EN: English and Communication Studies
EN 121 — English Composition
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn rhetorical concepts and apply them to produce various genres of writing appropriate to different rhetorical situations. They will use revision to develop texts through multiple drafts, edit work to produce polished texts, and reflect upon their writing process. Students will practice reading complex texts and using information technologies. (G1: Basic Communication)
Prerequisite(s): college-level English proficiency as demonstrated by placement test or completion of appropriate ES course(s).
EN 131 — English Composition and Rhetoric
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn rhetorical concepts and apply them to produce various genres of writing appropriate to different rhetorical situations. They will use revision to develop texts through multiple drafts, edit work to produce polished texts, and reflect upon their writing process. Students will practice reading complex texts and using information technologies.
Prerequisite(s): college-level English proficiency as demonstrated by placement test or completion of appropriate ES course(s).
EN 141 — Fundamentals of Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students examine principles associated with human communication and its contexts. Specific contexts where communication plays a vital role include interpersonal, intercultural, listening, organizational, small group, verbal, and nonverbal communication. Theoretical concepts and their practical applications are addressed.
EN 142 — Presidential Scholars Composition and Rhetoric (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn rhetorical concepts and apply them to produce various genres of writing appropriate to different rhetorical situations, with a focus on public writing. They use revision to develop texts through drafts, edit work to polish writing, and reflect upon writing processes. Students examine complex texts and use information technologies.
Prerequisite(s): Qualification for Presidential Scholars Program and English Placement Exam or equivalent.
EN 200 — Digital Writing
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Investigates digital writing, ranging from individual artifacts such as memes to complex digital environments such as websites. Students explore digital identity, “slactivism,” remix culture, and other topics through course readings, discussions, and digital composition projects ranging from text-driven blogs to truly multimodal animations, infographics, and videos.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 201 — Organizational Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Organizational communication examines the channels and forms organizations utilize to communicate with multiple audiences. This course examines traditional organizational theories and concepts, including group dynamics and group roles, conflict, and organizational culture. Additional components include interpersonal behavior in groups, maintaining ethical values, and developing empathetic manager and leadership skills.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 202 — Women Write New York City
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines women’s contributions to the creation of NYC as literary construct through analysis of their writings on literature, art and activism. Students will engage the city as literary landscape by visiting spaces and attending events in correlation with the works we study to create their own writing.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 203 — Your Digital Life: Online Literacies for a Networked World
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Explores the intersection between the disciplines of the humanities and emerging digital technologies. Students will conceptualize and develop digital projects to promote their progress as digital scholars and critical thinkers, and situate their digital identity within a larger social context.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 204 — Contemporary US Immigrant Literature and History
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course on contemporary works from the mid-1900s to the present, focuses on history and narratives of U.S. immigrant experience and border crossing. Students consider how migration is reflected in literary and historical narratives among overlapping discourses of place, nation, family, gender roles, cultural hybridity, transnationalism, history and ethnicity.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 230 — Martial Arts Cinema and its Global Impact
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course introduces representational martial arts films, directors and stars from around the world to investigate the transformation, diversification, ongoing appeal and globalization of this evolving genre. Close attention will be paid to formal and stylistic aspects of films in terms of their historical, transnational, and socio-cultural contexts.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 231 — Short Fiction
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students read and analyze stories by authors from around the world. They consider various aspects of narrative and explore different modes of storytelling. The study of short fiction prepares students to read more widely on their own in the future. (G7: Humanities)
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 232 — Perspectives on American Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Through readings from major authors and literary movements, students will examine the values and contradictions within American heritage, and its ideals and mythologies. Works from a diverse group of authors will be read and discussed for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or EN 131 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 233 — Poetry
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students are introduced to the techniques of reading and writing about poetry from different times and cultures. By examining diction, figures of speech, rhyme, meter, free verse, translation, and other poetic strategies within the context of culture and history, students develop an understanding of the poet’s craft and vision.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 234 — Gay and Lesbian Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students read a selection of fiction, poetry, and drama from the mid-19th and 20th centuries and analyze how the texts make use of themes and images such as race, class, gender, sexuality, same-sex desire, homosociality, and the trope of the closet. The construction of, and criteria for, a canon of gay and lesbian literature are considered. Readings are chosen from such authors as Wilde, Whitman, Freud, Hughes, Baldwin, and Rich.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 235 — African American Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course surveys African American literature from the colonial period to the present. Through reading and analyzing literature in various genres, and presenting their responses orally and in writing, students will identify the social, economic, and political forces that have influenced African American writers from the past to present day.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 236 — Major Writers of the Western World
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Studies major themes in the cultural heritage of the Western world from Greek tragedy to the modern novel. Readings are from such representative writers as Plato, Sophocles, Euripides, Dante, Shakespeare, Austen, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Ibsen, Chekhov, Mann, and Sartre.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 241 — Professional Speech Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines communication skills in and for professional settings. Communication theory is discussed and applied to various professional areas such as verbal and nonverbal communication and listening in professional contexts. Among the activities the course focuses on interviewing for a job, interpersonal and small group communication, and professional presentations.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 242 — Public Speaking
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines the skills needed to deliver effective, audience-centered presentations. Foundational concepts, such as determining your speaking purpose, assessing evidence and reasoning, audience adaptation, and delivery, are practiced in informative, persuasive, and special-occasion speeches. Students will evaluate their verbal and nonverbal communication by analyzing their speaking performances.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 243 — Voice and Articulation: Theory and Practice
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn to apply theories of speech perception and production in order to analyze, modify, and control their voices and articulation so they can communicate more effectively. Exercises in listening, voice, and speech are conducted.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 244 — Speech Dynamics in Group Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Studies techniques of effective communication in the group process. Students learn to become more skillful communicators through the use of speech dynamics as applied to the psychology of communication. Group members are involved in controversial discussions as participants and group leaders. Emphasis is placed on the enlightenment and problem-solving types of discussion.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or or ES 129 equivalent.
EN 245 — Intercultural Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is designed to examine the relationship between culture and communication. Students will explore cultural patterns, social power dynamics, verbal and nonverbal communication, and cultural expressions in intercultural interactions. Course content will balance theory and application to examine inclusive and equitable intercultural interactions.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 246 — Interpersonal Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
The course examines interpersonal communication processes that shape human interaction to help students learn to become more effective communicators. Students will learn about foundational Interpersonal Communication theories; explore application of these theories in personal, professional, and social contexts; and reflect on their own communication patterns.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 251 — Theater Arts
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Focuses on appreciation of the theater through the study of dramatic art as it evolves from page to stage. Students study the relationship of drama text to performance through reading, acting exercises, and theater attendance.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 253 — Dramatic Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Surveys dramatic literature and the development of theatrical performance. Focuses on the evolution of the use of theatrical space in the history of theater. Students read representative plays and documents of Greek, Roman, medieval, Elizabethan, Restoration, and 19th- and 20th-century drama.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 257 — Major Movements in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Film
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course is cross-listed with FI 244. This course is an introduction to major film directors, movements, and genres from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. Formal and stylistic aspects of films as well as their historical, transnational, and sociocultural contexts are addressed. Students discuss and write critically about East Asian film.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 258 — Introduction to Performance Studies
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course provides an overview of the field of performance studies, studying its interdisciplinary history (ethnography, queer theory, visual art) through analysis of societal structures and enactment in performance-based activities. By analyzing, attending, and creating performance, students come to understand how performance constructs spectacle and everyday life.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 266 — Screenwriting I
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is cross-listed with FI 256. This course introduces the practice of writing fiction for the screen, focusing on the short film. In a workshop setting, students explore a range of approaches to the short screenplay, from traditional to innovative, and use examples from a variety of genres and geographical origins.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 271 — Literature and History: The Development of American Culture to 1865
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students examine the role of literature in America’s cultural development before 1865. The course surveys a wide range of texts, from philosophical sources of the U.S. Constitution to slave narratives and documents in the debate over the role of women in society.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or EN 131 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 272 — Identity in America: History and Literature, 1865 to Present
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
The course examines the role of literature in highlighting cultural diversity in America after 1865. Students read a comprehensive selection of American literature written after 1865 while interrogating the social, political, and cultural forces that shaped what we see as American identities through a close analysis of major historical developments.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 273 — Literature of India
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students examine selected texts from major periods of Indian literature with a focus on the historical context. Throughout the readings, they consider how the interactions of mythical ancient stories, history, culture, and religion are represented.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 274 — Voices of Civil Rights in American History
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
An examination of the evolution of civil rights rhetoric in U.S. history. Students study civil rights speeches and texts to learn about political, social, and cultural events. Using traditional and contemporary rhetorical theory, civil rights movements and activism by Black/African Americans, women, and the LGBTQIA community are analyzed.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 275 — Literature of the Sixties
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is an introduction to the literature of the cultural and social revolution that took place in the U.S. during the 1960s and early 1970s. Students read a range of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and consider aspects of music, film, fashion, and art, focusing on themes and images that reflect this period.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 278 — Science Fiction
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
The course introduces the genre of literature known as science fiction (SF) and the ways SF addresses human responses to changing technologies and complex cultural issues. The course includes global works of SF that address themes of gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, feminism, nationalism, migration, history, technology, AI, and ecological humanities.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 279 — Women's Writing: 1900 - Present
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines how women writers construct and analyze their identity through literature. The impact of gender, race, class, sexuality, culture, and other aspects of identity are considered by close reading of a selection of writings by women in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 280 — Special Topics in English and Communication Studies
0 credits
EN 280A — Special Topics in English – Creativity: Theory and Practice
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students discover practices useful in producing innovative work in multiple disciplines through readings, discussion, activities, journal entries, and study of creative achievers. Students will review historical and current theories of creativity, learn to articulate their own processes, consider how identity affects creative practices, and develop strategies for enhancing creative output.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 281 — Chinese Cinema
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course is cross-listed with FI 245. Students are introduced to major film directors, movements, and genres from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. They discuss and write critically about Chinese film, with close attention paid to the formal and stylistic aspects of film, and their historical, transnational, and sociocultural contexts.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 299 — Independent Study in English or Speech
1-3 credit
Prerequisite(s): a minimum 3.5 GPA and approval of instructor, chairperson, and dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 301 — Imaginative Worlds
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This writing course focuses on fictional world-building, of special interest to creative writers, comics illustrators, filmmakers, animators, and game designers. Inspired by literature and other narrative media, students conceptualize aspects of an imagined world, from its geography to its history to its society as a platform for storytelling.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 302 — Gender and Nationalism in World Fiction (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course explores how gender and nationalism are constructed and reflected in modern and contemporary works of world fiction from the 1900s to the present; focusing on Asia, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. It includes a basic introduction to literary criticism and theories of nationalism, sexuality and gender.
Prerequisite(s): Qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of Dean of Liberal Arts.
EN 303 — Writing Mystery and Crime Fiction
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is designed to examine the craft of crime fiction writing. Students read and analyze short stories in the mystery genre and create a portfolio of their own works. They critique each other’s works-in-progress and explore structure, plot, characterization, point of view, atmosphere, and dialogue.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 304 — Writing as Activism (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course will engage critical analysis of literature and creative nonfiction practice to understand the strategies of a diverse range of authors who use writing as a method of activism. Students will use research, creative expression and analysis through writing to consider their own position on causes relevant to them.
Prerequisite(s): Qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of Dean of Liberal Arts.
EN 306 — Conflict Management and Negotiation
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines conflict in an intercultural context. Students will analyze the relationship between conflict and communication from an intercultural perspective and explore conflict in interpersonal, professional, and intercultural contexts. Students will learn how conflicts emerge, are managed, and how they can be resolved in an equitable and inclusive way.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 307 — Think Global, Write Global (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Uncovers the joys, paradoxes, and pitfalls of globalization through literature and writing. Students read diverse texts from the 20th and 21st centuries that construct and negotiate the idea of “global,” and use writing as a tool to explore and articulate individual, cultural, and political dynamics as evidenced in world literature.
Prerequisite(s): Qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
EN 321 — Strategies of Business Communication
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students analyze and critically evaluate business situations, learning to think strategically about professional issues, to make sound judgments and decisions, and to articulate them efficiently. Students will learn informative and persuasive communication strategies for professional contexts, and will practice writing, oral and visual presentations, and digital communication.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent, and any additional EN course.
EN 322 — Writing for Art and Design Professions
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students explore writing as an essential component of professional practice in creative industries. Students engage with writing to share their artistic vision / design philosophy, to realize collaborative projects, and to create social impact within and beyond the field(s) of art and design.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent, and any additional EN course.
EN 324 — Writing on The Arts
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn to think and write critically about the primarily non-verbal arts, such as sculpture, painting, architecture and dance. Students learn to place a given art form in a cultural context that interacts meaningfully with their own analysis and insight. Renowned and ground-breaking critics will serve as models for student’s work.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 325 — Playwriting
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn the major elements of playwriting through a variety of exercises and examples. In a workshop environment, they read published plays, and discuss and respond constructively to each other’s works-in-progress. Plays are revised and performed at the end of the semester.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 331 — Introduction to Shakespeare
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Selected poetry and plays are presented from a variety of historical, theatrical, and critical perspectives. Students explore Shakespeare's works in relation to the Elizabethan and Jacobean times in which they were produced. They also consider the works' continuing appeal to readers and audiences of theater and film.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 333 — Modern Literature: The Spirit of the 20th Century
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Emphasizes innovative literary techniques and themes of alienation and social criticism in works by such modern authors as Dostoyevsky, Kafka, T.S. Eliot, Ellison, Sartre, Camus, and Beckett, and by authors from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. (G7: Humanities)
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 335 — Working Women in the United States: 1865 to Present
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
A survey of U.S. history and literature through the lens of working women’s lives and experiences. Students learn the contexts of women's struggle—as well as their contributions—in shaping America as they fought for social and economic justice. Class and racial differences along with political, social, cultural, and technological changes will be examined.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 336 — From Gothic to Horror: Literature of Fear
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students are introduced to the related aesthetics of Gothic and horror literature. The first third of the course focuses on the rise of the Gothic during the Romantic and Victorian periods; the remaining two thirds identifies how dominant motifs in Gothic and horror literature speak to larger societal concerns.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 337 — Poetry in a Global Society
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
By reading and responding to poetry from a range of social and historical contexts, students discover how poetry helps us understand, develop, repair, and sustain human community. Activities include close reading, critical writing, and a creative project proposing ways that poetry can be used in the service of social justice.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 338 — Introduction to Asian American History and Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines Asian-American literary and historical works by immigrant and U.S.-born authors (1800s to the present). Students examine the role of important socio-political events shaping Asian-American literature, history, and culture in terms of racial difference, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 342 — Argumentation and Persuasion
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines the strategies and techniques used to influence the decision-making processes. Students prepare and present persuasive speeches based on principles of argumentation and persuasion. Exercises in debate are also included.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 343 — Advanced Public Speaking
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Taught from a mulicultural perspective, this course advances students' ability to create and deliver informative and persuasive presentations adapting to a wide range of audiences and speaking contexts. Focus is placed on research, organization, argumentation, use of multimedia and speaking practice. Presentations are recorded for self-evaluation.
Prerequisite(s): EN 242.
EN 353 — Theater of the Americas
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is an introduction to the theater of the Americas. Students read and discuss U.S. and Latina/o and Latin American theater, its continuities and divergences since the 1960's. Themes studied include trauma, gender violence, and performance, censorship and self-censorship, and the impact of globalization on national identities.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 361 — Creative Writing
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
In a workshop environment, students prepare a portfolio of works from one or more of the following genres: fiction, poetry, or drama. Structure, plot, characterization, point of view, theme, and metaphoric language are explored, and works-in-progress are critiqued by faculty and fellow students. Through the processes of writing, critiquing, and revising, ideas are shaped into imaginative form. (G6: Arts)
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 362 — Creative Nonfiction
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
In this advanced writing course, students are taught the skills needed to produce informal essays or chapters of nonfiction books of high quality. Drawing upon observation, experience, and research, they create works of intellectual substance that reveal carefully shaped structure. Students develop ease and efficiency in their writing processes and work toward clarity, grace, and individual style.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 363 — Fiction Writing
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
“Fiction Writing” is a course in imaginative storytelling. Students read short stories and novel excerpts by established writers and create their own fictions, beginning with craft exercises and evolving toward polished stories as the semester progresses. In a workshop environment, students discuss and respond constructively to each other’s works-in-progress.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 364 — Poetry Writing
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn the major elements of writing poetry through a variety of exercises and examples. Works-in-progress are critiqued by fellow students in a rigorous yet supportive environment. Poems are revised and collected in a portfolio at the end of the semester.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 365 — Research Writing
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
In this course, students will develop a research project of their own choosing. They will find, collect and analyze data using primary and secondary research methods, ultimately communicating their findings to their intended audience. Students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary for their academic careers and professional lives.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 366 — Screenwriting II
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is cross-listed with FI 356. This course focuses on elements of screenwriting for feature-length films, including story concept, three-act structure, the world of the story, protagonist and antagonist, conflict, characterization, scene development, and dialogue. Students formulate individual projects, from pitching a story to presenting a synopsis, preparing an outline, and writing a screenplay. The business end of screenwriting is discussed and students meet film industry professionals.
Prerequisite(s): EN 266 or FI 256.
EN 368 — Intentional Objects: Writing About Things
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
People are obsessed with things. Special objects inspire imagination and evoke admiration. Common objects contain memories and showcase identities. What is collected, valued, and discarded is culturally and personally significant. Together we will explore the power of objects for creative writing using personal, archival and autoethnographic experiences.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 371 — Chinese Odyssey: Introduction to Chinese Literature
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students study Chinese literature by reading and examining a variety of literary forms from a range of historical periods. The course focuses on relationships between the self, the nation, gender roles, and modernity and how the influence of local and global histories has shaped the focus and reception of each work. All readings are in English.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 372 — Rhetoric in Popular Culture
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines popular culture as a form of communication, and the tools used to analyze it. Using theories of rhetoric, communication, and social criticism, students unravel popular cultural artifacts and examine how dominant societal discourses, cultural myths, individual identities, and institutional ideologies are reified and subverted.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
EN 373 — The Graphic Novel
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students are introduced to the literary field of graphic novels. The course surveys the evolution of comics' form and content from the 'Golden Age' through the Underground Comix Revolution to today's graphic novels. Themes including war and survival, religious and cultural identity, sexuality, and memory and consciousness are explored.
Prerequisite(s): EN 131 or equivalent.
EN 381 — Asian Fiction: Regional Selections (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
An introduction to East Asian fiction. This course focuses on literature from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea from a transnational perspective. Through a range of contemporary to classical canonical fiction, students will investigate various literary genres and explore critical concepts of literary and cultural identity studies. All readings are in English.
Prerequisite(s): qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 382 — Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Honors)
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course is cross-listed with FI 343. An introduction to the contemporary cinemas of Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese Diaspora, this course focuses on selected major directors, movements, and genres from the 1990s to the present. Students study the formal and stylistic aspects of films as well as their historical, transnational, and sociocultural contexts.
Prerequisite(s): qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 390 — The Uncanny (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This dual literature and writing course pursues Sigmund Freud’s notion of the uncanny in literature. Readings highlight texts that seek to subvert the familiar, drawing on Gothic, horror, Surrealist, and fantastic literary traditions, and students will apply techniques studied in class to producing their own literature of the strange.
Prerequisite(s): Qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of Dean of Liberal Arts.
EN 391 — The Creative Imagination: Theory and Process (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Theories of the creative process and the nature of creativity are explored. Through readings, journal entries, and case studies of writers, painters, and other artists, students discover practices useful in producing creative works. Particular attention is paid to the creative work of artists traditionally marginalized by gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class. (G6: Arts; G7: Humanities)
Prerequisite(s): qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 394 — American Lives (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This literature seminar presents the opportunity to explore the autobiographical impulse in American writing, past and present, through full-scale biographies, works of fiction, drama, and poetry, and in the memoirs so popular today. Students write an autobiographical essay on an aspect of their lives. (G7: Humanities)
Prerequisite(s): qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 399 — The Craft of Writing Poetry (Honors)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students immerse themselves in writing poems while they examine the technical and historical aspects of poetry. They study basic elements of poetry such as image, figurative language, rhythm, diction, and form to develop the potential of those elements in their own writing. In order to understand their own creative processes, students read essays about craft and process. (G6: Arts)
Prerequisite(s): qualification for Presidential Scholars Program, or 3.5 GPA with approval of dean for Liberal Arts.
EN 480 — Special Topics in English and Communication Studies
0 credits
EN 480A — Special Topics in English: Advanced Creative Writing – Poetry and Hybrid Forms
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
In this advanced creative writing course students cultivate attention to language, literary community, and the possibilities of creating with words. Readings and writing workshops will explore approaches including the lyric sequence, prose poetry, documentary poetics, verse drama and narratives, and multimodal forms incorporating video, visual images, sound, and/or performance.
Prerequisite(s): EN 361 or EN 362 or EN 363 or EN 364 or EN 399.
EN 499 — Independent Study in English or Speech
1-3 credit
Prerequisite(s): a minimum 3.5 GPA and approval of instructor, chairperson, and dean for Liberal Arts.