissions Committee of the department.
Combined B.A./M.A. in English/Liberal Studies Program
The combined B.A./M.A. in English/Liberal Studies provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of the undergraduate and master's degree programs from the beginning of their junior year.
The combined B.A./M.A. in English/Liberal Studies program requires a minimum of 140 credits, of which at least 30 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A., students must meet all university and college requirements, including the requirements of the undergraduate major described previously, the minor requirements, the minimum 90 credit liberal arts and sciences requirement, the general education requirements, and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.A. in English/Liberal Studies, students must meet all university and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including a minimum of 30 graduate credits and any other conditions such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the B.A. and the M.A. in English/Liberal Studies Programs.
Approved Courses for English Electives
Students may count 3 credits toward their 200 to 400 level English electives from the following list of courses. Prerequisites for individual courses follow in parentheses.
Africana Studies
A AFS 340 The Black Essay
A AFS 345 The Black Novel: Black Perspectives
A AFS 355Z Introduction to African-American Poetry
A AFS 375 Black Popular Culture
Anthropology
A ANT 343 Native American Literature
A ANT 360 Social Anthropology
A ANT 363 Ethnology of Religion
A ANT 381 Anthropology of Gender
A ANT 390 Ethnological Theory
East Asian Studies
A EAC 210 Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation I
A EAC 211 Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation II
A EAC 212 Modern Chinese Literature in Translation
A EAC 420 Classical Chinese Poetry
A EAC 430 Chinese Travel Literature
A EAJ 210 Survey of Traditional Japanese Literature
A EAJ 212 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
A EAJ 435 Meiji Literature in Translation
A EAS 270 Women in East Asian Literature
Judaic Studies
A JST 360 Bearing Witness: Holocaust Diaries and Memoirs
A JST 373 The Arab in Israeli Literature
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
A FRE 202 French Literature
A FRE 208 Haiti Through Literature and Film
A FRE 238 Great Classics of French Cinema
A FRE 281 French Canada Through Film and Literature
A FRE 315 Introduction to French Cinema (A FRE 241Z)
A FRE 338 French Cinema and Society (junior or senior class standing or permission)
A FRE 415 French Cinema and Society (A FRE 341Z and 340Z)
A FRE 430 Translation (A FRE 341Z and 340Z)
A FRE 481 Francophone Cultures (A FRE 341)
A ITA 313 Throughout the Ages: Gender, Ideas, and Writing in Italy from 1100 to 1900
A ITA 315 Italian Civilization: Etruscans to Galileo
A ITA 316 Contemporary Italy: Unification to Present
A ITA 318 Italian Cinema and Literature
A ITA 441 Women, Men, Love, and Politics of the Italian Renaissance (A ITA 313 or permission)
A RUS 251 Masterpieces of 19th Century Russian Literature
A RUS 252 Masterpieces of 20th Century Russian Literature
A RUS 253 Contemporary Russian Literature
A RUS 280 Soviet and Russian Cinema
A SPN 311 Hispanic Literature Through the Golden Age (A SPN 223)
A SPN 316 Representative Spanish-American Authors (A SPN 223)
A SPN 318 Topics in Hispanic Film (A SPN 223 or permission of instructor)
A SPN 320 20th Century Spanish-American Literature (A SPN 223)
A SPN 325 The Hispanic Short Story (A SPN 223)
A SPN 326 Spanish-American Poetry and Theatre (A SPN 223)
A SPN 333 Hispanic Literature in Translation
A SPN 414 Literature of the Hispanic Caribbean (A SPN 223)
A SPN 418 Hispanic Cinema and Literature (A SPN 223)
A SPN 446 Literature and Human Rights (A SPN 312 and 316)
A SPN 481 The Generation of ’98 (A SPN 312)
Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies
A LCS 316 Representative Spanish-American Authors (A SPN 223)
A LCS 318 Introduction to Brazilian Cinema
A LCS 319 20th Century Spanish-American Literature
A LCS 326 Spanish-American Poetry and Theatre
A LCS 414 Literature of the Hispanic Caribbean
A LCS 415 Los Latinos en EE.UU: Historia, Cultura, y Literatura
Theatre Studies
A THR 224 Contemporary Issues in Modern Drama
A THR 225 American Theatre History
A THR 228 Voices of Diversity in Contemporary American Theatre and Drama
A THR 230 Great Drama on Film and Video
A THR 450 Directing
A THR 456Z Seminar in Dramatic Literature
Women’s Studies
A WSS 202 Introduction to LGBTQ Studies
A WSS 220 Introduction to Feminist Theory
A WSS 240 Classism, Racism, Sexism: Issues
A WSS 270 Women in East Asian Literature
A WSS 281 Women and the Media
A WSS 450 Literature of Feminism: An Interdisciplinary Seminar
A WSS 465 Feminist Theory
