English
Mark Whalan, Department Head
541-346-3911
541-346-1509 fax
118 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall
1286 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-1286
With nearly 50 full-time faculty members, the Department of English offers students a broad foundation in traditional British, American, and Anglophone literary studies, as well as intensive course work in interdisciplinary studies, emerging media, and current critical methodologies. Its lower-division courses provide training in writing and introduce the student to literature as a humanistic discipline. Its upper-division courses emphasize the humanistic values that emerge from studying literature and allied disciplines analytically and in depth.
Careers
The study of English opens doors to many careers. All fields of endeavor place high value on the ability to read intelligently and to write clearly. The English major may lead most directly to careers in education, journalism, or communications; it is also highly regarded as undergraduate training for law, government, social work, community service, and business. Indeed, the ability to handle the language with clarity and cogency is the skill most frequently cited by business professionals as desirable. A major in English, with judiciously selected electives, prepares students not only to find that essential first job but also to possess the breadth of outlook and depth of perspective that become increasingly important in subsequent phases of their careers. A student preparing for graduate study in English should construct an appropriate course of undergraduate study in consultation with a faculty advisor.
Expository Writing
The English department offers required and elective courses in expository writing for all university students to help them improve their ability to write clearly and effectively. Students must fulfill the university writing requirement of two composition courses or be cleared according to established waiver and exemption policies. The requirement is College Composition I (WR 121) and either College Composition II (WR 122) or College Composition III (WR 123), or their approved equivalents. Students should complete the writing requirement—with course work, by exemption, or by waiver examination—early in their studies.
Exemptions
Scores of 37 or better on the new College Board SAT Reading and Writing tests waive the need to take College Composition I (WR 121). No credit is given for this waiver. A score of 710 or better on the old SAT Critical Reading test (650 prior to 1995) or 32 or better on the ACT English test will also waive WR 121 (without credit). A score of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition Examination produces credit for WR 121.
Waiver Examinations
Waiver examinations for College Composition I (WR 121) and College Composition II (WR 122) are offered during the first week of classes, fall through spring terms, at the UO Testing Office, 238 University Health, Counseling, and Testing Center Building; call 541-346-3230. Visit the Testing Office website to sign up for an examination. No credit is awarded for waiver examinations, and students may not take waiver examinations for both courses in the same term. The essay exams are graded pass/no pass by three members of the Department of English composition committee. Students who do not pass may not retake the examination and should register for the appropriate writing course as soon as possible. Students who pass the exam have an "exemption by exam" notation for either College Composition I (WR 121) or College Composition II (WR 122) placed on their degree audit. Waiver exams are not returned to students, nor are they used as a teaching device. Additional help and special tutoring are available to students through the University Teaching and Learning Center.
Placement
Students for whom English is the native language are placed in their first writing course based on their SAT or ACT verbal scores. Students whose scores fall below 26 on the new SAT Reading and Writing tests, below 480 on the old SAT Verbal, or below 19 on the ACT are eligible for concurrent enrollment in Writing Tutorial (WR 195) WR 195)WR 195)WR 195)WR 195) with College Composition I (WR 121).
Nonnative Speakers
Students for whom English is not the native or primary language are placed in their first writing course on the basis of a placement test. These may include Introductory Academic Writing (AEIS 110), Intermediate Academic Writing (AEIS 111), and Advanced Academic Writing (AEIS 112) (taught in the Department of Linguistics). Placement tests are administered before registration. Nonnative speakers should inquire at the American English Institute, 107 Pacific Hall, for placement test dates.
Transfer Students
Transfer students in doubt about the equivalency of courses taken elsewhere should bring transcripts and catalog descriptions to the composition office, Department of English, for evaluation.
Faculty
Faith Barter, assistant professor (19th-century African American literature). AB, 2001, Dartmouth College; JD, 2007, American; MA, 2012, PhD, 2016, Vanderbilt. (2018)
Martha J. Bayless, professor (medieval literature). BA, 1980, Bryn Mawr; MA, 1984, PhD, 1990, Cambridge. (1989)
Carolyn Bergquist, senior lecturer (Renaissance literature; rhetoric and composition). BA, 1994, California State, Stanislaus; MA, 1996, PhD, 2003, Oregon. (2003)
Elizabeth A. Bohls, professor (18th-century literature), associate department head. BA, 1979, Mount Holyoke College; PhD, 1989, Stanford. (1998)
Tina Boscha, senior instructor (composition). BA, 1995, Calvin College; MFA, 2003, Oregon. (2003)
Lara Bovilsky, associate professor (Renaissance literature and culture; graduate professionalism). BA, 1995, Brown; MA, 1998, PhD, 2001, Duke. (2008)
Kirby Brown, associate professor (Native and ethnic American literatures). BA, 1997, Texas, Austin; MA, 2005, Texas, San Antonio. (2011)
Kristy Bryant-Berg, senior instructor (composition). BA, 2002, Colorado, Boulder; MA, 2004, Oregon; PhD, 2009, Oregon. (2014)
Mattie Burkert, assistant professor (digital humanities). BA 2009, New York, NY; MA 2011, Wisconsin, Madison; PhD, 2016, Wisconsin, Madison. (2020)
Anna Carroll, instructor (composition). BA, 2007, MA, 2010, West Florida; PhD, 2015, Oregon. (2018)
Ulrick Casimir, instructor (composition). BA, 1995, North Carolina State; MFA, 2000, North Carolina; MA, 2005, PhD, 2008, Oregon. (2018)
Stephanie Clark, associate professor (medieval literature). BA, 2002, Texas, Dallas; MA, 2004, PhD, 2011, Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. (2011)
Kara Clevinger, senior instructor. BA, 2000, Temple University; MA, 2006, Temple University; Phd, 2015, Temple University.(2014)
Michael Copperman, senior instructor (composition). BA, 2002, Stanford; MFA, 2006, Oregon. (2006)
José Cortez, assistant professor (rhetoric and composition). BA, 2009, MA, 2011, Eastern Washington; PhD, 2017, Arizona. (2018)
James R. Crosswhite, professor (rhetoric, writing, critical theory). BA, 1975, California, Santa Cruz; MA, 1979, PhD, 1987, California, San Diego. (1989)
Rachel Eccleston, instructor (composition). BA, 2007, Texas, Austin; PhD, 2017, Oregon. (2018)
Tara S. Fickle, associate professor (Asian American literature, multiethnic literature). BA, 2006, Wesleyan; MA, 2010, PhD 2014, California. Los Angeles. (2014)
Karen J. Ford, professor (poetry and poetics, modern poetry, American literature). BA, 1978, California State, Sacramento; MA, 1981, California, Davis; PhD, 1989, Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. (1992)
John T. Gage, professor (rhetoric, writing, modern poetry). BA, 1969, MA, 1971, PhD, 1976, California, Berkeley. (1980)
Miriam Gershow, senior instructor (composition); associate director, composition. BS, 1992, Michigan, Ann Arbor; MFA, 2002, Oregon. (2004)
Warren Ginsberg, Philip H. Knight Professor (medieval literature). MA, 1971, State University of New York, Stony Brook; PhD, 1975, Yale. (2000)
Helen Huang, instructor (composition). BA, 2002, National Chengchi; MA, 2007, National Taiwan; PhD, 2018, Oregon. (2018)
Michael Jarvis, instructor (composition). BA, 2008, North Carolina, Chapel Hill; MA, 2012, PhD, 2018, California, Riverside. (2018)
Heidi N. Kaufman, Sherl K. Coleman and Margaret E. Guitteau Teaching Professor in the Humanities; associate professor (19th-century British literature). BA, 1991, Drew; MA, 1994, Boston; PhD, 2011, New Hampshire. (2013)
Katherine Kelp-Stebbins, assistant professor (comic studies). BA, 2003, Wesleyan; MA, 2009, PhD, 2014, California, Santa Barbara. (2018)
Anna Kovalchuk, instructor (composition). BA, 2007, California, San Diego; PhD, Oregon, 2017. (2018)
C. Anne Laskaya, associate professor (medieval literature, women writers, rhetoric). BA, 1976, Lawrence; BMus, Lawrence Conservatory of Music; MA, 1978, PhD, 1989, Rochester. (1983)
Stephanie LeMenager, Barbara and Carlisle Moore Distinguished Professor in English and American Literature (environmental literature). BA, 1991, Stanford; MA, 1994, PhD, 1999, Harvard. (2013)
Quinn Miller, associate professor (film and media studies). BA, 2003, Chicago; MA, 2005, PhD, 2010, Northwestern. (2012)
Kate Myers, senior instructor (composition). BA, 2002, Goshen College; MA, 2006, North Florida; PhD, 2016, Oregon. (2016)
Brendan O’Kelly, instructor (composition). BA, 2002, MA, 2004, Colorado, Boulder; PhD, 2016, California, Los Angeles. (2015)
Paul W. Peppis, professor (modern British literature); director, Oregon Humanities Center. BA, 1984, Williams; MA, 1987, PhD, 1993, Chicago. (1995)
Ana Zalyubovskiy, instructor (composition). BA, 1992, MA, 1994, Minnesota State; MFA, 1996, Vermont College. (2018)
Forest Pyle, professor (romanticism, literary theory). BA, 1980, MA, 1983, PhD, 1988, Texas, Austin. (1988)
Mark Quigley, associate professor (Irish literature, 20th-century literature). BA, 1992, Stanford; MA, 1997, PhD, 2003, California, Los Angeles. (2006)
Nick Recktenwald, senior instructor (composition); associate director composition. BA, 2008, North Carolina, Asheville; MA, 2014, Oregon.(2016)
Stephen Rust, senior instructor (composition). BS, 1999, Idaho State; MA, 2006, Oregon State; PhD, 2011, Oregon. (2015)
Benjamin D. Saunders, professor (Renaissance literature, comics studies). BA, 1991, East Anglia; MPhil, 1992, Cambridge; PhD, 2000, Duke. (2000)
Gordon M. Sayre, professor (early American literature, 18th-century literature, folklore), director of undergraduate studies. BA, 1988, Brown; PhD, 1993, State University of New York, Buffalo. (1993)
Steven Shankman, professor (18th-century literature, the classical tradition, comparative literature). BA, 1969, Texas, Austin; BA, 1971, MA, 1976, Cambridge; PhD, 1977, Stanford. (1984)
Emily Simnitt, senior instructor (composition). BA, 1995, Brigham Young; MA, 2005, Idaho State. (2015)
Helen Southworth, professor (modernism, digital humanities). BA, 1989 London; PhD, 1999, California, Los Angeles. (2001)
Courtney Thorsson, associate professor (African American literature, 19th- and 20th-century American literature, food studies). BA, 2000, Virginia; MA, 2004, MPhil, 2006, PhD, 2009, Columbia. (2009)
Avinnash Tiwari, instructor (composition). BA, 2010, Pennsylvania; MA, 2013, Oregon. (2016)
Corbett Upton, senior instructor (Central American poetry); associate director, undergraduate studies. BA, 2001, Arizona State; MA, 2006, PhD, 2010, Oregon. (2010)
Eleanor Wakefield, instructor (composition). BA, 2007, Gonzaga; MA, 2011, PhD, 2017, Oregon, 2017. (2018)
Mark Whalan, professor (modern and 20th-century literature); Robert D. and Eve D. Horn Chair in English and American Literature. BA, 1995, Warwick; MA, 1996, Durham; PhD, 2002, Exeter. (2011)
Elizabeth A. Wheeler, professor (post-1945 literature, cultural studies, disability studies). BA, 1982, Bowdoin; MA, 1988, City University of New York; PhD, 1996, California, Berkeley. (1996)
Jenée Wilde, instructor (composition). BA, 1994, Boise State; MFA, 2003, Goddard College; PhD, 2015, Oregon (2016)
Daniel N. Wojcik, professor (folklore, popular culture). BA, 1978, California, Santa Barbara; MA, 1986, PhD, 1992, California, Los Angeles. (1991)
Henry B. Wonham, professor (19th- and 20th-century American literature). BA, 1983, Princeton; PhD, 1991, Virginia. (1995)
Mary E. Wood, professor (19th-century American literature, gender studies). BA, 1978, Yale; MA, 1980, PhD, 1987, Stanford. (1987)
Emeriti
James L. Boren, professor emeritus. BA, 1965, San Francisco State; MA, 1967, PhD, 1970, Iowa. (1970)
William Cadbury, professor emeritus. BA, 1956, Harvard; MS, 1957, PhD, 1961, Wisconsin, Madison. (1961)
Suzanne Clark, professor emerita. BA, 1961, MA, 1965, Oregon; PhD, 1980, California, Irvine. (1990)
Dianne M. Dugaw, professor emerita. BA, 1971, Portland; MA, 1976, PhD, 1982, California, Los Angeles. (1990)
James W. Earl, professor emeritus. BA, 1967, Bucknell; PhD, 1971, Cornell. (1987)
Marilyn Farwell, professor emerita. BA, 1963, MacMurray; MA, 1966, PhD, 1971, Illinois. (1971)
Thelma Greenfield, professor emerita. BA, 1944, MA, 1947, Oregon; PhD, 1952, Wisconsin, Madison. (1963)
Robert Grudin, professor emeritus. BA, 1960, Harvard; MA, 1963, PhD, 1969, California, Berkeley. (1971)
Ruth F. Jackson, senior instructor emerita. BA, 1929, MA, 1933, Oregon. (1955)
Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, professor emerita. BA, 1969, Connecticut; MLA, 1973, Johns Hopkins; PhD, 1992, Oregon. (1994)
Linda Kintz, professor emerita. BA, 1967, Texas Tech; MA, 1969, Southern Methodist; PhD, 1982, Oregon. (1988)
Julia Lesage, professor emerita. MA, 1962, PhD, 1972, Indiana. (1988)
David Leiwei Li, Collins professor of the humanities emeritus. BA, 1982, Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute; MA, 1986, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; PhD, 1991, Texas, Austin. (1999).
Glen A. Love, professor emeritus. BA, 1954, MA, 1959, PhD, 1964, Washington (Seattle). (1965)
William Rockett, associate professor emeritus. BA, 1961, MA, 1963, Oklahoma; PhD, 1969, Wisconsin, Madison. (1966)
William Rossi, professor emeritus. BA, 1972, MA, 1979, Missouri; PhD, 1986, Minnesota. (1989)
George Rowe, professor emeritus; editor, Comparative Literature. BA, 1969, Brandeis; MA, 1971, PhD, 1973, Johns Hopkins. (1985)
Sharon R. Sherman, professor emerita. PhB, 1965, Wayne State; MA, 1971, California, Los Angeles; PhD, 1978, Indiana. (1976)
Richard L. Stein, professor emeritus. BA, 1965, Amherst; AM, 1966, PhD, 1970, California, Berkeley. (1976)
Richard C. Stevenson, professor emeritus. AB, 1961, AM, 1963, PhD, 1969, Harvard. (1968)
Nathaniel Teich, professor emeritus. BS, 1960, Carnegie-Mellon; MA, 1962, Columbia; PhD, 1970, California, Riverside. (1969)
Louise Westling, professor emerita. BA, 1964, Randolph-Macon Woman’s; MA, 1965, Iowa; PhD, 1974, Oregon. (1985)
George Wickes, professor emeritus. BA, 1944, Toronto; MA, 1949, Columbia; PhD, 1954, California, Berkeley. (1970)
The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.
Participating
David A. Frank, honors college
Michael Hames-García, ethnic studies
Mat Johnson, creative writing
Sharon Luk, ethnic studies
Sarah Wald, environmental studies
- Bachelor of Arts
- Minor in English
- Minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies
- Minor in Digital Humanities
- Minor in Disability Studies
- Minor in Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Reasoning
- Minor in Black Studies
Undergraduate Studies
The Department of English expects its majors to acquire knowledge of English and American literature. In addition, it expects them to gain a sense of history and a reading knowledge of at least one second language. Majors should construct their programs in consultation with an advisor. The major requirements for the degree of bachelor of arts (BA) in the Department of English are listed below.
Course work required for the English major, both lower division and upper division, must be passed with grades of mid-C or better. Majors must complete the university second-language requirement for the BA degree. At least 28 of the required 36 upper-division credits must be taken at the University of Oregon.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Lower-Division Courses | 12-16 | |
Genre: [Topic] (two courses with differing topics) | ||
Two lower-division elective courses 1 | ||
Foundation Courses 2 | 8 | |
Foundations of the English Major: Text | ||
ENG 304 | English Major Foundations: Context | 4 |
or ENG 305 | English Major Foundations: Theory | |
Writing Requirement 3 | 4 | |
Upper-Division Courses 4 | 28-32 | |
Literature course, pre-1500 | ||
Literature course, 1500–1789 | ||
Literature course, 1789 to the present | ||
Literary theory or rhetoric course | ||
Media, folklore, or culture course | ||
Gender, ability, queer studies, or sexuality course | ||
Empire, race, or ethnicity course | ||
Additional upper-division course work in literature, media, folklore, or writing 5 | ||
Total Credits | 56-64 |
1 | May include only one of the following: Introduction to Literature: Fiction (ENG 104), Introduction to Literature: Drama (ENG 105), Introduction to Literature: Poetry (ENG 106), and may include no courses with a WR subject code. ENG 209 counts for writing requirement and lower-division elective. |
2 | Completion of at least one Genre: [Topic] (ENG 205) topics course is a prerequisite or co-requisite for enrolling in ENG 303. Completion of ENG 303 is a pre-requisite for enrolling in ENG 304 or ENG 305. |
3 | May be fulfilled using (a) (ENG 209) The Craft of the Sentence, (b) The Art of the Sentence (ENG 420), or (c) any upper-division WR course. |
4 | One course may satisfy a maximum of two upper-division area requirements at once, as indicated on the current advising supplement. |
5 | No more than 8 credits of Research: [Topic] (ENG 401), Thesis (ENG 403), Reading and Conference: [Topic] (ENG 405), or Writing and Conference: [Topic] (CRWR 405). Upper-division CRWR courses may also be used to fulfill this requirement. |
Honors Program in English
The program provides qualified undergraduate majors with special options for fulfilling departmental requirements. Honors students interested in the intensive study of literature in small discussion seminars independently explore a special topic of their own choosing, under the guidance of a faculty member. Typically, students spend a major portion of the senior year writing their honors thesis.
Requirements
- Completion of all English department requirements
- Minimum of two terms of Seminar: [Topic] (ENG 407) (Capstone).
- Two terms of Thesis (ENG 403), a directed program of study or creative writing under the guidance of an appropriate advisor.
- Senior thesis—either a critical essay of thirty-five to fifty pages or a substantial piece of creative writing. The thesis must by approved by the advisor and a second reader (typically both faculty members in English) after an oral defense.
Admission and Supervision
Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 in their English courses and completed at least two upper-division English courses and, if possible, all lower-division major requirements. Admission is based on the applicant's academic record, a brief description of the applicant's proposed project, and the recommendation of two faculty members in the department.
Beginning with the 2014–15 academic year, Clark Honors College English majors who have been accepted into the English honors program and who complete the requirements for both the Clark Honors College thesis and the English honors program may submit an English honors thesis, awarded a pass or pass with distinction, to fulfill the thesis requirement for both English department honors and the Clark Honors College thesis. Failing theses cannot earn English department honors or be used to satisfy the Clark Honors College thesis.
To apply for admission to the honors program, contact Paul Peppis, the program director and associate department head.
Minor in English
The English minor requires 24 credits of approved course work selected from the documents titled University of Oregon English Major Requirements and Advising Supplement, which are updated each year. Both documents are available in the English department and on our website.
- Of the total 24 credits, a maximum of 8 credits may be taken in lower-division courses.
- All upper-division courses must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon
- Course work must be taken for letter grades and passed with grades of mid-C or better.
- Courses with the prefixes ENG, FLR, HC and writing (WR) courses Principles of Tutoring Writing (WR 312) WR 320, WR 321,
Independent Writing Projects (WR 408) or WR 423 may be used for the minor. - Only one of the three Introduction to Literature courses (ENG 104, ENG 105, ENG 106) and transfer equivalents may be used to satisfy minor requirements.
- Research: [Topic] (ENG 401), Thesis (ENG 403), Reading and Conference: [Topic] (ENG 405) and College Composition I (WR 121),
College Composition II (WR 122), College Composition III (WR 123) may not be used to satisfy minor requirements.
Minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies
This interdisciplinary minor in comics and cartoon studies presents students with an international, historical, and critical perspective on the art of comics, from editorial cartoons to comic books to graphic novels. In taking courses for this minor, students will be required to think beyond accustomed disciplinary boundaries and to analyze and experiment with the interaction of visual and linguistic systems of meaning.
To qualify for the minor, students must take 24 credits of approved courses, including one required course, Introduction to Comic Studies (ENG 280). The remaining courses may be selected from the range of comics-related courses offered through the Departments of Art, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, Ethnic Studies, History of Art and Architecture, and Romance Languages, the Arts and Administration Program, and the School of Journalism and Communication. For details regarding these courses, students should consult the list of offerings available in the Department of English office or online at comics.uoregon.edu.
No more than 12 credits may be taken in lower-division courses, and course work must be passed with grades of mid-C or better.
Minor in Digital Humanities
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 250 | Literature and Digital Culture | 4 |
ENG 470 | Technologies and Texts Capstone | 4 |
Four Additional Courses: 1 | 16 | |
Understanding Contemporary Art | ||
Remix Cultures | ||
Digital Cinema | ||
Fluency with Information Technology | ||
Introduction to Web Programming | ||
Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving | ||
Special Studies in Computer Science: [Topic] | ||
Computer Science I | ||
Introduction to Film and Media | ||
Media Aesthetics | ||
Film, Media, and History | ||
Film, Media, and Culture | ||
Television Studies | ||
New Media and Digital Culture: [Topic] | ||
Our Digital Earth | ||
Society, Culture, and Place | ||
GIScience I | ||
GIScience II | ||
Geospatial Project Design | ||
GIScience: [Topic] | ||
Honors College Science | ||
Seminar: [Topic] | ||
Issues in Communication Studies: [Topic] | ||
Media and Society | ||
Media History | ||
Elements of Electronic Music | ||
Internet, Society, and Philosophy | ||
Mass Media and American Politics | ||
Politics and Film | ||
Sociology of the Mass Media | ||
Science, Technology, and Gender |
1 | Two classes must at the upper division level. To insure interdisciplinary, these four courses must come from at least two different departments. |
Minor in Disability Studies
Elizabeth Wheeler, Director
541-346-3929
238 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall
ewheeler@uoregon.edu
The minor in disability studies prepares students for a growing range of careers through study of disability and deaf cultures, politics, and histories in fields such as international development, health, design, sign language interpreting, education, and nonprofit management. The interdisciplinary program of study ranges across the university, and many courses fulfill university general-education, multicultural, and second-language requirements.
Course work required for the minor must be passed with grades of mid-C or better. At least 12 of the required 24 credits must be taken at the University of Oregon; at least 12 must be upper-division credits.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 240 | Introduction to Disability Studies | 4 |
or WGS 221 | Bodies and Power | |
Choose three from the following list of courses on social models: 1 | 12 | |
Introduction to Medical Anthropology | ||
Second-Year American Sign Language | ||
American Deaf Culture | ||
Communication Disorders in Society and Media | ||
Bodies in Comics | ||
Global Health and Development | ||
Medical Ethics | ||
Healthy Communities | ||
Culture and Mental Health | ||
Choose one from the following list of courses on career paths: 1 | 4 | |
Culture and Psychology | ||
Human Context of Design | ||
First-Year American Sign Language | ||
Understanding Contemporary Interiors | ||
Population Displacement and Global Health | ||
Health Policy | ||
Field work 2 | 4 | |
Total Credits | 24 |
1 | Visit disability.uoregon.edu for a full list of options. |
2 | Fieldwork gives students direct contact with disability and deaf communities, and ranges from self-designed internships to such options as adaptive skiing, community theater, and consultation with international advocates. |
Minor in Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Reasoning
The minor in writing, public speaking, and critical reasoning prepares undergraduates for active and effective participation in the complex, diverse, and ever-changing communicative situations they will face after graduation.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select two courses in writing from the following: 1 | 8 | |
College Composition III | ||
Scientific and Technical Writing | ||
Business Communications | ||
Theories of Literacy | ||
The Art of the Sentence | ||
Advanced Composition | ||
Select two courses in rhetoric from the following (at least one of which must be ENG 200 or ENG 330): 1 | 8 | |
Public Speaking as a Liberal Art 2 | ||
or ENG 330 | Oral Controversy and Advocacy | |
History of Rhetoric and Composition | ||
Modern Rhetorical Criticism | ||
Select two courses in reasoning from the following: 1 | 8 | |
Critical Reasoning | ||
Inventing Arguments | ||
Total Credits | 24 |
1 | Reasoning, Speaking, Writing (ENG 494), Internship: [Topic] (ENG 404) or Independent Writing Project (WR 198) may be taken to satisfy one course requirement. |
2 | If not already taken. |
Kindergarten through Secondary Teaching Careers
Students who complete a degree in English are eligible to apply to the College of Education’s fifth-year licensure program in middle-secondary teaching or the fifth-year licensure program in elementary teaching. More information is available from the department’s education advisors, Elizabeth Wheeler and Mary Wood; see also the College of Education section of this catalog.
Minor in Black Studies
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Core Course: | 4 | |
Introduction to African American Studies | ||
or ANTH 224M | Introduction to Anthropology of the African Diaspora | |
Roots - At least 12 credits from the following: 1 | 12 | |
Introduction to African American Literature | ||
African American History | ||
or HIST 251 | African American History | |
Special Studies: [Topic] | ||
Special Studies: [Topic] | ||
Routes - At least 12 credits from the following: 2 | 12 | |
Caribbean Societies | ||
Music, Politics, and Race | ||
Social Equity and Criminal Justice | ||
Caribbean Literature and Politics | ||
Race and Incarceration | ||
African American History to 1877: [Topic] | ||
or HIST 471 | African American History since 1877: [Topic] | |
Ethnic Literature: [Topic] | ||
or ENG 479 | Major Authors: [Topic] | |
Philosophy and Race | ||
20th-Century Latin American Literature: [Topic] | ||
Special Studies: [Topic] | ||
Total Credits | 28 |
1 | Following the successful completion of their gateway course and meeting with an advisor, students can decide if they want roots work in a combination of Anthropology, English, History, IRES, and WGSS lower-division courses. |
2 | Consult with your advisor to discuss routes coursework. |
Four-Year Degree Plan
The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.
Bachelor of Arts in English
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
WR 121 | College Composition I | 4 | |
First term of first-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
General-education course in science | 4 | ||
Lower-division elective course with ENG subject code | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Winter | |||
WR 122 or WR 123 |
College Composition II or College Composition III |
4 | |
Second term of first-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
General-education course in social science | 4 | ||
Lower-division elective course with ENG subject code | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Spring | |||
ENG 205 | Genre: [Topic] | Complete writing req | 4 |
Third term of first-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
General-education course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
General-education course in science | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Total Credits | 51 |
Second Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
ENG 205 | Genre: [Topic] | Begin Foundations of English Major seq | 4 |
ENG 303 | Foundations of the English Major: Text | 4 | |
First term of second-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
General-education course in social science | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Winter | |||
Second term of second-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
ENG 304 | English Major Foundations: Context | 4 | |
General-education course in science | 4 | ||
Multicultural course in American cultures or international cultures | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Spring | |||
ENG 209 | The Craft of the Sentence | 4 | |
ENG 305 | English Major Foundations: Theory | 4 | |
Third term of second-year second-language sequence | 5 | ||
General-education course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
Credits | 17 | ||
Total Credits | 51 |
Third Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
ENG 300 | Introduction to Literary Criticism | Completed Foundations of English Major seq | 4 |
FLR 320 | Car Cultures | Begin BA 2nd-language req | 4 |
ENG 340 | Jewish Writers | 4 | |
General-education course in social science | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
ENG 436 | Advanced Shakespeare | Completed English writing req | 4 |
General-education course in arts and letters | 4 | ||
General-education course in science | 4 | ||
Course on women writers chosen in consultation with advisor | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
ENG 407 | Seminar: [Topic] | 4 | |
ENG 427 | Chaucer | Completed BA language req | 4 |
General-education course in social science | 4 | ||
Multicultural course in international cultures | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |
Fourth Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
Upper-division elective course with ENG subject code | 4 | ||
Three elective courses | 12 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
Upper-division elective course with ENG subject code | 4 | ||
Three elective courses | 12 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
Four elective courses | 16 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |
Graduate Studies
The Department of English offers graduate study in English and American literature, film and television studies, folklore, critical theory, rhetoric and composition, cultural studies, popular culture, ecocriticism, ethnic literatures, gender studies, postcolonial studies, comic studies, disability studies. It offers the master of arts (MA) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees in English. Detailed descriptions of these programs and instructions about how to apply to the English graduate program are available on the department’s website.
Master of Arts Degree
The Department of English offers an MA for students who want to study beyond the BA but who do not plan to complete a PhD. Students whose goal is a doctorate should apply for admission to the department’s doctoral program (described below). Students who complete the MA program at the University of Oregon and want to enter the PhD program must reapply to the department for admission into that program.
The number of seats in the MA program is limited, and admission is competitive.
Admission Requirements
- An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 or, if the student has 12 or more credits of graduate work in English, a graduate GPA of 3.50 or better
- For nonnative speakers: a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based test
Admission Procedures
Information on applying to the graduate program may be obtained from the department website or from the department office. Application materials are submitted electronically at https://gradweb.uoregon.edu/online_app/application/guidelines1.asp. The following information is part of the application process and must be submitted electronically:
- Degree transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
- Contact information (names, e-mail addresses) for three people willing to write letters of recommendation
- A personal statement (500-word maximum) of background and objectives in pursuing the course of study
- A writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s ability in literary, film, folklore, or cultural studies (5,000-word maximum, including bibliography and notes)
In addition to the transcripts uploaded to the online application, official copies of transcripts should be mailed to the Office of the Registrar, 5257 University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1286.
Information about graduate employee (GE) opportunities may be found on the department website.
The application deadline for admission is January 15. Candidates are admitted only for fall term.
The completed file is reviewed by the department’s graduate admissions committee, which notifies the applicant of its decision. All admissions are conditional.
Master of Arts Degree Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 690 | Introduction to Graduate Studies in English | 5 |
Select one of the following: | ||
Pre-1500 course | ||
1500-1660 course | ||
1660–1800 course | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
19th-century course | ||
20th-century course | ||
Rhetoric or advanced theory course | ||
Nine formal 600-level seminars |
A master's thesis may be substituted for one elective seminar with the prior approval of the director of graduate studies in consultation with the faculty thesis advisor. The MA thesis is a substantial scholarly essay researched and written over two terms during the second year of study.
Graduate course work should be completed at the 600 level. Exceptions to this policy must be made in advance by the director of graduate studies in consultation with the individual faculty advisor.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 in all graduate course work at the UO is required for completion of the MA degree. At least nine courses must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon.
Students who have completed 12 graduate-level English courses (nine taken at the university), attained reading knowledge of one foreign language, and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better may apply for the MA degree with a specialty in English or American literature.
Language Requirement
Completion of the degree requires reading competence in one foreign language. Reading competence may be demonstrated by a B+ average in the yearlong Old English sequence; a grade of mid-B or better in the last term of a second-year language course or an approved 300-, 400-, or 600-level literature course with readings in the target language; scoring at required levels on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test; or passing the Toronto Medieval Latin examination at the master’s level.
Interdisciplinary MA
See the description of the Interdisciplinary Studies: Individualized Program (IS:IP) in the Graduate School section of this catalog.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Students who want to pursue a PhD at the University of Oregon should apply directly to the doctoral program. Students in the doctoral program who have not earned an MA prior to being admitted may receive the MA at the appropriate stage of their course of study, typically at the end of the second year (subject to the fulfillment of department and university MA requirements listed in the Graduate School section of this catalog).
The number of places in the PhD program is limited, and admission is competitive.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor of arts (BA) or a master of arts (MA) in English or a related field, with at least a 3.50 graduate grade point average (GPA)
- The submission of scores on the verbal and analytical writing sections of the general test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE); the score on the subject test for literature in English is optional
- For nonnative speakers: a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based version
Admission procedures are the same as for MA degrees. The application deadline is December 15; candidates are admitted only for fall term.
Residency Requirements
The Graduate School requires at least three years of full-time work beyond the bachelor’s degree for the doctorate with at least one year spent in continuous residence on the Eugene campus. The Graduate School requires three consecutive terms (fall, winter, spring) with a minimum of 9 graduate credits of formal course work per term for the PhD year of residency; graduate employees (GEs) must also enroll for a minimum of 9 graduate credits each term they hold a GE appointment.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 614 | Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory | 5 |
ENG 690 | Introduction to Graduate Studies in English | 5 |
Select two of the following: 1 | ||
Pre-1500 course | ||
1500-1660 course | ||
1660–1800 course | ||
Select two of the following: 1 | ||
19th century course | ||
20th century course | ||
Rhetoric or advanced theory course | ||
Twelve seminars 2 |
1 | Film and folklore courses are included under the appropriate time period. |
2 | The seminars, constituting the individual plan of study, may be distributed among any areas, and the plan must be approved by the student’s graduate faculty advisor and the director of graduate studies before the second year of study. |
Graduate course work should be completed at the 600 level. Exceptions to this policy must be made in advance by the director of graduate studies in consultation with the individual faculty advisor.
A cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better in all graduate work at the UO is the minimum requirement for satisfactory progress toward the PhD.
Second Language
The graduate language requirement for the doctoral degree is reading competence in two non-English languages or high proficiency in one. Reading competence may be demonstrated in each of two foreign languages as specified under the language requirement for the MA degree. High proficiency may be demonstrated by a grade of A– or better in an approved 400-, 500-, or 600-level literature course, with readings in the target language; scoring at the required levels on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test; or passing the Toronto Medieval Latin examination at the PhD level.
Students may petition the graduate committee to test in languages that don’t fit the above criteria.
Teaching
Doctoral candidates must have experience as classroom teachers in the department before they receive the degree.
Structured Emphasis
Students may define their individual plan of study according to one of seven structured emphasis options: ethnic literary studies, film studies, folklore, literature and the environment, medieval studies, poetry and poetics, or rhetoric and composition. Each emphasis has a focused set of courses and a special section.
Breadth Examination
Doctoral candidates must take the PhD breadth examination at the beginning of the third year of study, or, if they enter with 6 or more transfer credits, at the beginning of the second year of study. The student and the student’s advisor select two examination fields chosen for proximity to and/or importance for the separate, primary research field and project. These fields may provide broad familiarity with readings, texts, or methods that will inform dissertation research, and may also develop areas of relevant professional or teaching competence. They may include historical fields adjacent to the primary research field; genres; or areas of critical theory. The examination includes written (take-home) and oral components based on reading lists generated by the student in consultation with faculty examiners and approved by the Graduate Committee. A student must pass the breadth examination in order to take the PhD major field examination, administered the following year. Students who fail either written portion of the breadth examination do not take the oral portion until they have retaken and passed the failed written part; retakes will occur at the end of that term, postponing the PhD major field examination to the following term.
Major Field Examination
After students in the PhD program have completed their course work, they must take a two-and-a-half-hour major field examination. Typically taken fall term following completion of all course work and the language requirement, the major field examination provides each student with the opportunity to present and defend a short paper on a topic related to the dissertation. The examination also allows the student to demonstrate expertise in his or her field of specialization. It is divided into two parts:
- A discussion of a relatively broad field of study that provides a context for the topic or problem examined in part two
- A prepared presentation by the student on a topic or problem of the student’s choice that is related to the dissertation, followed by a discussion of that topic
The topic and areas covered by the major field examination are defined, in the form of a project description and reading list, by the student in consultation with an advisor or advisors and must be approved by the English department graduate committee. As a supplement to the major field examination, a student may choose to complete a one- to two-hour written examination on part two. The major field examination may be retaken only once.
PhD Dissertation
After completing all other degree requirements, the candidate should consult with a faculty advisor willing to work in the area of the student’s interest and submit a dissertation prospectus for approval by the student’s dissertation committee. Once the prospectus is approved by the committee and the director of graduate studies, the student is advanced to candidacy. A three-year period for completion of the dissertation begins when the Graduate School approves the advancement to candidacy.
The dissertation may be a work of literary, film, folklore, or linguistic scholarship or, with the approval of the committee, a collection of three substantial essays exhibiting internal coherence though not necessarily treating a single subject. The candidate gives an oral presentation or defense of the dissertation when it is completed and found acceptable by the committee.
Certificate in Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Reasoning
The English department's certificate in writing, public speaking, and critical reasoning is available to all University of Oregon undergraduates in any minor.
A certificate in writing, public speaking, and critical reasoning requires 36 credits as follows:
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select three courses in writing (at least one at the 400 level): | 12 | |
Theories of Literacy | ||
The Art of the Sentence | ||
College Composition III | ||
Scientific and Technical Writing | ||
Business Communications | ||
Advanced Composition | ||
Select three courses in rhetoric (at least one of which must be ENG 200 or ENG 330): | 12 | |
Public Speaking as a Liberal Art | ||
or ENG 330 | Oral Controversy and Advocacy | |
History of Rhetoric and Composition | ||
Modern Rhetorical Criticism | ||
Select two courses in reasoning: | 8 | |
Inventing Arguments | ||
Critical Reasoning | ||
One capstone course: | 4 | |
Reasoning, Speaking, Writing 1 | ||
Total Credits | 36 |
English Courses

ENG 104. Introduction to Literature: Fiction. 4 Credits.
Works representing the principal literary genres.

ENG 105. Introduction to Literature: Drama. 4 Credits.
Works representing the principal literary genres.

ENG 106. Introduction to Literature: Poetry. 4 Credits.
Works representing the principal literary genres.

ENG 107. World Literature. 4 Credits.
Reading and analysis of selected works in a global survey of ancient literatures, 2500 BCE–1500 CE.

ENG 108. World Literature. 4 Credits.
Reading and analysis of selected works in a global survey of the early modern period to the industrial revolution, 1500 CE–1789 CE.

ENG 110M. Introduction to Film and Media. 4 Credits.
Introduction to film and media studies and various methods of critical analysis. Multilisted with CINE 110M.

ENG 199. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable three times.

ENG 200. Public Speaking as a Liberal Art. 4 Credits.
Study and practice of public speaking as grounded in the five rhetorical canons of invention, arrangement, style, delivery, and memory.
Prereq: WR 122 or equivalent.

ENG 200M. Temporary Multilisted Course. 4 Credits.

ENG 205. Genre: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Traces the historical development and transformations of key genres for the study of English and American literature and culture, including canonical and popular literary as well as media forms. Repeatable once for a maximum of 8 credits when topic changes.

ENG 207. Shakespeare. 4 Credits.
The major plays in chronological order with emphasis on the early and middle plays through "Hamlet."

ENG 208. Shakespeare. 4 Credits.
The major plays in chronological order with emphasis on the later plays beginning with "Twelfth Night."

ENG 209. The Craft of the Sentence. 4 Credits.
Study of basic sentence mechanics, grammatical terminology, and the conventions of punctuation. Includes some historical background on the development of English grammar. Students cannot receive credit for both ENG 209 and LING 494.

ENG 225. Age of King Arthur. 4 Credits.
Introduction to the literature of the Middle Ages set against the backdrop of medieval culture.

ENG 230. Introduction to Environmental Literature. 4 Credits.
Introduction to literature that examines the human place in the natural world. Consideration of how writers understand environmental crises and scientific ideas of their generation.

ENG 240. Introduction to Disability Studies. 4 Credits.
Introduces students to central concepts and essential texts in disability studies and applies them to literary and cultural texts, with a focus on racial diversity and learning directly from writers and scholars who experience a wide spectrum of bodymind variabilities.

ENG 241. Introduction to African American Literature. 4 Credits.
African American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts.

ENG 242. Introduction to Asian American Literature. 4 Credits.
Asian American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts.

ENG 243. Introduction to Chicano and Latino Literature. 4 Credits.
Chicano and Latino literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts.

ENG 244. Introduction to Native American Literature. 4 Credits.
Native American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts.

ENG 250. Literature and Digital Culture. 4 Credits.
This course will focus on the intersection of digital culture and literary studies. Students will learn how to use digital tools to study literature. Simultnaeously, they will use literary analysis approaches to study contemporary digital culture.

ENG 260M. Media Aesthetics. 4 Credits.
Introduction to the analysis of form and style in cinema and related media, focusing on narrative, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, and sound. Multilisted with CINE 260M.

ENG 280. Introduction to Comic Studies. 4 Credits.
Introduction to the art of comics and the methodologies of comics studies.

ENG 300. Introduction to Literary Criticism. 4 Credits.
Various techniques and approaches to literary criticism (e.g., historical, feminist, formalist, deconstructionist, Freudian, Marxist, semiotic) and their applications.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 303. Foundations of the English Major: Text. 4 Credits.
Chronological study of literary and media works in English, beginnings to the present, emphasizing analytic reading and writing skills.

ENG 304. English Major Foundations: Context. 4 Credits.
Chronological study of literary and media works in English, from beginnings to the present, emphasizing their cultural and historical contexts.
Prereq: ENG 205, ENG 303.

ENG 305. English Major Foundations: Theory. 4 Credits.
Chronological study of literary and media works in English, beginnings to the present, emphasizing analytic reading and writing skills.
Prereq: ENG 205.

ENG 313. Teen and Children's Literature. 4 Credits.
Books for young readers, their social implications and historical context, from the 19th century to the present.

ENG 315. Women Writers' Cultures: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Women's writing in a particular cultural matrix (race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, region, religion) examined in the context of feminist literary theories. Repeatable three times when topic changes.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 316. Women Writers' Forms: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Women's writing in a particular genre or form (prose, fiction, drama, poetry, autobiography, folksong) examined in the context of current feminist literary theories. Repeatable three times when topic changes.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 321. English Novel. 4 Credits.
Rise of the novel from Defoe to Austen.

ENG 322. English Novel. 4 Credits.
Rise of the novel from Scott to Hardy.

ENG 323. English Novel. 4 Credits.
Rise in the novel from Conrad to the present.

ENG 325. Literature of the Northwest. 4 Credits.
Survey of significant Pacific Northwest literature as set against the principles of literary regionalism. Offered alternate years.
Prereq: Sophomore standing.

ENG 330. Oral Controversy and Advocacy. 4 Credits.
In-depth study of the habits of research, reasoning, selection, and presentation necessary for ethical and effective oral advocacy on contested topics. Not open to freshmen.
Prereq: WR 122 or equivalent.

ENG 335. Inventing Arguments. 4 Credits.
Analysis and use of patterns of reasoning derived from the disciplines of rhetoric, informal logic, cognitive science, and the theory of argumentation.
Prereq: WR 122 or WR 123.

ENG 340. Jewish Writers. 4 Credits.
Forms and varieties of fiction, poetry, and drama by Jewish writers from the 19th century to the present.

ENG 352. Shakespeare on Page and Stage. 4 Credits.
Intermediate-level study of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Supplements traditional lectures and texts with acting workshops, film, live theater viewings, and student performances.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 360. African American Writers. 4 Credits.
Examines the origins and development of African American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 361. Native American Writers. 4 Credits.
Examines the origins and development of Native American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts. Course will be taught once or more per academic year.
Prereq: Sophomore standing.

ENG 362. Asian American Writers. 4 Credits.
Examines the origins and development of Asian American literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts. Course will be taught once or more per academic year.
Prereq: Sophomore standing.

ENG 363. Chicano and Latino Writers. 4 Credits.
Examines the origins and development of Chicano and Latino literature and culture in relevant intellectual, social, and historical contexts. Course will be taught once or more per academic year.
Prereq: Sophomore standing.

ENG 364. Comparative Ethnic American Literatures. 4 Credits.
Comparative examination of major issues in African, Asian, Chicano, and Native American literatures and cultures in relevant contexts. Course will be taught once or more per academic year.
Prereq: Sophomore standing.

ENG 365. Global Literatures in English. 4 Credits.
Examination of non-U.S. and non-British authors writing in English in relation to the historical, cultural, and intellectual contexts of their native countries.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 380. Film, Media, and History. 4 Credits.
Study of the history of institutions and industries that shape production and reception of film and media.

ENG 381M. Film, Media, and Culture. 4 Credits.
Study of film and media as aesthetic objects shaped by a broad range of identity categories, reflecting communities identified by class, gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. Multilisted with CINE 381M.

ENG 385. Graphic Narratives and Cultural Theory. 4 Credits.
Survey of 20th- and 21st- century graphic novels in the context of cultural theory. Sophomore standing required. Offered alternate years.

ENG 386. Bodies in Comics. 4 Credits.
Examines questions and representations of bodily identity in comics through the lenses of disability studies and gender theory.

ENG 391. American Novel. 4 Credits.
Development of the American novel from its beginnings to 1900.

ENG 392. American Novel. 4 Credits.
Development of the American novel from 1900 to present.

ENG 394. 20th-Century Literature. 4 Credits.
Modern literature from American, British, and European cultures, 1890 to 1945. Significant works of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction in relation to intellectual and historical developments.

ENG 395. 20th-Century Literature. 4 Credits.
Modern literature from American, British, and European cultures, 1945 to present. Significant works of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction in relation to intellectual and historical developments.

ENG 399. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable up to four times.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

ENG 400M. Temporary Multilisted Course. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 401. Research: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 403. Thesis. 1-12 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 404. Internship: [Topic]. 1-6 Credits.
On- or off-campus internship in a variety of writing or literacy-related settings in connection with designated courses. Repeatable.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 405. Reading and Conference: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 407. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Selected seminars offered each year. Repeatable up to five times.

ENG 408. Workshop: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.twice.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 410. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Selected topics offered each year. Reapeatable nine times.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 413. Theories of Literacy. 4 Credits.
Approaches to literacy through literary theory, rhetoric and cultural studies. Examines issues involved with school and community literacy.
Pre- or coreq: ENG 404 Internship: Community Literacy; junior standing.

ENG 419. Contemporary Literary Theory. 4 Credits.
Developments in critical thinking after the New Criticism.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 420. The Art of the Sentence. 4 Credits.
Analysis of English grammar and style in literary and academic contexts. Offered alternate years.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 423. The Age of Beowulf. 4 Credits.
A reading of Anglo-Saxon literature and culture as the intersection of Germanic, Celtic, and Christian traditions. Readings include Irish epic, Welsh romance, Norse mythology, and Icelandic saga.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 425. Medieval Romance. 4 Credits.
Study of selected romances in the context of European intellectual and social history. May include elementary linguistic introduction to Middle English.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 427. Chaucer. 4 Credits.
Close textual study of selected Canterbury Tales in Middle English; instruction in the grammar and pronunciation of Chaucer's language.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 428. Old English I. 4 Credits.
Introduction to Old English language. Sequence with ENG 429, 430.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 429. Old English II: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Study of Old English prose or poetry in the original language. Sequence with ENG 428, 430. Repeatable twice when topic changes.
Prereq: ENG 428.

ENG 430. Old English III: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Study of Beowulf or works by other major Old English authors in the original language. Sequence with ENG 428, 429. Repeatable twice when topic changes.
Prereq: ENG 429

ENG 434. Spenser. 4 Credits.
Examines the works of Edmund Spenser.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 436. Advanced Shakespeare. 4 Credits.
Detailed study of selected plays, poetry, or both.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 440. 17th-Century Poetry and Prose. 4 Credits.
Poetry from the Metaphysicals and Jonson to the Restoration; prose from Burton and Bacon to Hobbes and Milton.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 457. Victorian Literature and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Exploration of major works, figures, controversies, social and cultural issues. Readings in Victorian fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfictional prose; study of examples of the visual arts and popular culture. Repeatable when topic changes for maximum of 8 credits.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 462. American Literature, 1800-1900. 4 Credits.
Readings primarily in American poetry, nonfiction prose, drama, and fiction.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 468. Ethnic Literature: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Advanced study of one or more authors or literary genres related to ethnic literature including African, Native, Asian, or Chicano American. Repeatable twice when topic changes for a maximum of 12 credits.
Prereq: junior standing.

ENG 469. Literature and the Environment: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
In-depth study of various topics related to literature and the environment including Bioart/Bioethics, Biosemiotics, Critical Animal Studies, Food Culture, Ideas of Wilderness, Rhetoric of Nature Writing, Virtual Ecologies. Repeatable thrice when topic changes for maximum of 16 credits.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 470. Technologies and Texts Capstone. 4 Credits.
This course examines the way humanities disciplines use digital technologies to forge a new role in the public sphere, exploring how digital and print cultures (re)shape forms of cultural expression and knowledge production. Students will create their own digital projects in this course.
Prereq: ENG 250 with a grade of C.

ENG 475. Modern Poetry. 4 Credits.
20th-century British and American poetry with emphasis on the modernist period, 1910–45. Representative authors include Yeats, Stein, Pound, Eliot, H. D., Williams, and Stevens.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 479. Major Authors: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
In-depth study of one to three major authors from medieval through modern periods. Repeatable three times.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 480. Modern American Superhero. 4 Credits.
Examination of the path of the American comic book superhero and an exploration of the ways in which that journey reflects large processes of social change.

ENG 485. Television Studies. 4 Credits.
Study of television's institutional contents and representational practices, including such television genres as serials, news, and reality TV. Offered alternate years.

ENG 488. Race and Representation in Film: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Screening, interpretation, and analysis of films from developing non-European cultures and by people of color. Mechanisms of racism in dominant U.S. media. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 12 credits.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 492. History of Rhetoric and Composition. 4 Credits.
History of rhetoric as related to the theory and practice of writing, relations between rhetoric and poetics, and rhetorical criticism through the 19th century.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 493. Modern Rhetorical Criticism. 4 Credits.
Theoretical topics addressed by 20th-century rhetorical critics. Varieties of rhetorical interpretation, from neo-Aristotelian to reader-response, postmodernist views of metaphor.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 494. Reasoning, Speaking, Writing. 4 Credits.
Application of advanced study in argumentation theory, particularly procedural standards of rationality developed in recent argumentation studies, to selected public policy controversies.

ENG 496. Feminist Film Criticism: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Critical analysis of film and television texts from a feminist perspective. Repeatable when topic changes.
Prereq: Junior standing.

ENG 503. Thesis. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 507. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Selected seminars offered each year. Repeatable up to seven times.

ENG 508. Workshop: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 510. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Selected topics offered each year. Repeatable nine times.

ENG 513. Theories of Literacy. 4 Credits.
Approaches to literacy through literary theory, rhetoric and cultural studies. Examines issues involved with school and community literacy.
Pre- or coreq: ENG 604.

ENG 519. Contemporary Literary Theory. 4 Credits.
Developments in critical thinking after the New Criticism.

ENG 520. The Art of the Sentence. 4 Credits.
Analysis of English grammar and style in literary and academic contexts. Offered alternate years.

ENG 528. Old English I. 4 Credits.
Introduction to Old English language. Sequence with ENG 529, 530.

ENG 529. Old English II: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Study of Old English prose or poetry in the original language. Sequence with ENG 528, 530. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 12 credits when topic changes.
Prereq: ENG 4/528.

ENG 530. Old English III: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Study of Beowulf or works by other major Old English authors in the original language. Sequence with ENG 528, 529. Repeatable twice when topic changes.
Prereq: ENG 4/529.

ENG 534. Spenser. 4 Credits.
Examines the works of Edmund Spenser.

ENG 536. Advanced Shakespeare. 4 Credits.
Detailed study of selected plays, poetry, or both.

ENG 540. 17th-Century Poetry and Prose. 4 Credits.
Poetry from the Metaphysicals and Jonson to the Restoration; prose from Burton and Bacon to Hobbes and Milton.

ENG 542. Milton. 4 Credits.
"Paradise Lost," "Paradise Regained," and "Samson Agonistes."

ENG 548. Restoration and 18th-Century Literature. 4 Credits.
Johnson and his circle; classic to romantic; relations between England and the Enlightenment in France.

ENG 555. English Romantic Writers. 4 Credits.
Romantic thought and expression. The second generation including Byron, Keats, Mary and Percy Shelley.

ENG 557. Victorian Literature and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Exploration of major works, figures, controversies, social and cultural issues. Readings in Victorian fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfictional prose; study of examples of the visual arts and popular culture. Repeatable when topic changes for maximum of 8 credits.

ENG 562. American Literature, 1800-1900. 4 Credits.
Readings primarily in American poetry, nonfiction prose, drama, and fiction.

ENG 568. Ethnic Literature: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Advanced study of one or more authors or literary genres related to ethnic literature including African, Native, Asian, or Chicano American. Repeatable twice when topic changes for a maximum of 12 credits.

ENG 569. Literature and the Environment: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
In-depth study of various topics related to literature and the environment including Bioart/Bioethics, Biosemiotics, Critical Animal Studies, Food Culture, Ideas of Wilderness, Rhetoric of Nature Writing, Virtual Ecologies. Repeatable thrice when topic changes for maximum of 16 credits.

ENG 570. Technologies and Texts Capstone. 4 Credits.
This course examines the way humanities disciplines use digital technologies to forge a new role in the public sphere, exploring how digital and print cultures (re)shape forms of cultural expression and knowledge production. Students will create their own digital projects in this course.

ENG 575. Modern Poetry. 4 Credits.
20th-century British and American poetry with emphasis on the modernist period, 1910–45. Representative authors include Yeats, Stein, Pound, Eliot, H. D., Williams, and Stevens.

ENG 579. Major Authors. 4 Credits.
In depth study of one to three major authors from medieval through modern periods. Repeatable three times.

ENG 580. Modern American Superhero. 4 Credits.
Examination of the path of the American comic book superhero and an exploration of the ways in which that journey reflects large processes of social change.

ENG 585. Television Studies. 4 Credits.
Study of television's institutional contents and representational practices, including such television genres as serials, news, and reality TV. Offered alternate years.

ENG 588. Race and Representation in Film: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Screening, interpretation, and analysis of films from developing non-European cultures and by people of color. Mechanisms of racism in dominant U.S. media. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 12 credits.

ENG 592. History of Rhetoric and Composition. 4 Credits.
History of rhetoric as related to the theory and practice of writing, relations between rhetoric and poetics, and rhetorical criticism through the 19th century.

ENG 593. Modern Rhetorical Criticism. 4 Credits.
Theoretical topics addressed by 20th-century rhetorical critics. Varieties of rhetorical interpretation, from neo-Aristotelian to reader-response, postmodernist views of metaphor.

ENG 596. Feminist Film Criticism: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Critical analysis of film and television texts from a feminist perspective. Repeatable when topic changes.

ENG 601. Research: [Topic]. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 602. Supervised College Teaching. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 603. Dissertation. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 604. Internship: [Topic]. 1-6 Credits.
Repeatable. On- or off-campus internship in a variety of writing or literacy-related settings.

ENG 605. Reading and Conference: [Topic]. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 607. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Selected seminars offered each year. Repeatable up to seven times.

ENG 608. Workshop: [Topic]. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ENG 609. Terminal Project. 1-16 Credits.

ENG 610. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable nine times.

ENG 611. Composition Graduate Teaching Fellow Seminar I. 1-3 Credits.
Issues in pedagogy related to the university's writing requirement.

ENG 612. Composition Graduate Teaching Fellow Seminar II. 1-3 Credits.
Discussions designed to increase the effectiveness of first-year graduate teaching fellows as teachers of courses that fulfill the university's writing requirement.

ENG 613. Graduate Teaching Fellow Composition Apprenticeship. 1-3 Credits.
Supervised practical experience in all aspects of teaching WR 121, 122.
Prereq: ENG 611 or equivalent.

ENG 614. Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 5 Credits.
Introduces students to a number of the most important and influential developments in 20th-century literary and cultural theory. Graduate seminar.

ENG 615. Advanced Studies in Literary Theory: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Intensive study of one to three major theorists or a significant theoretical problem. Repeatable up to 4 times.

ENG 620. Medieval Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Recent offerings include Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, Humor and Vulgarity in Medieval Literature. Repeatable.

ENG 630. Renaissance Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Recent offerings include Hamlet, Jacobean Potboilers, Renaissance Irrationalities. Repeatable.

ENG 645. 18th-Century Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Intensive study of one to three major authors or selected topics from the 18th century. Recent offerings include Enlightenment and Revolution. Repeatable.

ENG 650. 19th-Century Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Recent topics include Scottish Fiction and Cultural Nationalism, Heroine and the English Novel. Repeatable.

ENG 660. American Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Recent offerings include African American Women Writers, Evolutionary Theories and Narrative, Sentimental Novel, V. Deloria and Native American Cultural Values. Repeatable.

ENG 670. Modern Literature: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Recent offerings include H. James, Modernist Politics, Environmental Humanities, Postmodernism. Repeatable.

ENG 690. Introduction to Graduate Studies in English. 5 Credits.
Examination of selected professional, methodological, and theoretical issues.

ENG 691. Composition Theory: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Intensive study of topics related to rhetorical theory and the teaching of writing. Repeatable.

ENG 695. Film Studies: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Intensive study of selected topics related to film studies and literature. Recent topics include Introduction to Film Theory; Feminism, Comedy, and the Carnivalesque; Melodrama. Repeatable three times.
Writing Courses

WR 121. College Composition I. 4 Credits.
Written reasoning as discovery and inquiry. Frequent essays explore relationship of thesis to structure and audience. Strong focus on the process of revising. Regular work on editing.
Prereq: SAT Reading or SAT Writing score below 37, or SAT verbal score below 710 if taken before March 2016, or ACT verbal score below 32, or equivalent.

WR 122. College Composition II. 4 Credits.
Written reasoning as a process of argument. Developing and supporting theses in response to complex questions. Attention to critical reading in academic setting. Continuing focus on revising and editing.
Prereq: WR 121 or equivalent.

WR 123. College Composition III. 4 Credits.
Written reasoning in the context of research. Practice in writing documented essays based on the use of sources. Continuing focus on revising and editing.
Prereq: WR 121 or equivalent.

WR 195. Writing Tutorial. 1 Credit.
Provides students concurrently enrolled in WR 121 with one-on-one tutoring. Enrollment priority based on entrance exam (SAT or ACT) scores. Repeatable once.
Coreq: WR 121.

WR 198. Independent Writing Project. 1-3 Credits.
Supervised writing projects in nonfiction prose. Repeatable up to five times.
Prereq: WR 122 or equivalent.

WR 199. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable up to five times.

WR 312. Principles of Tutoring Writing. 4 Credits.
The practice and ethics of tutoring writing in the context of writing in various academic disciplines. Theories of teaching, tutoring techniques, and assessment of writing.

WR 320. Scientific and Technical Writing. 4 Credits.
Emphasis on form, function, and style of scientific, professional, and technical writing; weekly writing assignments include proposals, reports, definitions, instructions, summaries. Use of documentation in publication.
Prereq: completion of university writing requirement; junior standing.

WR 321. Business Communications. 4 Credits.
Practice in writing and analyzing internal and external messages common to business, industry, and professions. Suggested for business and management students.
Prereq: completion of university writing requirement; junior standing.

WR 399. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: sophomore standing.

WR 408. Independent Writing Projects. 1-3 Credits.
Supervised writing projects in nonfiction prose. Repeatable up to five times.

WR 410. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: Junior standing.

WR 423. Advanced Composition. 4 Credits.
Emphasis on critical thinking skills and rhetorical strategies for advanced written reasoning in different academic disciplines.
Prereq: Completion of University Writing Requirement; junior standing.

WR 508. Independent Writing Projects. 1-3 Credits.
Supervised writing projects in nonfiction prose. Repeatable up to five times.

WR 510. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.