Department of English

CLS 165. Introduction to World Literature. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce students to literature representative of both Western and non-Western cultures and can be taken as an alternative to LIT 165. Not open to English majors.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Humanities Distributive, Writing Emphasis

CLS 199. Comparative Literature Studies, English Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

CLS 201. Classical Greco Roman Myth in 20th Century Arts. 3 Credits.

The study of Greeks and Roman mythology and its' influence on 20th and 21st century Western culture.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

CLS 203. African Studies. 3 Credits.

This course studies African culture through literature, anthropology, and history. It focuses on the socio-cultural and historical contexts of African writing through the colonial and postcolonial periods.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities

CLS 259. Women's Literature II. 3 Credits.

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

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities

CLS 260. World Literature I. 3 Credits.

A survey of world literary texts from pre-classical times to 1600.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Humanities Distributive, Writing Emphasis

CLS 261. World Literature II. 3 Credits.

A survey of world literary texts from 1600 to the present.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

CLS 270. Life, Death, and Disease. 3 Credits.

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

Gen Ed Attribute: Health Humanities Pathway, Interdisciplinary, Writing Emphasis

CLS 333. Latina Writing. 3 Credits.

An examination of the literary works produced by Latinas in the 20th century. The study of this literature will include a cross-cultural approach that will elucidate sociopolitical themes emerging from the texts.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Spanish Culture Cluster

CLS 334. Earth Words/Sustaining Stories. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on hearing and telling climate change stories in multiple genres. How can cross-cultural, cross-genre or cross-era stories move society toward climate justice, resilience, and adaption?

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis, Sustainability Pathway

CLS 335. Latino Literature in the U.S.. 3 Credits.

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

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Spanish Culture Cluster

Equivalent courses: ESP 335

CLS 350. Computer Applications in the Humanities. 3 Credits.

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

CLS 365. African American Film. 3 Credits.

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

CLS 367. Classical Greco Roman Mythology. 3 Credits.

A survey of Greek and Roman mythology from Homer to Ovid.

CLS 368. Greco Roman, Culture, Myth & Society. 3 Credits.

The study of the Trojan War myth cycle in Greek and Roman mythology through literature, history, and art from Homer through the Latin Middle Ages and the way this myth reflects the culture and society of the texts in question.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

CLS 371. Law and Disorder in Literature. 3 Credits.

A look at the presentational aspects of law, legal writing and oral argument, its constructions in narrative-law as literature and literature as law, and the relationship of law to anthropology, psychology, history, and sociology.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

CRW 199. Creative Writing Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

CRW 201. Introduction to Creative Writing. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the craft of writing poetry and fiction. Basic discussion of terms, strategies, and professional models in each genre. Practice in writing and critiquing each genre.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

CRW 202. Creative Writing I. 3 Credits.

Writing experience in the crafts of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 203. Narrative and Lyric Forms. 3 Credits.

The course provides instruction in narrative and/or lyrical forms in prose and poetry, depending on instructor, and includes analysis of structure. Students will gain writing experience in narrative and/or lyrical modes.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 301. Poetry Workshop I. 3 Credits.

The theory and practice of poetry and the exploration of verse forms. Practice in critical and interpretative analysis of poems written by fellow students and professional poets.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 302. Poetry Workshop II. 3 Credits.

The theory and practice of poetry and the exploration of verse forms. Practice in critical and interpretative analysis of poems written by fellow students and professional poets.

CRW 302 Prerequisite: Sucessful completion of one of the following: CRW 201, CRW 202, CRW 203, CRW 301, CRW 303, or CRW 305.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 303. Short Story Workshop I. 3 Credits.

Crafting the modern short story with reference to American and British models. The significance of setting, atmosphere, characterization, and theme. Discussion and some exploration of experimental ideas in the genre.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 304. Short Story Workshop II. 3 Credits.

Crafting the modern short story with reference to American and British models. The significance of setting, atmosphere, characterization, and theme. Discussion and some exploration of experimental ideas in the genre.

CRW 304 Prerequisite: Successful completion CRW 201, CRW 202, CRW 203, CRW 301, CRW 303, or CRW 305.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Repeatable for credit.

CRW 305. Creative Nonfiction Workshop I. 3 Credits.

An exploration of the creative nonfiction genre, with a focus not only on writing and craft but also on analyzing the larger questions and contexts surrounding the genre (i.e. truth, authenticity, history and definitions of the genre, ethics of representation).

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Repeatable for credit.

CRW 306. Creative Nonfiction Workshop II. 3 Credits.

A continued exploration of the history, theory and craft of the creative nonfiction genre, but with a focus on analyzing and writing various essay styles. Students will be encouraged to concentrate on one specific form (i.e. radio essay, flash nonfiction, hybrid or graphic forms, the lyric or braided essay, environmental writing, travel writing, memoir)

CRW 306 Prerequisite: Completion of one of the following: CRW 201, CRW 202, CRW 203, CRW 301, CRW 303, or CRW 305.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

CRW 400. Writing Seminar. 3 Credits.

Special topics, such as fantasy, science fiction, longer prose works, or the anti-story. To be announced.

Repeatable for credit.

CRW 490. Writing Seminar in the Novel I. 3 Credits.

A course in the writing and preparing of book-length manuscripts (novel, novella, and the 'nonfictional' novel) with the intention of submission for publication. Also includes coverage of fictional aspects and techniques used in writing memoirs, biography, and current history.

CRW 491. Creative Writing Workshop in the Long Form. 3 Credits.

An upper-division creative writing course that asks students to write in and analyze the longer forms of creative texts. The class will be a variable genre course, some semesters focusing on prose forms of fiction, some semesters prose forms in non-fiction, and some semesters in longer forms of poetry. Students should consult with faculty member at the beginning of the semester to ensure the genre of focus for that given semester.

ENG 199. English Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

ENG 201. Introduction to English Studies. 3 Credits.

This course is an introduction to the English Studies discipline and its many sub-fields of inquiry. It emphasizes interpretation and production of textual genres. Students examine how their reading and writing strategies affect their interpretation and production of texts.

ENG 201 Prerequisite: English majors only.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 202. Research Methods for English Studies. 3 Credits.

This course teaches core research skills using exciting and varied real research topics by practicing scholars in the department. Students will consider the ethics of responsible research and analysis, and they will learn the fundamentals of library and internet research, document analysis, and rigorous evidence-based writing, including their grasp of academic writing in English. English scholars draw upon a wide range of fields and disciplines and embrace various research methodologies, and research in English is more than just locating and synthesizing peer-reviewed scholarship. Students will therefore also be introduced to at least one other method of research, for example archival, ethnographic, or digital humanities methods. They will also be taught the moves that writers of academic research writing often make. As students synthesize research into their writing, they will negotiate those moves to develop further their academic voices.

ENG 202 Prerequisite: English majors only.

ENG 206. Black Critical Theory. 3 Credits.

This course explores the political, social, cultural, and historical factors that influenced the development of twentieth century Black Critical Theory. Students will develop an awareness of critical, theoretical, and rhetorical approaches to textual analysis that are central to the field of English Studies as they learn about crucial moments in African American and Diasporic history and culture such as The Harlem Renaissance, The Realist/Protest Movement, The Civil Rights Era/Black Arts Movement, and The Feminist/Womanist Movement.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 215. Views on Literacy. 3 Credits.

The historical and social contexts of English literacy. Emphasis on writing.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

ENG 240. Language, Gender, and Sexuality. 3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the study of language as a resource for the production of gender and sexuality. Discussion of popular beliefs and scholarly theories about language and communication.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

ENG 270. Book History: Introduction. 3 Credits.

This course studies the history of the creation, production, distribution, circulation, and reception of the written word. As it traces how authorship, reading, publishing, and the physical properties of texts have altered over time, the course examines, both historically and analytically, the intellectual, social and cultural impact of changing communications technologies against the backdrop of our current digital age.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 280. Introduction to Digital Humanities. 3 Credits.

An introduction to new media, digital humanities, and computational approaches to literature and writing, with a survey of theories, methodologies, and current critical practices.

ENG 280 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 120 or WRT 123.

ENG 295. Histories and Texts. 3 Credits.

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

ENG 296. Theory & Criticism in English Studies. 3 Credits.

Students will examine major theoretical approaches to working with texts with an emphasis on how the relationship between meaning and text is conceived by different critical theories. This course also provides students with an overview of the intellectual lineage that subtends modern and postmodern theory in the humanities, highlighting the ways in which postmodern theory came to challenge earlier aesthetic and philosophical movements, such as pre-sophist, Greco-Roman, Medieval, Modern, Romantic, and Enlightenment traditions in Western European cultures. The course helps students to both understand and challenge the dominance of Western Culture in English Studies altogether by exploring comparative non-western aesthetic and philosophical movements.

ENG 296 Prerequisite: English majors only.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 310. Environmental Rhetoric and Advocacy. 3 Credits.

The focus of this course will be environmental rhetoric and advocacy. Environmental rhetoric refers to the intersection of language and thought about the ecological environment, including how nature and environmental have historically been constructed in human culture, how the environmental issues we face today are bound to those historic constructions, and how we can use language to advocate for healthier and more sustainable environment futures through writing. The course is organized into three units that reflect this focus: environmental past, environmental present, and environmental future(s). Students will draw from analytic and methodological traditions in the humanities and English Studies to understand environmental history. They learn to apply rhetorical framing, including narrative framing and metaphoric framing as a lens for interpreting contemporary environmental texts, and we will learn genres of advocacy writing to participate in creation of a more sustainable environmental future.

ENG 310 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 200.

Gen Ed Attribute: Sustainability Pathway, Writing Emphasis

ENG 320. Usability & User Experience. 3 Credits.

Introduction to usability and user experience in the development and revision of websites, including issues of accessibility.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 325. Stylistics: The Language of Literature. 3 Credits.

This course examines the interface between language and literature, exploring the language of literary texts through linguistic methodologies. Students will address two central questions: “What is style?” and “How do texts mean?” Students will learn to identify and analyze specific linguistic features and use them to interpret the meaning of texts. Topics include cohesion, transitivity, modality, point of view, speech and thought representation, and metaphor. Students will study a range of literary texts, including drama, poetry, and prose from various literary periods, and draw connections to the analysis and understanding of contemporary media. Discussions will also cover how advertisements persuade audiences, the characteristics of strong versus weak writing, and the use of persuasive language in political and media discourse.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Equivalent courses: ENG 250

ENG 331. Structure of Modern English. 3 Credits.

A detailed analysis of the modern descriptive approach to the study of English grammar and how it compares with the traditional approach.

ENG 331 Prerequisite: Successful completion of LIN 230.

ENG 335. History of the English Language. 3 Credits.

Review of the influences on the development of the English language.

ENG 335 Prerequisite: Successful completion of LIN 230.

ENG 339. Dialects of American English. 3 Credits.

Development of the English language in America since colonial settlement. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar of the regional and social dialects of American English.

ENG 339 Prerequisite: Successful completion of LIN 230.

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis

ENG 340. Sociolinguistics. 3 Credits.

This course offers an introduction to sociolinguistics, the field of linguistics that examines language in its social context. Students will explore topics such as linguistic variation and its relationship with social factors like identity, class, and power; the phenomena of language birth and death; multilingualism and code choices in bilingual/bi-dialectal communities; and the intersections between language and gender. Throughout the course, students will critically examine language as a stylistic practice and consider how societal attitudes towards specific language varieties can have profound social and political consequences, often marginalizing and disempowering speakers of those varieties. A key component of the course will involve engaging with the ethical dimensions of these topics. Students will discuss the role of language in perpetuating inequality and the responsibilities of linguists in studying and representing linguistic diversity.

ENG 340 Prerequisite: Successful completion of LIN 230.

Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement

ENG 345. Women Writing: Autobiography. 3 Credits.

A writing seminar directed toward the reading of women's autobiographies and the writing of personal autobiographical narratives.

ENG 368. Business and Organizational Writing. 3 Credits.

The nature of communication within business and organizations. Theoretical basis and practical application.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

ENG 371. Technical Writing. 3 Credits.

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

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 375. Strategies for Writing in the Workplace. 3 Credits.

Strategy and politics of client-centered and competitive writing that achieves objectives for the professions and organizations.

Gen Ed Attribute: Community Engagement Pathway, Writing Emphasis

ENG 395. Internship. 3-12 Credits.

Intensive practical experience with selected businesses, media, and public agencies. Limited to qualified students who have earned a minimum of 80 credit hours. See Handbook for English Majors for specific requirements.

Repeatable for credit.

ENG 397. Writing Tutoring. 3 Credits.

Theory and practice of writing tutoring, especially for those who plan a career in teaching or who are focusing on the remediation or development of language and writing skills.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

ENG 400. Research Seminar. 3 Credits.

This course is a variable-topic research seminar. Students will do advanced work in many topics in English studies, including literature, rhetoric, film, cultural studies, composition, aesthetics, theory, individual authors. This course may be repeated for credit.

ENG 400 Prerequisite: English majors or minors only.

Distance education offering may be available.

Repeatable for credit.

ENG 410. Independent Study. 1-3 Credits.

Directed readings and projects in English studies.

Repeatable for credit.

ENG 414. Tutoring Practicum. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.

ENG 499. English Capstone. 3 Credits.

Students will complete two projects (portfolio and capstone project) to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and methods they have acquired in the major. Taken in the student's final year.

ENG 499 Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 201; ENG 202 or ENG 295; and ENG 206 or ENG 296; and 90 completed credits. English majors only.

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis

FLM 199. Film Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

FLM 200. Introduction to Film. 3 Credits.

A survey of the principal elements of film including photography, editing, sound, acting, and narrative.

Gen Ed Attribute: Arts Distributive, Writing Emphasis

FLM 201. American Film. 3 Credits.

The function of cinema in contemporary society as a socio-cultural, economic and political object, as seen through critical analysis of American films.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

FLM 202. American Themes. 3 Credits.

An introduction to contemporary critical and theoretical principles for interpreting American films which concentrates on a single theme.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

FLM 400. Film Seminar. 3 Credits.

A seminar which offers students practice in applying contemporary critical and theoretical principles to films in an advanced context.

FLM 400 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FLM 200.

Repeatable for credit.

JRN 199. Journalism Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

JRN 200. Introduction to Journalism. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce students to journalism through developing a critical news media literacy, practicing newswriting, and learning the values of journalism. Through the course, students are introduced to the various genres of contemporary journalism. This is a studio course designed for students to collectively grow as writers. Effective writers are fluent in the conventions that characterize different writing situations, are fluent in the histories and power relations that inform these conventions, and read critically on issues that affect various communities. As such, in this course students analyze the intersection of journalistic principles with systems of power, race, class, gender, and ability.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

JRN 212. Digital Journalism. 3 Credits.

Technological changes in the 21st century newsroom demand that future journalists understand and use a variety of digital tools to gather and present news and information. Today's journalists no longer train and develop expertise for a single medium; they must be able to work in a multimedia setting. To meet this new reality, this multimedia course introduces students to various media platforms and offers them an opportunity to publish news stories, podcasts, and videos on the web.

JRN 225. Newswriting. 3 Credits.

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

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

JRN 305. Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on developing students' oral communication skills. In this course, students will conduct a group presentation on a movement in documentary film, deliver a persuasive oral "pitch" for their documentary film idea, and present a short audiovisual tutorial on a specific Adobe film editing technique for their peers. They will also demonstrate the importance of voice technique by employing voice-over narrative and storytelling in their final documentary film projects. In class, students will practice conducting interviews on and off camera and discuss how documentary films are developed from the idea stages to their final production.

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis

JRN 312. Sports Reporting and Writing. 3 Credits.

Instruction and practice in basic sports reporting techniques, including live-event coverage and feature writing, as well as an introduction to routine duties associated with working on the sports desk.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

JRN 315. Magazine Article Writing. 3 Credits.

Practical instruction in the skills required for successful freelance magazine writing with emphasis on research, interviewing, writing techniques, and marketing. Students will write and submit for publication short features and a full-length magazine article.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

JRN 325. History of Journalism. 3 Credits.

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

JRN 335. Ethical Issues in News Media. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to investigate ethical issues in the news media. This course is designed both for journalists and for all of us who read/watch/listen to the news. As a result, students will leave the course with concepts and guidance on ethical practices in journalism as well as tools with which to evaluate the ethics of various news coverage. Students will come to understand ethical frameworks and apply them to major problems and questions in the news media, with case studies coming from the course text and contemporary news coverage of current events.

Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement

JRN 355. Photojournalism: Ethics and Practices. 3 Credits.

This course begins with classical ethics and the fundamentals of photography, then dives into the uses of photography for journalism, the NPPA's Code of Ethics, and sophisticated analyses of news photography, with the larger goal of exploring the various ethical challenges and promises involved with the consumption and production of contemporary photojournalism.

Gen Ed Attribute: Ethics Requirement

JRN 399. Special Topics in Journalism. 3 Credits.

Each time this course is taught, the instructor will choose a relevant, timely topic in journalism. Students will engage in journalistic writing, media production, and news analysis related to the special topic. Special topics may include hip-hop journalism, grassroots journalism, women in journalism, investigative reporting, etc.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Repeatable for credit.

JRN 411. Journalism Practicum. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to give students in the journalism minor practical experience in writing news stories, columns and features for newspapers and other edited news sources. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their stories to the Quad, the student weekly newspaper of West Chester University, or some other weekly or daily newspaper. See journalism coordinator for specific requirements.

JRN 411 Prerequisite: Successful completion of JRN 200 and JRN 212.

LIT 100. Popular Culture: Reading Culture as Text. 3 Credits.

An introduction to analyzing and interpreting everyday cultural expressions within diverse social, historical, economic, and political contexts.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

LIT 101. Contemporary Issues Through Literature. 3 Credits.

This lecture-style course links the study of various genres of literature from a range of time periods (texts included on the syllabus can range from medieval to contemporary) to contemporary events and issues.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

Distance education offering may be available.

LIT 165. Topics in Literature. 3 Credits.

A course designed to develop awareness of literature as being central to all the arts, to increase levels of literacy and critical faculties, and to broaden understanding of the human condition.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive, Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

LIT 199. Literature Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

LIT 200. American Literature I. 3 Credits.

Survey of representative American writers from Colonial times to 1860, including Bradstreet, Taylor, Franklin, Poe, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Melville.

LIT 202. African American Literature I. 3 Credits.

A survey of African American writing from the Middle Passage through the first decade of the 20th century. Authors include Wheatley, Equiano, Douglass, Jacobs, Wells-Barnett, Du Bois, Washington, Chesnutt, Weldon Johnson, and others, with an emphasis on the historical contexts of slavery and Jim Crow and on the oral/vernacular roots of the black literary tradition.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 203. African American Literature II. 3 Credits.

A survey of African American writing from the Harlem Renaissance to the present. Authors include Hughes, Hurston, Wright, Ellison, Baraka, Brooks, Sanchez, Morrison, Butler, and others, with an emphasis on the historical forces and social and cultural movements that have shaped black writing in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

LIT 204. Black Women Writers. 3 Credits.

Survey of black women writers of America. Examines themes and influences on American and African-American literary contexts.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 207. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. 3 Credits.

This course examines the courageous life and times of an American reformer and his influence on slavery, abolitionism, suffrage, and temperance movements in the development of America.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 213. Asian American Literature. 3 Credits.

Survey of representative Asian American authors from their earliest works at the turn of the twentieth century to contemporary works, examined in the context of the changing cultural, economic, and political experiences of Americans of Asian descent.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities

LIT 219. Literature for Young Children. 3 Credits.

A critical study of the literature and culture for young children through age nine with an emphasis on literary analysis and the scholarly study of youth literature, including picture books, comics, early reader books, beginning chapter books, and other formats, such as children’s film, media, and culture.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

Distance education offering may be available.

LIT 220. Children's Literature. 3 Credits.

A critical study of literature for children, setting standards for evaluation and appreciation.

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

Distance education offering may be available.

LIT 230. Survey of British Literature. 3 Credits.

Focuses on the literature of Great Britain and on representative authors across historical eras, from the Old English period through the 20th century. Addresses a range of key cultural contexts and movements, while offering students an overview of important themes, genres, and cross-cultural comparisons.

LIT 250. Victorian Attitudes. 3 Credits.

A study of 19th-century attitudes toward social changes as expressed in art, architecture, literature, and nonfiction prose.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

LIT 272. New Fiction. 3 Credits.

Fiction published in the last 10 years.

LIT 274. Feminist Poetry. 3 Credits.

A study of poetry espousing the feminist cause and exploring the feminist response. Techniques and attitudes of such poets as Plath, Sexton, Rich, Morgan, Wakoski, and Kumin.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 302. Studies in the American Novel. 3 Credits.

Topics in the American Novel. The American novel examined in relation to identity, including national identity, and transnational contexts. Topics and historical periods vary.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 303. Intro to Multi-Ethnic American Literature. 3 Credits.

American ethnic, racial, and national groups in American literature and the contributions of creative literary artists representing these cultures.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

LIT 309. Thoughts/Writings of Martin Luther King. 3 Credits.

Examines and analyzes the writings of Dr. King and their relationship to the themes he pursued and the leadership role he achieved.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

LIT 335. Studies in Shakespeare. 3 Credits.

Reading, analysis, and discussion of selected plays and poems. Discussion of critical approaches to the plays and of the historical and intellectual climate of the times.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

LIT 336. Shakespeare II. 3 Credits.

Reading, analysis, and discussion of selected comedies and nondramatic poems. Discussion of critical approaches to the works and of the historical and intellectual climate of the times. This course can be taken before LIT 335.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 337. Literature of the Enlightenment. 3 Credits.

A critical consideration of 18th-century writers, exclusive of the dramatists.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 338. Studies in British Drama. 3 Credits.

A variable-focus course covering topics in British drama ranging from themes to historical periods.

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis

LIT 339. 18th Century British Novel. 3 Credits.

The British novel from Defoe to Austen.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

LIT 342. Victorian Literature. 3 Credits.

Victorian thought and culture in poetry and nonfiction prose.

LIT 360. Special Topics Children's/Young Adult Literature. 3 Credits.

In depth study of key genre, theme, or topic in children's or young adult literature.

LIT 367. Comedy and Humor. 3 Credits.

Through analysis of videos, literary texts, essays, memes, and other cultural artifacts, this course explores the role of humor in society, combining multiple disciplinary approaches.

Gen Ed Attribute: Interdisciplinary

LIT 370. Urbanism and the Modern Imagination. 3 Credits.

Covers a variety of responses of contemporary writers, artists, and planners to the rise of the modern city.

LIT 398. Young Adult Literature. 3 Credits.

A critical study of literature, including nonprint media, for young adults, focusing on helping prospective teachers develop familiarity with young adult literature and how it may be used in the middle school and high school classroom, stressing gender roles and multicultural issues.

Distance education offering may be available.

WRH 197. Becoming a Peer Writing Mentor. 1 Credit.

A training course for "peer writing mentors" who are working with students in WRT 123. Concurrent with taking this training course, peer writing mentors will be paired with a faculty member who is teaching WRT 123 and will mentor writers in that professor's course. This course is open only to students who have taken WRT 120 or 123 within two semesters prior and who also have a professor's recommendation to become a peer writing mentor.

WRH 197 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 120 or WRT 123 (taken within the previous two semesters).

WRH 199. Writing and Rhetoric Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

WRH 201. Introduction to Rhetoric. 3 Credits.

This course introduces students to a range of rhetorical traditions, concepts, and theories, both ancient and modern. Students will apply rhetorical principles to analyze arguments in a range of modes, as well as in digital and non-digital contexts.

WRH 205. Composing Cyberspace. 3 Credits.

Students compose websites and blogs and examine the unique intersection of visual and verbal rhetoric that informs composition in cyberspace.

WRH 210. Multicultural Writing. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on understanding the role that writing plays in shaping a multicultural society. Assignments will ask students to write for diverse social contexts and will help students expand their repertoire of genres and writing strategies. It will also investigate structural inequality in U.S. society.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

WRH 225. Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing. 3 Credits.

This course will introduce students to professional and technical writing as an area of scholarly inquiry and as a professional practice. To these ends, they will be required to read scholarship in and about professional writing and do the kinds of activities that professional writers do: engage a range of technologies, work collaboratively with others, develop a range of written materials, and practice problem solving.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

Distance education offering may be available.

WRH 301. The Rhetorics of Black Americans. 3 Credits.

This course views the language of Black America as a form of cultural expression and means of resistance to oppression in the U.S. Using historical and thematic frames, students will relate their understandings of Black linguistic and rhetorical practices to Black folks' experiences and struggles for improved social, political, and material realities.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

WRH 305. Images of School in Film. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on schooling as a shared experience and emphasizes how the functions of schools in society are shaped and reflected in films.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

WRH 315. Propaganda, Power, and Politics. 3 Credits.

This course examines the rhetorical, cultural, and Political dimensions of propagandistic texts.

WRH 320. Writing for the Web. 3 Credits.

This course will help students gain experience with digital composition and understand the rhetorical and cultural factors shaping online writing.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

WRH 333. African American Autobiography. 3 Credits.

This course is an introduction to textual analysis through the study of African American autobiography, from slave narratives such as Frederick Douglass's 1845 Narrative, to late twentieth century memoirs such as Audre Lorde's Zami and Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father. Students will investigate "African American" as a category for literary criticism and engage how the genre has both contested racist oppression from slavery to the present day and responded to the pressures of representing race. Students will further examine the styles and structures of self-expression within black-authored memoirs and what effect such texts have on understandings of race in historical and literary contexts. Students are urged to develop critical, academic language that both speaks and acts to address racism. This course will also support students' development of skills as literary scholars to embolden them to read actively, write probingly, and act courageously.

Gen Ed Attribute: Diverse Communities, Writing Emphasis

WRH 335. Activism and Advocacy Writing. 3 Credits.

Students investigate, theorize, and produce a variety of documents representing the genres activists and advocates used in a variety of campaigns.

WRH 340. Introduction to Visual Rhetoric. 3 Credits.

This course provides an introduction to some of the major questions motivating the field of visual rhetoric, with the goal of helping students understand the powerful and political rhetorical potential that images possess.

WRH 342. Document Design. 3 Credits.

This course provides an introduction to document design, a key characteristic of rhetorically effective documents. We may not always notice when a document is designed well, but we certainly notice when a design is ineffective. In this course, we'll explore how visual and verbal elements combine to create meaning and practice basic design principles as we create projects for the class and for clients.

WRH 343. Visual Rhetoric in Comics and Graphic Novels. 3 Credits.

This course will closely examine how comics and graphic novels draw on language and images to create visual narratives. Students will learn a basic vocabulary for talking about visual narrative from theorists like Scott McCloud, Will Eisner, and Molly Bang, and then they'll turn their discussion to a series of graphic novels. How do the images in the novels construct a narrative? What happens in the gutter? How do comics and graphic novels use language and images to do real cultural work?

Gen Ed Attribute: Humanities Distributive

WRH 345. Professional and Technical Editing. 3 Credits.

In this course, students will learn the rhetorical principles and practices of technical and scientific editing today. They will approach technical and scientific editing as encompassing the production, management, and revision of documents and artifacts that function well for their intended users.

WRH 345 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 120 and WRT 200.

WRH 350. Grant and Proposal Writing. 3 Credits.

This course explores proposals and grant proposals--a genre written by academics as well as nonprofit and for-profit organizations--as a complex rhetorical endeavor. Students will examine how grant proposals can support organizational and individual goals of community and civic engagement and trace the functions of grant proposals within organizations, analyzing how these documents fit within the larger scope of professional and academic writing.

WRH 350 Prerequisite: Successful completion of the general education English Composition requirements.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

WRH 360. Social Media Writing. 3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of professional writing for social media. Although students likely have prior experience with social media platforms as an individual, writing with the voice of a business, nonprofit, or even student organization on social media is an entirely different and sometimes difficult matter. This course will instruct students in drafting and updating social media strategies and internal social media policies. The course will also offer practical experience in running organizational social media accounts. In addition to formal writing assignments, students will also have informal writing opportunities to help develop their understanding of how people write professionally about and with social media.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

WRH 365. Writing for the Health Professions. 3 Credits.

Practice and training in writing for the health professions (e.g., medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, healthcare advocacy). Students complete assignments that offer practice in writing, revising, and critiquing common genres in the healthcare professions, including graduate school application materials, literature reviews, and public health campaigns.

Gen Ed Attribute: Health Humanities Pathway, Writing Emphasis

WRH 370. Science Writing. 3 Credits.

In this course, students will investigate the principles and practices of effective science writing for a diverse public. Specifically, students will learn about science writing genres, theories of scientific rhetoric, and the role new media technologies play in making science accessible to an audience of non-experts. Course texts, online discussions, and in-class activities will help students understand how rhetoric not only helps to communicate scientific findings but also shapes its production, distribution, and circulation across public and professional contexts. Students will put this knowledge into practice through hands-on projects that ask them to produce a range of science writing genres.

WRH 370 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 120 and WRT 200.

Gen Ed Attribute: Writing Emphasis

WRH 405. Topics in Professional and Technical Writing. 3-6 Credits.

A topic of current interest in professional and technical writing. The topic will be announced before registration.

WRH 405 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 200.

Repeatable for credit.

WRT 120. Effective Writing I. 3 Credits.

An intensive course in writing that emphasizes skill in organization and awareness of styles of writing and levels of usage as ways of expressing and communicating experiences.

WRT 120 Prerequisite: Placement via the WRITE survey.

Gen Ed Attribute: English Composition

Distance education offering may be available.

Equivalent courses: WRT 123

WRT 123. Effective Writing with Supplemental Writing Workshop. 4 Credits.

In addition to the intensive writing work of WRT 120, this course requires added instructor workshop sessions and mandatory tutoring assistance to support enrolled student writers' growth and development. Open to First-Year Students.

WRT 123 Prerequisite: Placement via the WRITE survey.

Gen Ed Attribute: English Composition

Distance education offering may be available.

Equivalent courses: WRT 120

WRT 200. Critical Writing and Research. 3 Credits.

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

WRT 200 Prerequisite: Successful completion of WRT 120 or WRT 123; or placement via the WRITE survey.

Gen Ed Attribute: English Composition

Distance education offering may be available.