English

The curriculum of the English Department is designed to develop students’ understanding of the English language and the literature written in that language, while also developing analytical ability and writing skills. The students who complete an English major will understand the historical and cultural context of literature, and will see literature as a reflection of diverse cultures. They will learn how to use the written word to communicate clearly, effectively, accurately, logically, and gracefully. They will be able to speak and write effectively on a wide range of literary issues, and will be able to apply analytical reasoning to literary texts.

Students may work for the weekly student newspaper, The Georgetonian. The campus student literary magazine, Inscape, which is sponsored by the English honorary society, Sigma Tau Delta, is edited by students. Students may also work on the college’s nationally-distributed literary magazine, the Georgetown Review. Qualified students may work as peer tutors in the Writing Center. Many of our English majors go on to graduate school in journalism, in literary studies, in law, in ministry, in communications, or in creative writing. Upon graduation, others enter a variety of fields, such as personnel management, public relations, writing, business, or teaching. A student majoring in English will demonstrate the flexibility of mind that comes from a broadly-based liberal education. Students majoring in English will:

• demonstrate a core knowledge of the texts of English and American literature;
• understand the historical and cultural context of literature;
• see literature as a reflection of diverse cultures;
• use the written word to communicate clearly, effectively, accurately, logically and gracefully;
• speak and write effectively on a wide range of literary issues;
• apply analytical reasoning to literary texts.

Major

(B.A. degree) Thirty-six semester hours above ENG 112 or 115 including the following: ENG 211-213; 292; 335; 492; and three hours each in American literature (ENG 318, 320, 341, 410, 422, 430, 470), English literature before 1700 (ENG 305, 325, 405, 435, 475), English literature between 1700 and 1900 (ENG 309, 339, 389, 419, 479), and comparative literature (ENG 296, 298, 314, 324, 334, 384, 428). In addition, one three-hour allied course must be selected from the following: AMS 250, 450; CLA 314, 316, 370; HIS 323, 335, 337, 356; PHI 201, 203, 315, 355, 412; REL 245, 325, 327, 371, 373; THE 220, 327; any upper-level literature course in World Languages; or a course not listed here approved by the English department chair. Courses applied toward Foundations and Core requirements shall not be applied toward allied course requirements. Total hours required: 39.

Major with Creative Writing Emphasis

(B.A. degree) The Creative Writing Emphasis within the English major requires students to take twelve hours of the thirty-three required for the English major in Creative Writing courses. A minimum of six and a maximum of nine hours must be taken in the following courses: English 391, English 393, English 395, and Theatre 471 if it is taught as playwriting or screenwriting. The student can take any combination of these classes, including repeating one of them for credit. The final three-six hours of the emphasis can be taken in any of the following courses: ENG 324, ENG 334, ENG 344, or ENG 472. Candidates are also expected to pass senior comprehensives.

Minor

Eighteen hours above ENG 112 required.

Minor with Creative Writing Emphasis

Eighteen hours above ENG 211/213 required. Students must take ENG 344. At least six and as many as nine hours must come from the workshop courses (ENG 391, ENG 393, ENG 395, and THE 471 if it is taught as playwriting or screenwriting). At least six and as many as nine hours must come from ENG 324, ENG 334, and ENG 472.

Courses

111. English Composition I. (3 hours) Develops satisfactory college-level proficiency in basic skills of composition and reading comprehension. Students must demonstrate their ability to produce a portfolio of literate, reasonably logical and perceptive short themes. Grades given are A, B, C, or X (conditional incomplete—to be satisfied by repeating the course). All students must be enrolled in either ENG 111, ENG 112 or ENG 115 until they have successfully completed the freshman writing sequence. For a student to drop ENG 111, the drop slip must be signed by either the chair of the English Department or the Writing Program Coordinator. The chair of the English Department or the Writing Program Coordinator may waive this continuous enrollment policy as appropriate. Fall and Spring

112. English Composition II. (3 hours) Introduces research techniques and instruction in the principles of documentation and scholarship as well as continues a concern with rhetoric, style, clear thinking, reading comprehension and successful communication. Orients the student to computer literacy and the use of the library. Prerequisite: ENG 111. All students must be enrolled in either ENG 111, ENG 112 or ENG 115 until they have successfully completed the freshman writing sequence. For a student to drop ENG 111, the drop slip must be signed by either the chair of the English Department or the Writing Program Coordinator. The chair of the English Department or the Writing Program Coordinator may waive this continuous enrollment policy as appropriate. Fall and Spring
115. Advanced Composition. (4 hours) This course engages students in research techniques, text analysis, advanced academic writing, and instruction in the principles of documentation and scholarship, while developing students’ skill in rhetoric, style, critical thinking, and successful communication. Students must demonstrate their ability to produce a portfolio of literate, reasonably logical and perceptive short themes, including the following essay types: multiple draft, impromptu, and research. Open to students who have been notified of their eligibility. English 115 fulfills the lower-division writing requirement. Fall

211. English Literature Survey I. (3 hours) A chronological study of English literature from Beowulf through Milton, with special emphasis on the masters. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or 115. Fall

213. English Literature Survey II. (3 hours) Chronological survey of English literature from the Restoration through James Joyce, with special emphasis on the masters. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or 115. Spring

292. Introduction to Literary Analysis. (1 hour). Introduction to the skills and methods of literary analysis. Designed to supplement the introductory English literature survey courses. Must be taken prior to or concurrently with the major or minor’s first 300 or 400-level literature class in English. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or 115. Co-requisite: ENG 211, 213, 296, 298, or the first 300 or 400-level literature class. Fall

296. World Literature Survey I. (3 hours) A study of world literature in translation from antiquity to the 17th century. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or 115. Spring

298. World Literature Survey II. (3 hours) A study of world literature in translation from the 17th century to the present day. Prerequisite: ENG 112 or 115. Fall

302. Media Journalism. (3 hours) Principles and problems of news and feature writing for print media. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Spring

305. Milton. (3 hours) Critical study of Milton’s major and minor works to estimate his present day literary and political significance. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Springs

309. Neo-Classical Literature. (3 hours) Drama, prose, and poetry of representative figures of England’s Age of Enlightenment. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Springs

314. Epic Poetry. (3 hours) The world’s major epics, from classical to contemporary sources. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

316. Linguistics. (3 hours) English language and grammar based on structural and transformational principles to facilitate understanding of language arts; may include psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and neurolinguistics. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Falls

318. American Literature to 1870. (3 hours) History and interpretation of American literature from John Smith to Walt Whitman. Fall

320. American Literature from 1870. (3 hours) History and interpretation of American literature from Emily Dickinson through the twentieth century. Spring

324. Twentieth Century Fiction. (3 hours) A study of the development of the genre of fiction, the short story, the short novel, and the novel, during the twentieth century. Odd Falls

325. Seventeenth Century Literature. (3 hours) Literature of the seventeenth century in England excluding the works of Milton. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

334. Twentieth Century Poetry. (3 hours) A study of the genre of poetry from 1900 to the present. Even Springs

335. Shakespeare. (3 hours) Shakespeare’s art and craft through study of important plays: comedies, tragedies, and histories. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Fall

339. Romantic Literature. (3 hours) A survey of English poetry and prose composed between 1789-1832, with emphasis on the six major Romantic poets. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Falls

341. Survey of African-American Literature 1745-Present. (3 hours) A survey of African-American Literature from 1745-Present. Odd Falls

344. Magazine Editing and Publishing. (3 hours) Instruction and experience in the major elements of editing and publishing a magazine. Students will perform a variety of duties for the Georgetown Review, the literary magazine published at the college. Prerequisite: ENG 112. Odd Springs

378. Tutorial Topics. (3 hours) Special topics in literature; use of one-on-one tutorial method of instruction adapted from humanities courses at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Prerequisites: ENG 211 or 213 and permission of instructor. Fall and Spring

384. Twentieth Century Drama. (3 hours) A study of the development of modern drama from Henrik Ibsen to the present. Even Falls

389. Victorian Literature. (3 hours) A survey of British poetry, drama, and fiction written between 1832 and 1900. Prerequisite: English 211 or 213. Even Falls

391. Creative Writing: Poetry. (3 hours) Introduces students to poetry writing. Students will work within a workshop atmosphere providing and accepting critiques of their work and the work of others. In addition, there will also be indepth discussions of some classic and contemporary work by established writers. Prerequisite: ENG 112. Fall (as needed)

393. Creative Writing: Fiction. (3 hours) Introduces students to fiction writing. Students will work within a workshop atmosphere providing and accepting critiques of their own work and the work of others. Repeatable to 9 hours. Prerequisite: ENG 112. Spring

395. Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction. (3 hours) Combines reading and writing in creative nonfiction. Students will explore contemporary examples in the field, examining literary techniques while developing their own writing. Students will work within several sub genres, including: memoir, travel writing, interview/feature writing. Students will work within a workshop atmosphere providing and accepting critiques of their work and the work of others. Prerequisite: ENG 112. Fall (as needed)

405. Chaucer. (3 hours) A study of the works of Chaucer, particularly the Canterbury Tales, with emphasis on Chaucer’s contribution to the development of the English language. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Springs

410. American Novel. (3 hours) The novel in America, from the beginnings to the late 20th century. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Falls

419. English Novel. (3 hours) The novel as a prose form, from its introduction to the beginning of the twentieth century. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Springs

422. Topics in Multiethnic American Literature. (3 hours) Selected studies in literature by multiethnic American writers, on a topic announced at advanced registration. Odd Springs

428. Topics in Women and Literature. (3 hours) Selected studies in literature by and about women, on a topic announced at advanced registration. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Springs

430. Southern Novel. (3 hours) The novel as representative of the culture of the American South, from the beginnings to the late 20th century. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Odd Falls

435. Medieval Literature. (3 hours) Studies in the original language of English poetry, prose, and drama, excluding Chaucer. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Falls

440. Independent Study. (1, 2, or 3 hours) With the approval and permission of a member of the English faculty and the chair of the English Department, students may undertake independent reading and research on a topic of their own choosing. Fall and Spring

448. Modern British Literature. (3 hours) A survey of British poetry, drama and fiction written during the first half of the Twentieth Century. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Springs

458. Irish Literature. (3 hours) Readings in Irish literature, with emphasis on Yeats and Joyce. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Even Springs

470. Topics in American Literature. (3 hours) Extensive study of selected genre, announced at advanced registration. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. Fall

472. Topics in Writing and Literature. (3 hours) The study of a body of literature, announced at registration, with special emphasis given to an analysis of the techniques of the writers studied. Prerequisite: ENG 112. Spring

475. Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Literature. (3 hours) Selected studies in medieval and/or Renaissance literature. Specific topics to be announced during advanced registration. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

476. Topics in the English Language. (3 hours) Investigation of problems and developments in the study of the English language. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

478. Special Topics in Literature. (3 hours) The study of a body of literature, organized around a single theme, announced at advanced registration. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

479. Topics in Nineteenth Century Literature. (3 hours) Selected topics in Romantic and/or Victorian literature, announced at advanced registration. Prerequisite: ENG 211 or 213. As needed

492. Senior Seminar in English. (2 hours). Senior capstone course for the English
major. Prerequisites: ENG 211, 213, and 292. Fall