Chair and Professor: Kijinski Director of Philosophy and Professor: Wahl Professors: B. Attebery, Cantrill, Goldbeck, Levenson, Schow, F. Swetnam, S. Swetnam, Tate, D. Walsh, M. Walsh Associate Professors: Hamlin, Hellwig, King, Montgomery, Schmidt Assistant Professors: J. Attebery, Baergen, Engebretsen, Jones, Kurtz, Myers, Prineas, Umbach, Van Pelt, Westphal Associate Professor and Writing Center Director: Mullin Professors Emeriti: Bagley, Jacob, King, Kissane, Rice, Smith, Wigginton Associate Professors Emeriti: Huck, Jensen
The Department of English and Philosophy offers broad curricula in two humanistic disciplines. English studies include courses that treat the nature of language, courses that explore human experience as represented in imaginative literature, and courses that develop general and specialized writing skills. The philosophy curriculum examines such topics as the nature of reality and being, the ways that knowledge is acquired, and the bases for ethical choices.
These curricula serve two broad purposes: 1) they contribute to the general education, the personal enrichment and fulfillment, of students in all disciplines, and 2) they lead to degrees with majors or minors. Specifically, the department offers the B.A., M.A., and D.A. in English, the B.A. in philosophy. (Full descriptions of the graduate degree programs in English may be found in the Graduate Catalog.)
Equipped with an undergraduate degree in either English or philosophy, students are prepared to enter graduate degree programs, to pursue training in such professions as medicine, law, or religion, or to embark upon a great variety of careers in government/business/industry that demand broad, liberal perspectives and strong observational, fact-finding, analytical, and communication skills. Additionally, English majors (with proper certification) are well prepared for careers in secondary education.
Option 1_General English Major Category I_Literature (24 credits)
Required:
ENGL 211 Introduction to Literary
Analysis 3 cr
ENGL 311 Studies in Genre 3 cr
ENGL 491 Senior Seminar 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 251 English Literature 3 cr
ENGL 252 English Literature 3 cr
ENGL 253 American Literature 3 cr
ENGL 254 American Literature 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 321 Studies in Dramatic
Literature 3 cr
ENGL 322 Studies in Poetry 3 cr
ENGL 323 Studies in Prose Fiction 3 cr
ENGL 324 Studies in Prose
Non-Fiction 3 cr
Plus two courses from the following:
ENGL 455 Studies in a Major National
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g461 Classical Literature 3 cr
ENGL g462 Medieval Literature 3 cr
ENGL g463 Renaissance Literature 3 cr
ENGL g464 Seventeenth-Century
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g465 Eighteenth-Century
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g466 Early Nineteenth-Century
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g467 Late Nineteenth-Century
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g468 Early Twentieth-Century
Literature 3 cr
ENGL g469 Contemporary Literature 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL g472 Proseminar in a
Major Literary Figure 3 cr
ENGL g473 Chaucer 3 cr
ENGL g474 Milton 3 cr
ENGL g476 Shakespeare 3 cr
Category II_Language Studies (6 credits)
Required:
ENGL 281 Introduction to Grammar 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL g481 Advanced Grammar 3 cr
ENGL g485 Linguistic Analysis 3 cr
ENGL g486 Old English 3 cr
ENGL g487 History of the English
Language 3 cr
Category III_Writing
(3 credits)
Required:
ENGL 301 Writing About Literature 3 cr
Category IV_Electives
(12 credits)
one course from the following:
ENGL 328 Gender in Literature 3 cr
ENGL 341 Bible as Literature 3 cr
ENGL 353 The West in American
Literature 3 cr
ENGL 356 Ethnic and Minority
Literature 3 cr
ENGL 456 Comparative Literature 3 cr
Plus an additional 9 credits of English, of which at least 3 credits must be in
upper-division courses.
GENERAL ENGLISH MAJOR TOTAL 45 cr
Option 2_Writing
English Major
Category I_Composition and Communication
(33 credits)
Required:
ENGL 281 Introduction to Grammar 3 cr
ENGL g401 Advanced Composition
and Prose Analysis 3 cr
ENGL 410 Writing Internship 6 cr
M C 215 Graphic Design 3 cr
PHIL 200 Critical Thinking 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 301 Writing About Literature 3 cr
ENGL 307 Professional Writing 3 cr
ENGL 308 Business Communications 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 206 Creative Writing Workshop 3 cr
ENGL 306 Creative Writing Workshop 3 cr
ENGL g406 Advanced Creative Writing
Workshop 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 206 Creative Writing Workshop 3 cr
ENGL 306 Creative Writing Workshop 3 cr
ENGL g406 Advanced Creative Writing
Workshop 3 cr
Plus three courses from the following:
ENGL 431 Idaho Writing Project 3 cr
SPCH 201 Business and
Professional Speaking 3 cr
SPCH g437 Rhetorical Theory 3 cr
M C 325 Editing for Print Media 3 cr
M C 327 Magazine Article Writing 3 cr
M C 341 Public Relations Methods 3 cr
M C 445 Editorial Writing 3 cr
Category II_Literature
(12 credits)
Required:
ENGL 311 Studies in Genre 3 cr
Plus once course from the following:
ENGL 251 English Literature I 3 cr
ENGL 253 American Literature I 3 cr
ENGL 255 World Literature I 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 252 English Literature II 3 cr
ENGL 254 American Literature II 3 cr
ENGL 256 World Literature II 3 cr
Plus one course from the following:
ENGL 321 Studies in Dramatic
Literature 3 cr
ENGL 322 Studies in Poetry 3 cr
ENGL 323 Studies in Prose Fiction 3 cr
ENGL 324 Studies in Prose
Non-Fiction 3 cr
WRITING ENGLISH MAJOR TOTAL 45 cr
Students electing the writing option will be required to minor in a discipline
relevant to their professional interests.
Option 1_General Minor Twenty-one hours of credit in English, 12 of which must be in upper division courses, including either ENGL 301 or ENGL 307.
Option 2_Writing Minor Twenty-one hours of credit in English, including ENGL 301, ENGL 487, and either ENGL 281 or ENGL 481, plus four other courses, of which at least two must be upper-division, from among the following courses: ENGL 107, 206, 306, 307, 401, 406, 485, PHIL 200.
Option 3_Creative Writing Minor A minimum of twenty-one hours of credit in English, including at least one of the following courses: ENGL 206, 306, 406; twelve credits must be earned in upper- division courses, three of which must be a special ENGL 348 Senior Thesis Project.
Each student in this option will be assigned a major advisor and a committee composed of members of the creative writing program. This committee will be responsible for evaluating the student's senior thesis, a substantial creative project in the genre of the student's choice. In addition, each student will be required to present in public performance, as appropriate, the thesis material to the community at large.
ENGL 51 Basic Writing 0 credits (3 credits equivalent). For students who do not meet ENGL 101 placement requirements. Prepares students for ENGL 101 by addressing composition fundamentals at sentence, paragraph, and essay levels, with emphasis on student's own writing. F, S, Su
ENGL 101 English Composition 3 credits. Course in prose writing in which students will develop their ability to understand and write paragraphs and expository essays in standard edited English. F, S, Su
ENGL 103 Honors English Composition 3 credits. Open to students who achieve high scores on the Composition Placement Examination. Substitutes for English 101 toward fulfillment of Goal 1. (Students selected for Honors 103 may elect instead to take ENGL 101.) D
ENGL 105 Writing Laboratory 1 credit. Composition course designed for students who transfer from quarter-system schools and who are deficient in one or more hours in English composition credits. PREREQ: PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF COMPOSITION. F, S, Su
ENGL 107 Nature of Language 3 credits. General survey of structure and use of language. Topics include language origins, descriptive and historical linguistics, language and culture, and history of the English language. Cross-listed as ANTH 107 and LANG 107. R1
ENGL 201 Critical Reading and Writing 3 credits. Writing essays based on readings. Focus on critical reading; research methods; gathering, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing ideas and evidence; documenting material. PREREQ: ENGL 101 OR EQUIVALENT AND COMPLETION OF 26 CREDITS. F, S, Su
ENGL 206 Creative Writing Workshop 3 credits. Introduction to one or more forms of creative writing. May be repeated once with permission of the department. R1
ENGL 281 Introduction to Grammar 3 credits. An introduction to the basic grammatical principles of the English language. F, S
ENGL 301 Writing About Literature 3 credits. Course in prose writing in which students develop their ability to write expository and argumentative essays based on their reading of literary texts. PREREQ: ENGL 201 AND COMPLETION OF 60 CREDITS. F, S
ENGL 306 Creative Writing Workshop 3 credits. Advanced training in one or more of the forms of creative writing. May be repeated once with permission of the department. PREREQ: ENGL 206 OR EQUIVALENT. R1
ENGL 307 Professional Writing 3 credits. An intensive course covering skills and conventions pertinent to professional writing. Applications in disciplines or subjects of interest to the individual student. Especially appropriate for science, engineering, business, and pre-professional majors. PREREQ: ENGL 201 AND COMPLETION OF 45 CREDITS. F, S
ENGL 308 Business Communications 3 credits. An advanced course in conventions of business communications, emphasizing purpose and audience. Focus on style, semantics, research skills, format, persuasion, and critical analysis and synthesis of data. PREREQ: ENGL 201 AND COMPLETION OF 60 CREDITS. F, S, Su
ENGL 397 Workshop 1-2 credits. Workshop aimed at the development and improvement of skills. Does not satisfy requirements for a major or a minor. May be repeated. Graded S/U. D
ENGL g401 Advanced Composition and Prose Analysis 3 credits. Study of the principles of rhetoric, syntax, and semantics applicable to the analysis of written persuasive and informative discourse. Special attention will be given to problems in the teaching of writing. PREREQ: ENGL 301, ENGL 307 OR ENGL 308, OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR. R2
ENGL g406 Advanced Creative Writing Workshop 3 credits. Production and discussion of student writing. Study in a specific genre with emphasis on longer works. May be repeated once for undergraduate credit. PREREQ: ENGL 306 OR PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTOR. R1
ENGL 410 Writing Internship 1-6 credits. On-the-job writing experience in business, industry, or government settings. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits. PREREQ: ENGL 301, ENGL 307, OR ENGL 308 AND SENIOR STANDING. F, S
ENGL g431 Idaho Writing Project 3 credits. A National Writing Project affiliate program to aid teachers of all grade levels and all academic subjects develop skills in teaching writing. Combines composition theory and practical classroom exercises with daily writing and critiques. Su
ENGL g481 Advanced Grammar 3 credits. Study of the principles of structural and transformational grammar. Intended for the prospective teacher as well as the general student. PREREQ: ENGL 281. R2
ENGL g485 Linguistic Analysis 3 credits. Advanced course in the techniques of language analysis. Topics include sound systems (phonetics and phonology) or grammatical systems. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. R2
ENGL g486 Old English 3 credits. Intensive study of the Old English language, with attention to its intrinsic structure and its relation to Middle and Modern English. R2
ENGL g487 History of the English Language 3 credits. Study of the linguistic and socio-political changes and developments in the English language. R2
COMM 101 Practical Communication I 3 credits. Course in verbal communications with emphasis upon written discourse. Stresses effective and practical writing and speaking relevant to business and industry. For Applied Technology students only. F, S, Su
NOTE: Applied technology students who have taken both COMM 101 and COMM 102 and subsequently enroll in academic programs may count these courses in combination as equivalent to ENGL 101 and SPCH 101. COMM 101 or COMM 102 taken singly are NOT accepted as equivalent to ENGL 101 or SPCH 101.
ENGL 110 Introduction to Literature 3 credits. Introduction to the critical reading of various literary genres, with attention to the interpretation and evaluation of representative texts. Satisfies Goal 7 of the General Education Requirements. F, S, Su
ENGL 115 Major Themes in Literature 3 credits. Introduction to literature through the study of one or more major themes that cross historical and cultural boundaries. Satisfies Goal 7 of the General Education Requirements. F, S
ENGL 205 Art of the Film I 3 credits. Course examines the creative process, aesthetic principles and historical background of cinematic arts. Screening of representative films and examination of critical works and theories are included. Cross-listed as THEA 205. S
ENGL 211 Introduction to Literary Analysis 3 credits. Introduction to the methods and resources used in the study of literature. Will focus upon the terminology and concepts of critical reading through a study and application of various approaches to literary analysis. F
ENGL 212 Introduction to Folklore/Oral Tradition 3 credits. Categories, functions, contexts, and modes of transmission of folk stories, songs, proverbs, games, crafts, customs, and other traditional lore. Cross-listed as AMST 212 and ANTH 212. R2
ENGL 251-252 English Literature 3 credits each. Examination of major works and authors in historical perspective, with emphasis upon literary and cultural backgrounds. R1
ENGL 253-254 American Literature 3 credits each. Examination of major works and authors in historical perspective with emphasis upon literary and cultural backgrounds. Cross-listed as AMST 253-254. R1
ENGL 255-256 World Literature 3 credits each. Examination of major works and authors in historical perspective, with emphasis upon literary and cultural backgrounds. Satisfies Goal 7 of the General Education Requirements. R1
ENGL 305 Art of the Film II 3 credits. In-depth investigation of cinematic art with focus on one or more of the following: genre, historical development, aesthetics, criticism, social impact, and artists. Screening of representative films. Cross-listed as THEA 305. PREREQ: THEA/ENGL 205 OR PERMISSION. S
ENGL 311 Studies in Genre 3 credits. Examination of the manner in which form and techniques of composition create and delimit possibilities for literary expression. Course will include a study of the characteristics of major literary genres. S
ENGL 321 Studies in Dramatic Literature 3 credits. Study of selected works from dramatic literature of the world through an analysis of their definitive generic characteristics. R2
ENGL 322 Studies in Poetry 3 credits. Study of selected poems through an analysis of their definitive generic characteristics. R2
ENGL 323 Studies in Prose Fiction 3 credits. Studies of selected works of fiction through an analysis of their definitive generic characteristics. R2
ENGL 324 Studies in Prose Non-Fiction 3 credits. Study of selected works of non-fiction through an analysis of their definitive generic characteristics. R2
ENGL 328 Gender in Literature 3 credits. Considers the role of gender in literature, including issues of authorship, reader communities, and literary representations of women and men. R2
ENGL 331 Methods in the Teaching of English 3 credits. Practical study of the objectives, problems, and methods of teaching literature and composition in secondary schools. PREREQ: COMPLETION OF GOAL 1 AND NINE ADDITIONAL HOURS OF ENGLISH. F
ENGL 341 Bible as Literature 3 credits. Study of various types of literature found in the Bible, with a view of attaining greater knowledge of and appreciation for this aspect of the literary heritage. R2
ENGL 348 Independent Problems 1-3 credits. Consultation course for upperclassmen interested in problems in language and literature not adequately covered by regular offerings. PREREQ: PERMISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT. D
ENGL 353 The West in American Literature 3 credits. Survey of the literature of Western America since 1800. D
ENGL 356 Ethnic and Minority Literature 3 credits. Study of the literature dealing with specific issues and concerns relevant to one or more ethnic or minority groups. D
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL g455 Studies in a Major National Literature 3 credits. Studies in important literatures and cultures not otherwise covered in the curriculum. Will include literatures in translation and literature written in English outside of America and the British Isles. Cross-listed as LANG 415. R3
ENGL g456 Comparative Literature 3 credits. The analysis of ideas, problems, and techniques common to important writers of various national literatures. R3
ENGL g461 Classical Literature 3 credits. Study of the major literature of the classical Greek and Roman periods, especially in relationship to its cultural backgrounds. R3
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL g463 Renaissance Literature 3 credits. Study of the major literature of the Renaissance and its background, with emphasis upon the development of English literature. R2
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL 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. R2
ENGL g468 Early Twentieth-Century Literature 3 credits. Study of the major literature of the early twentieth century and its background, with emphasis upon English and American literature. R2
ENGL g469 Contemporary Literature 3 credits. Study of recent major literature and its background, with emphasis upon English and American literature. R2
ENGL 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. R1
ENGL g473 Chaucer 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of Chaucer. R2
ENGL g474 Milton 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of Milton. R2
ENGL g476 Shakespeare 3 credits. Intensive study of selected works of Shakespeare. R1
ENGL g490 Folklore 3 credits. Principles, content, and dissemination of orally transmitted religious beliefs and popular narrative forms in preliterate societies. Cross-listed as ANTH g490. R3
ENGL 491 Senior Seminar 3 credits. A capstone course in which students consolidate their grasp of the discipline of English through application of major scholarly approaches to literature. PREREQ: ENGL 211, 311, AND 9 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF UPPER-DIVISION ENGLISH. S
Required Courses
PHIL 200 Critical Thinking 3 cr
PHIL g305 History of Philosophy: Greek
Reason and Christian Faith 3 cr
PHIL g450 Ethical Theory 3 cr
PHIL g460 Theory of Knowledge 3 cr
PHIL 492 Senior Tutorial 3 cr
PHIL 151 Western Thought 3 credits. An introduction to the major thinkers and major problems in Western philosophical and scientific traditions. Sections may emphasize either an historical or problems approach. Satisfies Goal 8 of the General Education Requirements. F, S, Su
PHIL 200 Critical Thinking 3 credits. An introduction to the concepts and methods of deductive and inductive logic, with special emphasis on the use of logical methods to identify, analyze, construct, and evaluate everyday arguments. R1
PHIL 210 Introduction to Asian Philosophies 3 credits. A study of Hindu, Buddhist, and other Far Eastern approaches to topics such as immortality, time, reality, mystical experience, the divinity of the soul, the question of duty. Emphasis varies. R2
PHIL 220 Philosophical Issues in Religion 3 credits. An inquiry into the nature of religious belief, the concept of God, rational proofs of the existence of God, the religious experience, the concept of faith, the character of religious language, the meaning of myths and symbols, and the question of modern atheism. R2
PHIL 230 Contemporary Moral Issues 3 credits. An examination of moral problems that have recently arisen in such areas as health care, biological research, business administration, defense policy, and environmental protection. Emphasis varies. R1
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL 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. D
PHIL g325 History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophical 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. R2
PHIL 355 Political and Social Philosophy 3 credits. Questions concerning social justice as discussed by Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, Marx and others.
PHIL 397 Workshop 1-2 credits. Workshops aimed at the development and improvement of skills. Does not satisfy requirements for a major or a minor. May be repeated. Graded S/U. D
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL g410 Philosophy of Language 3 credits. Study of theories of language, with emphasis on contemporary thinkers such as Frege, Heidegger, 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. D
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL 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 these presuppositions in contemporary life. R2
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL 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. R2
PHIL g470 Symbolic Logics 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. D
PHIL 480 Philosophy Tutorial 2 credits. Consultation course for seniors interested in a philosophical problem connected with their major field. Will consist of independent reading, conferences, and the preparation of a term paper. May be repeated up to 6 credits. F, S
PHIL 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. D
PHIL 492 Senior Tutorial 3 credits. A culminating course for senior majors. Directed research resulting in a senior thesis, to be evaluated by the philosophy faculty. PREREQ: SENIOR STANDING AND PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHILOSOPHY. S
Idaho State University Academic Information
Revised: April 24, 1996
URL http://www.isu.edu/academic-info/prev-isu-cat/ugrad96/arts/dep.html