Department of English and Philosophy
Chairperson and Professor Schow
Vice-Chairman and Professor Tate
Professors Goldbeck, W. King, Rice, Smith, F. Swetnam, S.
Swetnam, D. Walsh, M.E. Walsh, Wigginton
Associate Professors Attebery, Cantrill, Kijinski, K. King,
Levenson, Wahl
Assistant Professors Engebretson, Hellwig, Manning, Montgomery,
Myers, Schmidt
Assistant Professor and
Writing Center Director Mullin
Instructor Spencer
Doctor of Arts in English
The Doctor of Arts in English prepares graduates to teach in
two-year and four-year colleges. Thus the program requires
breadth of study in English and American literature,
interdisciplinary course work, course work in pedagogy and
supervised teaching internships. Students will undertake directed
research in one or both required doctoral papers.
Admission
For classified admission to the D.A. program, applicants must
satisfy the following criteria:
Writing 3 cr
English Composition
Graduate Seminars in Composition and Language
606 Seminar in Creative Writing 3 credits. Composition of
poetry, fiction, and drama (emphasis may vary); methods of
teaching creative writing. Permission of the instructor required.
May be repeated once with permission of the department.
631 Seminar in Teaching Writing 3 credits. A systematic
application of the knowledge of language to the teaching of
writing, including the analysis and evaluation of student papers.
685 Seminar in Linguistics 3 credits. Advanced studies in
selected topics of linguistics. May be repeated once with
permission of the department.
Literature Graduate Courses
g455 Studies in a Major National Literature 3 credits. Studies in
important literatures and cultures not covered by regular course
offerings. Will include literatures in translation and literature
written in English outside of America and the British Isles. Also
listed as LANG 415.
g456 Comparative Literature 3 credits. The analysis of ideas,
problems, and techniques common to important writers of various
national literatures.
g461 Classical Literature 3 credits. Study of the major
literature of the classical Greek and Roman periods, especially
in relationship to its cultural backgrounds.
g462 Medieval Literature 3 credits. Study of the major literature
of the Middle Ages and its background, with emphasis upon the
development of English literature.
g463 Renaissance Literature 3 credits. Study of the major
literature of the Renaissance and its background, with emphasis
upon the development of English literature.
g464 Seventeenth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the major
literature of the seventeenth century and its background, with
emphasis upon the development of English literature.
g465 Eighteenth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the major
literature of the eighteenth century and its background, with
emphasis upon the development of English and American literature.
g466 Early Nineteenth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the
major literature of the early nineteenth century and its
background, with emphasis upon the development of English and
American literature.
g467 Late Nineteenth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the
major literature of the late nineteenth century and its
background, with emphasis upon the development of English and
American literature.
g468 Early Twentieth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the
major literature of the early twentieth century and its
background, with emphasis upon the development of English and
American literature.
g469 Contemporary Literature 3 credits. Study of recent major
literature and its background, with emphasis upon English and
American literature.
g472 Proseminar in a Major Literary Figure 3 credits. Intensive
study in a single major author other than Chaucer, Milton, and
Shakespeare, demanding some independent study and small group
participation.
g473 Chaucer 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of
Chaucer.
g474 Milton 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of
Milton.
g476 Shakespeare 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of
Shakespeare.
g490 Folklore 3 credits. Principles, content, and dissemination
of orally transmitted religious beliefs and popular narrative
forms in preliterate societies. Also listed as ANTH g490.
648 Graduate Reading 1-3 credits. Supplementary reading course
arranged on an individual basis. The course requires conferences
with faculty supervisor and written assignments or examination.
Requires approval of a prospectus by the Graduate Committee.
650 Thesis 1-6 credits. Research or creative project. Optional
in the M.A. program.
Graduate Seminars
in Literature
611 Literary Theory and Criticism 3 credits. Examination of
major literary theories and critical approaches.
613 Methods of Scholarship in Language and Literature 3 credits.
Training in bibliographical and problem-solving techniques
relevant to English.
621 Seminar in a Major Literary Genre 3 credits. Study of the
theory, form, and conventions of a genre. May be repeated once
with permission of department.
632 Seminar in Teaching Literature 3 credits. Practical
strategies for teaching literature at beginning and advanced
undergraduate levels.
661 Seminar in Classical Literature 3 credits.
662 Seminar in Medieval Literature 3 credits.
663 Seminar in Renaissance Literature 3 credits.
664 Seminar in Seventeenth-Century Literature 3 credits.
665 Seminar in Eighteenth-Century Literature 3 credits.
666 Seminar in Nineteenth-Century Literature 3 credits.
668 Seminar in Twentieth-Century Literature 3 credits.
672 Seminar in a Major Literary Figure 3 credits. Intensive
study of the writings of one or two major authors. Critical and
biographical topics and historical significance may be
considered. May be repeated once with permission of the
department.
685 Seminar in Linguistics 3 credits. Advanced studies in
selected topics of linguistics. May be repeated once with
permission of the department.
691 Interdisciplinary Seminar 3 credits. Intensive study of a
subject from the perspectives of two or more academic
disciplines. May be repeated once with permission of the
department. Fulfills three credits of interdisciplinary component
for the D.A.
Supervised Teaching
700 Supervised Teaching Internship 1-9 credits. Practical
experience in classroom or laboratory teaching. Graded S/U.
731 Practicum in Teaching Composition 3 credits. Teaching
composition under supervision. Required of, and limited to,
second semester M.A. teaching assistants. PREREQ: English 631.
Graded S/U.
Philosophy Graduate Courses
g305 History of Philosophy: Greek Reason and Christian Faith 3
credits. Philosophical readings from the pre-Socratics to St.
Thomas Aquinas. Topics include: the theory of essence, human
nature and happiness, the problem of evil, the relation of reason
and faith.
g315 History of Philosophy: Rationalism and Empiricism 3 credits.
Readings in philosophy from Descartes to Hegel. Emphasis on the question of the limits of human knowledge. g325 History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy Movements 3 credits. Readings in philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries. Organized to illuminate the development of particular schools of thought, including existentialism, pragmatism, phenomenology, analytic philosophy, and Marxism. Emphasis varies. g400 Philosophy of Art 3 credits. Study of philosophic problems encountered in perceiving, interpreting, and evaluating works of art. Topics include the nature of a work of art, aesthetic response, expression, symbol; the nature and role of representation; the nature of interpretive and evaluative claims.
g410 Philosophy of Language 3 credits. Study of theories of
language, with emphasis on contemporary thinkers such as Frege,
Heidigger, Russell, Wittgenstein, Piaget, and Chomsky. Topics
include the nature and origin of meaning, the temporal dimension
of discourse, the significance of syntax, animal languages,
computer languages.
g420 Philosophy of Mind 3 credits. Inquiry into the mind-body
problem and representative solutions, such as dualism,
philosophical behaviorism, central-state materialism. Related
topics include the self, personal identity, immortality, claims
of parapsychology, mystical consciousness.
g430 Philosophy of Science 3 credits. A critical analysis of the
philosophical presuppositions of the empirical sciences with
attention given to the wider expressions of the presuppositions
in contemporary life.
g440 Philosophy and Literature 3 credits. Reflections on the
relation between poetic and speculative discourse. Topics include
forms of consciousness, temporality and narrative, metaphysics of
genre.
g450 Ethical Theory 3 credits. Study of the nature of value
claims, stressing ethical value claims; examination of the scope
of reason in ethical decision-making. Applications to normative
ethical theories. Related topics include human rights, justice,
ethical and legal systems.
g460 Theory of Knowledge 3 credits. A survey of reflections on
the question, "What, if anything, can we know?" Topics include
knowing, believing, meaning, truth, and certainty.
g470 Symbolic Logic and Foundations of Mathematics 3 credits. A
comprehensive study of formal methods of determining validity and
of systems of symbolic logic, with attention to the philosophy of
logic and the relationship between logic and mathematics.
g490 Philosophy Seminar 1-3 credits. Advanced reading and
discussion on selected topics in philosophy. May be taken for
credit more than once with permission of the department.
597 Professional Education Development Topics. Variable credit.
May be repeated. A course for practicing professionals aimed at
the development and improvement of skills. May not be applied to
graduate degrees. May be graded S/U.
Department of Foreign Languages