EN 090 Introduction to College Reading
A developmental course in reading and study skills improvement with emphasis on vocabulary building, improved comprehension, effective note taking and study skills, and critical reading. A minimum grade of C- is necessary for successful completion of this course. Credits may not be applied toward any degree. (2)
EN 100 Introduction to College Writing
A college-level course designed to develop writing skills through analysis of the writing process and the practice of a variety of techniques and strategies. Emphasis on essay development based on personal experience and observation. Analysis of paragraph structure and organization as well as audience and purpose. A minimum grade of C– is necessary for successful completion of this course. It does not fulfill major or Liberal Arts Core requirements, but counts as an elective. (2)
EN 101 Composition I
Instruction in the writing of the research essay with emphasis on the rhetorical situation, effective organization, and the writing of clear and vivid prose. The course includes instruction in effective oral presentations. A minimum grade of C- is required for enrollment in EN 102 and for graduation. Enrollment: self-placement or successful completion of EN 100. (3)
EN 102 Composition II
A continuation of EN 101. Emphasis on analysis and argument and the use of both primary and secondary sources in research. The course includes oral presentations. A minimum grade of C- is required for graduation. Prerequisite: EN 101 or equivalent. (3)
EN 200 Elements of Literary Study
An introduction to the essential elements of literary analysis in poetry and prose. Cultivates an awareness of literary study as a discipline and the conventions of literary research and writing. Develops and refines skills of close critical reading and logical argumentation. Open to English majors and minors only. English majors must earn a grade of C or better. (3)
EN 201 World Masterpieces: The Ancient World
A study of literary masterworks from Gilgamesh and Homer to Virgil and Saint Augustine. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 202 World Masterpieces: The Middle Ages
A study of classics from the late antique to the late medieval periods. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 203 World Masterpieces: Renaissance through Enlightenment
A study of classics from the 15th through the 18th centuries. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 204 World Masterpieces: Romanticism through Modernism
A study of major 19th- and 20th-century cultural movements and literary works. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 205 American Literature I
A study of representative American literary works from the colonial period through 1870. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 206 American Literature II
A study of representative American literary works from 1870 to the present. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 211 Principles of Language
An investigation of basic constructs and subsystems of English structure as described by grammarians of various theoretical persuasions. (Also listed as COM 211.) (3)
EN 212 Introduction to the Technique of Acting
A study of the transformation process whereby drama is turned into performance through the language of the theater, i.e. sets, lights, costumes, makeup, music, and/or acting. Emphasis on textual analysis as the foundation for acting. (Also listed as COM 212.) (3)
EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema
A study of narrative strategies in film, looking both at adaptations of the narrative from print to film, and at film genres themselves. Films will be examined from a literary perspective, including an introduction to the vocabulary of film studies from various theoretical backgrounds including feminism, genre studies, and multiculturalism. Special attention to how the choice of media affects storytelling and how visual narratives differ from, or derive from, textual narratives. (Also listed as IS 220.) (3)
EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London
An introduction to the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries in relation to Elizabethan life and wider literary traditions. The course readings will be considered as textual artifacts of their time and location. The role of the writer and audience will be examined, as well as the relationship of Shakespeare to other significant poets and playwrights of the period. Offered only in London. Prerequisite: EN 102. (3)
EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing
An introduction to the stylistic and technical elements of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and writing for performance through close readings of professional examples and writing exercises. This workshop course focuses on the production, critique, and revision of student writing. This course does not fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements. Prerequisite: EN 102.
EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition
A study of what it means to “know” a language and how speakers build communicative competence in both first and second languages. Special emphasis is given to the difference between child and adult second-language learners, barriers to language learning, and the cross-cultural problems involved in learning a second language. (3)
EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice
An introduction to the foundations of literary theory and to the process of applying these critical approaches in literary research. Students will explore the principles of New Criticism, Reader-Response Criticism, Gender Studies, New Historicism and Cultural Criticism, and Psychoanalytic Criticism. Open to English majors and minors only. English majors must earn a grade of C or better. Prerequisite: EN 200. (3)
EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice
A study of traditional and contemporary composition theory stressing the connection between writing and learning. This workshop/portfolio writing course provides opportunities for revision and peer review and culminates in a self-study informed by current research in writing. English majors must earn a grade of C or better. Prerequisites: EN 101 and EN 102. (3)
EN 303 Literary Nonfiction
An in-depth study of literary nonfiction with attention to stylistic and technical elements and/or topical concerns of the genre. This course is provided in a workshop format, focusing on production, critique, and revision of student work, supplemented by assigned readings. Open to juniors and seniors, and to others with the consent of the instructor. Prerequisite: EN 102. (3)
EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing
An in-depth study of the stylistic and technical elements of one of the genres of creative writing (poetry, fiction, or writing for performance) through close analysis of professional examples and practice of the craft in a workshop format. (3)
EN 308 Style and Revision
An advanced writing workshop exploring the effects of style on revision and enabling students to analyze and perfect their own writing styles. Style includes the principles of clear and fluid sentence-level prose as well as the connection between sentence-level choices and an author’s voice. Students will apply the guidelines of well-known style manuals and analyze and imitate the distinctive styles of prominent writers. English majors must earn a minimum grade of C. Prerequisite: EN 102. (3)
EN 310 Literary Superheroes
A study of the “hero” and “superhero” models in European and American literature, from Hercules and Prometheus to Don Juan and Superman. Emphasis is placed on the various heroic codes both as literature and as embodiments of popular visions, ideals, and desires of their eras. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 318 Theater History
A study of the development of theater from its ritual beginning until the late 20th century. Introduces students to the great theatrical traditions and to the paths that the dramatic arts have taken over the centuries and across various cultures. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 320 Short Fiction
Introduction to the formal study of fiction with emphasis on the short story and short novel. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 321 Modern Drama
A critical study of the development of modern drama in the 19th and 20th centuries from Ibsen to Stoppard. The course includes a study of realistic and anti-realistic trends in the modern theater. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 322 19th-Century British Poets
A study of major British poets of the Romantic and Victorian periods in the context of the important literary traditions and techniques of their age. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 323 Modern Poetry
A study of modern poetry beginning in the late 19th century, with selections from Whitman, Dickinson, Hardy, Hopkins, Yeats, Eliot, Pound, Stevens, Williams, Lowell, and more recent poets. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 327 Studies in the Novel
A topics course on the novel focusing on various issues and themes in the genre. Content varies, depending on instructor. Students may enroll in this course more than once, provided there is no significant overlap in content. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition
A study of England’s master medieval poet in the context of a major literary current of the late medieval world. Exploration of the origins and major themes of courtly love poetry and a close study of selected Canterbury Tales and of Troilus and Criseyde. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 340 Major Women Writers
A study of the emergence and creative achievements of major women writers. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 350 The American Dream
An exploration of the American dream of success and its manifestation in various genres of American literature. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence
An examination of the images of childhood, adolescence, and maturity projected by 19th- and 20th-century writers and the definitions of innocence and experience these images imply. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 355 Shakespeare: Tragedies and Histories
Introduction to the tragedies and histories. Examination of the plays as a reflection of classical, medieval, Renaissance, and Elizabethan values. Emphasis on major themes such as the problem of evil. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 356 Shakespeare: Comedies
Introduction to the comedies. Particular emphasis on Shakespeare’s changing concept of love. Other topics include the effect of Renaissance melancholy on the comic tone. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 360 American Multicultural Literature
A study of contemporary American multicultural literature, challenging the stereotypical definitions of American literature, identity, and society. Emphasis on issues surrounding literary expressions of multiculturalism and on exploring themes of conflict, alienation, and assimilation. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)
EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English
Prepares the student to teach English at the secondary level by integrating content mastery with effective pedagogical strategies. Field experience: 20 hours. Prerequisites: ED 245S, ED 327S, and PSY 312. (3)
EN 400 Internship
Senior students may register for an internship in cooperating government, business, education, research, or media communications agencies in the Washington metropolitan area under the supervision of an instructor. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of Arts and Sciences. (3-6)
EN 421 Project
An investigation of a selected topic in literature or linguistics. The project is intended to demonstrate an ability to conduct independent research and present the results in writing of commendable quality. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of Arts and Sciences. (3)
EN 424 Senior Seminar
An intensive study of a selected literary genre, movement, or period from either British or American literature. Students produce a research seminar paper related to the topic studied. Required of all senior English majors; other students may enroll with permission of the instructor. English majors must earn a grade of C or better. (3)
EN 433 Research
A student in this course will conduct collaborative research (scholarly work leading to new knowledge) under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite: application and approval of department chair. (1-6)
EN 490 Major Author(s)
An in-depth study of one or two major writers. Author(s) announced in course schedule. This course may be taken more than once, provided the student selects different authors. Prerequisite: EN 102 or permission of instructor. (3)