English

To read well and to write well are fundamental tasks of the literate person. Since the founding of the University, the mission of the English Department has been to teach students those literary texts written or translated into English that express “the best that has been known and said.” The curriculum emphasizes literature because of its power “to teach and to delight” and its attention to truth and beauty. It stresses critical reading to develop analytical skills. The major in English develops language and writing skills because there is a fundamental relationship between accurate reading, clear thinking and well–organized oral and written expression. The ability to write and speak well is, moreover, good in and of themselves. The English major also recognizes the need to nurture the imagination both in its emphasis on the aesthetic values of literature and in its courses in creative writing. The English major prepares students for graduate work in departments of English and in other fields, as well as for careers in writing and in primary and secondary education; the major imparts knowledge, attitudes, and skills appropriate for many types of professional careers.

English majors follow a program of readings in periods of English and American literature; they also take courses that concentrate on single authors. Many courses include the study of films. English majors study literary criticism in a specialized course, but they explore important critical approaches to literature in many classes. Courses in creative writing and in advanced prose writing are important components of the English major curriculum. The department encourages English majors to take elective courses in nontraditional literary studies to increase their appreciation of diverse cultures and points of view.

Objectives

• 1. Students majoring in English will be competent in oral and written expression and research methods.
• 2. Students majoring in English will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the major authors, the major literary texts, and the cultural, intellectual, and philosophical backgrounds of the traditional historical periods of English and American literature.
• 3. Graduates will be capable of analyzing and criticizing literary texts according to historical, formal (generic), and reader–response critical schools. They will understand the major tenets of archetypal and psychological critical schools and of postmodern criticism.

The department assesses students’ achievement in the major by a variety of means, including examinations, oral presentations, and papers in required courses. In their senior year, all English majors must present a thesis or produce a portfolio of creative writing or expository prose prepared under the direction of a professor in a chosen area. A jury of professors before whom the students present and defend their work will judge the thesis or portfolio.