BSU Catalog Home | Graduate English Program | All-University Courses and Descriptions

Graduate Course Offerings
English (ENGL)

5101 ADVANCED WRITING (3 credits) A nonfiction writing course for exploring a wide variety of prose processes, audiences, and formats. Includes revision and editing, style, and the authorial voice. May include exploration of opportunities for publishing.

5115 WRITING FICTION I (3 credits) An introduction to the study of the form and style of fiction, with practice, study, and writing in a workshop format.

5116 WRITING FICTION II (3 credits) A workshop course designed to offer the student further practice, analysis, and theoretical study in the writing of original fiction. May be repeated one time.

5125 WRITING POETRY I (3 credits) An introduction to the study of form and style of poetry, with practice, study, and writing in a workshop format.

5126 WRITING POETRY II (3 credits) A workshop course designed to offer the student further practice, analysis, and theoretical study in the composition of poetry. May be repeated one time.   

5135 SCRIPTWRITING/PLAYWRITING I (3 credits) Introduction to the study of the form and style of scriptwriting and playwriting, with practice, study, and writing in a workshop format.

5136 SCRIPTWRITING/PLAYWRITING II (3 credits) Advanced study and experience in writing one act, radio, television, screen, and theatre scripts. May be repeated one time.

5145 WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION I (3 credits) Introduction to the study of the form and style of creative nonfiction, with practice in a workshop format.

5146 WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION II (3 credits) Workshop offering further practice, analysis, and theoretical study in the composition of creative nonfiction. May be repeated one time.

5155 PROFESSIONAL WRITING (3 credits) Written communication in professional settings. Gathering information, analyzing audiences, and assessing conventional formats of professional writing. Drafting, testing, and revising documents. Development of a portfolio project.

5156 PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS (3 credits) Presentation skills for professional and technical writing. Audience analysis, visual communication, researching and organizing a presentation, presenting complex material. Emphasizes use of computers.

5169 WEB CONTENT WRITING (3 credits) Extensive practice in creating written content for the Web, in various genres and for various purposes and audiences. Addresses the unique rhetorical and formal challenges of developing Web content: writing hypertext, using links and link text, using text elements, micro-content, navigation, copy editing. Prerequisites: ENGL 5177 or ENGL 5179.

5170 WEB DESIGN FOR CONTENT WRITERS (3 credits) A project-based, hands-on advanced course in creating Web sites. Emphasis on page and site design, information architecture, and hypertext. Prerequisite: ENGL 5169 or ENGL 5179 or consent of instructor.

5177 WEBLOGS AND WIKIS (3 credits) This course, which is theory-grounded and project-based, gives students the opportunity to explore two new and related forms of online publishing, study, and written expression. Students design and pursue a ten-week project in creating a weblog or a wiki. Computer-intensive.

5179 ELEMENTS OF ELECTRONIC RHETORIC (3 credits) Introduction to the principles of applied rhetoric integrated with continued writing experience. Also introduces fundamentals of hypertext. Students investigate email, Web page and site design, online discussion, wikis, and weblogs, and create and analyze online texts and exchanges. Computer-intensive.

5230 WOMEN IN FILM (3 credits) A study of the portrayal of women in feature films, considering how these cinematic presentations reflect society's attitudes toward women and expectations of women. Additional film viewing and criticism will be required on the graduate level.

5270 AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE (3 credits) A study of the prose and poetry representative of North American Indian storytellers and writers beginning with the oral tradition and moving into the present.

5300 AMERICAN LITERATURE TO 1850 (3 credits) Specialized study of some aspect of American literature prior to the Civil War; consult the current class schedule for specific focus of course.

5310 AMERICAN ROMANTICISM, REALISM, AND NATURALISM (3 credits) A detailed study of three major literary movements in America, focusing on works by key writers and considering the critical theories underlying the writings.

5320 TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE (3 credits) An in-depth study of a particular aspect of twentieth-century American literature, with an emphasis on significant authors and their social and literary contexts; consult the current class schedule for specific focus of course.

5330 ENGLISH RENAISSANCE LITERATURE (3 credits) A study of sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century English literature, exclusive of Shakespeare and Milton.

5335 RESTORATION AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE (3 credits) A study of English poetry, prose, and drama of the Restoration and the eighteenth-century.

5350 ROMANTICS AND VICTORIANS (3 credits) A study of English poetry, prose, and drama of the nineteenth-century, with an emphasis on the development of neo-classicism and romanticism.

5355 TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE (3 credits) A study of twentieth-century prose, poetry, and drama written in Britain and the British Commonwealth.

5360 INTERNATIONAL FILM (3 credits) A study of a variety of international films, focusing on major films, important directors, and considering the cultural context and social issues raised by the films. Additional film viewing and criticism will be required on the graduate level.

5410 CHAUCER AND HIS AGE (3 credits) A study of Chaucer's poetical works in the context of his times and of the work of his major contemporaries.

5420 SHAKESPEARE AND HIS AGE (3 credits) A study of Shakespeare's works in the context of his times and of the work of his major contemporaries.

5425 MILTON AND HIS AGE (3 credits) A study of Milton's prose and poetry in the context of his times and of the work of his contemporaries.

5429 SHAKESPEARE FOR TEACHERS (3 credits) A study of Shakespeare’s plays and poems in contexts appropriate for high school and community college teachers.

5430 COMPARATIVE LITERATURE (3 credits) Comparative study of the life and work of representative writers from varied national and cultural traditions; consult the current class schedule for specific focus of course.

5530 TEACHING WRITING WITH TECHNOLOGY (3 credits) Focuses on the theory and practice of teaching secondary and university-level writing with computer technology, including using computer-mediated communication (asynchronous and synchronous, email, Web discussion boards, and MOOs), Web-supplemented teaching, and student writing for Web publication. Project-based and taught in a computer classroom. Students will have opportunities to create materials for teaching writing using computers.

5540 LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS (3 credits) A study of a variety of literature appropriate for adolescents, including criteria for evaluating literary merit; criteria for evaluating classroom usefulness; and effective ways to manage book challenges and censorship issues.

5555 ENGLISH TOPICS (3 credits) Intensive study of a specific topic in English literature.

5580 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (3 credits) A linguistically-based study of the structure, grammar, and historical development of the English language.

5600 AUTHOR TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the work of one or more authors (e.g., Chaucer, Emily Dickinson), including application of critical theory. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5606 CULTURE TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the literature of a culture (e.g., American Indian Literature, Ethnic Literature), including application of critical theory. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5607 FILM TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of film (e.g., Women in Film, International Film), including application of critical theory. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5608 GENRE TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of a literary genre (e.g., The American Novel, Dramatic Literature), including application of critical theory. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5609 PERIOD TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the literature of a specific period (e.g., Medieval Literature, Modern Literature), including application of critical theory. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5700 ADVANCED AUTHOR TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the work of one or more authors (e.g., Chaucer, Emily Dickinson) , including application of multiple critical theories. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5706 ADVANCED CULTURE TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the literature of a culture (e.g., American Indian Literature, Ethnic Literature), including application of multiple critical theories. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5707 ADVANCED FILM TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of film (e.g., Women in Film, International Film), including application of multiple critical theories. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5708 ADVANCED GENRE TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of a literary genre (e.g., The American Novel, Dramatic Literature), including application of multiple critical theories. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5709 ADVANCED PERIOD TOPICS (3 credits) In-depth study of the literature of a specific period (e.g., Medieval Literature, Modern Literature), including application of multiple critical theories. May be retaken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

5770 CONTEMPORARY WRITERS AND THEORY (3 credits) A seminar that centers on the study of creative prose and poetry by contemporary authors and includes an analysis of selected essays and criticism by the authors themselves as well as their critics. It focuses upon the evolution of form and language in the most contemporary creative writing. This course may not be taken to fulfill core requirements in literary criticism and theory.

5861 PRACTICUM IN LITERARY CAREERS, PUBLISHING, AND MANAGEMENT I (3 credits) This course is designed to introduce graduate students to issues and practices of literary careers. Students gain experience in researching literary markets and submitting work for publication, publishing literary journals, organizing and publicizing literary events, and pursuing literary careers.

5862 PRACTICUM IN LITERARY CAREERS, PUBLISHING, AND MANAGEMENT II (3 credits) This course allows graduate students to increase their knowledge of issues and practices of literary careers and to further their development of knowledge and skills introduced in ENGL 5861 related to researching literary markets and submitting work of publication, publishing literary journals, organizing and publicizing literary events, and pursuing literary careers. Students also gain experience in publication management by serving as production managers for the literary journals and completing special projects such as preparing publicity flyers for literary events and writing publication introductions. Prerequisite: ENGL 5861.

6260 SHAKESPEARE (3 credits) A study of selected works of Shakespeare, with emphasis on a particular genre, such as tragedy.

6270 SEMINAR IN LITERATURE (3 credits) Specialized study in American, English, or comparative literature.

6277 PROBLEMS OF LITERARY CRITICISM (3 credits) A descriptive course in criticism which attempts to get at the basic problem of methodology and which make applications of the various critical literary problems. Considers aspects of the philosophic inquiry in criticism as well as methods of analysis and their limitations.

6500 SEMINAR IN COMPOSITION PEDAGOGY (1 credit) A study of the dynamics of the composition classroom, with special emphasis on responding to student papers, establishing classroom cultures, and application of theories in ENGL 6700.

6680 INTERDISCIPLINARY SEMINAR (3 credits) An interdisciplinary study of specifically chosen literature and cultural relationships of England and America.

6700 SEMINAR IN RHETORICAL THEORY (3 credits) A study of trends in composition theory with special emphasis on academic writing. This course is designed primarily to prepare students to teach university level composition courses.