ENG201 - Eng Lit/Themes & Writers

This course offers a special thematic approach to the study of English literature. Various authors, such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Shaw, and Yeats, are studied within such contexts as convention and revolt, the hero and the heroine, or evil and decadence. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

ENG206X - Web Series Design Workshop

The web series is a new story-telling medium created for the internet. In this course, students develop the first season of a dramatic or comedic web series. Students pitch, outline, and write an eight-episode series; as a final project, they premiere its debut in rough draft.

ENG208 - The Structure of the English Language

This course focuses on essential elements of the structure of the English language: its phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), and syntax (sentence structure). Students draw on their own knowledge of language as they examine spoken English; they then study the relationship between spoken and written language. As students discuss issues pertinent to teachers and to writers, the relevance of linguistic analysis both to written language development and to writing practice is considered.

ENG209 - Intro to Literature & Literary Studies

This is a foundations course required for the major and the minor in English. The course provides an introduction to a variety of forms and styles in poetry, drama, short story, fiction, memoir, and essay; European, North American, and world literatures are considered. The focus is on interpreting texts; students are introduced to various schools of interpretation and to standards for supporting an interpretation. Students become familiar with the conventional elements of each genre and with the terminology of critical interpretation. The course introduces print and database tools for research on literature.

ENG210 - Survey of American Literature (KP)

This course surveys representative periods, authors, or genres in American literature from beginnings in Native American oral literatures through contemporary works. Individual sections organize study of classic and contemporary texts around particular themes, such as Queering American Literatures, American Migrations, Hemispheric American Literature, or Americans on the Edge: "Frontiers" in the American Imagination. Individual sections also trace twentieth- or twenty-first-century movements to their roots in or resistance to earlier movements or forms. This is a writing-intensive course.

ENG211 - Modern Drama

This survey course introduces students to great modern works of drama, considering the late nineteenth century through the present. Plays are considered in terms of performance as well as in literary terms, with a focus on the ways in which the philosophies and sensibilities of modernism and postmodernism are reflected both on the page and on the stage. Readings include modern classics by such writers as Ibsen, O'Neill, Brecht, and Beckett, as well as more recent works.

ENG212 - Literature for Young Adults

This course surveys current literature for adolescent and teen readers. It prepares students to evaluate young adult books in terms of literary quality, reader interest, and social and political perspectives. Strategies for use in the classroom are explored; various genres are examined. Prerequisite: ENG 102.

ENG214 - Special Topics in Literature

This course concentrates on an interdisciplinary approach to literature. The focus is on one theme, one author, one period, or one genre. Students are responsible for substantial written and oral work in analysis, criticism, and/or research.

ENG216 - The Mystery Novel

This course examines the history of one type of genre fiction, the mystery, beginning with texts from the late nineteenth century and ending with contemporary novels. Emphasis is on the development of the form, the social context of the texts including historical background, changes in popular taste, and analysis of the popularity of the genre.

ENG217 - Contemporary Global Literature (KP)

In this course, we consider contemporary literature in its global context. Viewing literature as the expression of individual national/cultural traditions and as a rendering of the universally human condition, we examine both national literatures and texts written for a global readership. Topics such as global citizenship, diaspora, postcolonial aesthetics, modernism, postmodernism, and cultural/literary redefinition may be addressed.

ENG218 - British Literature (KP)

This course surveys British writing in poetry, fiction, and drama, with a focus on key periods in the development of British literature. Emphasis is on representative writers in each period. Periods and movements surveyed include Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and the Eighteenth Century, Romanticism, Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary or Postmodern. This is a writing-intensive course.

ENG219 - Creative Writing

In this course, students explore various types of creative writing including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Students do a wide range of in-class and out-of-class writing assignments, and they have the opportunity to select one form for a major project.

ENG222 - Lyric Poetry

This course considers the lyric poem in global contexts, with attention to poetic voice, composition, sense, and sound. Form and content are examined in medieval to modern meditative and lyric poems.

ENG223 - Ethics & Morality in Literature

This course focuses on the role that ethics and morality play in a variety of literary texts. Emphasis is on analysis of characters' decisions and choices that relate to ethical issues as well as to the formation of their ethical codes. Characters' positions relating to ethical systems and the prevailing morality of their society are considered. Literature is selected from diverse genres and traditions. The focus of the course changes each semester. Possible topics include Literature of Human Rights, Prison Writing, Literature and the Environment, and Literature of War.

ENG224 - Film & Literature

In this course, the nature of narrative in literature and film is explored; focus is on analysis of literature that has been made into movies. Students consider the types of changes involved in the transformation from one form to another, as well as the complex reasons for variations. Prerequisite: ENG102.

ENG225 - The Short Story (KP)

In this course, students study the development of the short story as a twentieth-century form; critical and creative approaches are offered. Selections are taken from such authors as Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Doris Lessing, and Alice Walker.

ENG235 - From Sounds to Sentences

This course considers the acquisition of human language as a biologically based and species-specific communication system. The interaction, from infancy through early and later childhood, between biological preparedness and environmental influence is studied, as is the development of phonology (sound system), lexicon (vocabulary), syntax (sentence structure), and pragmatics (language use). The developmental phases through which a young learner passes as the language systems develop are also studied in this course. Bilingualism, dialect, language disorder, and early written language development are considered.

ENG237X - Becoming Ourselves in Society

How are we influenced by our group and our society? What attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs do we develop in our social contexts? These questions have been addressed through the lens of social psychology; in addition, creative writers have been moved to explore them. In this course, we consider the individual’s interface with social groups from psychological and literary perspectives. This is a four-credit interdisciplinary course. Prerequisites: ENG102, PSYC101 or SOC101.

ENG303X - Special Topics in Literature

Special Topics in Literature

ENG304 - Stories of Origin

This course considers both written and oral traditional texts. Texts originating in expressions of faith, devotion, cultural origin or expression, and ethnic identity are examined, with attention to narration, characterization, sacred mystery, moral /ethical content, and interpretation. Readings include selections from ancient Greek and Roman literature, the Bible and/or the Qur’an, and world myths and folktales.

ENG307 - Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop

In this course, students study the literary genre of creative nonfiction by exploring a variety of personal essays and memoirs and by engaging in writing practice. Work by class members is read and discussed, as are textbook readings that illuminate the use of craft tools such as description, imagery, diction, syntax, text structure, and metaphor in the development of personal essays and memoirs. Reading assignments involve the close examination of essays and memoirs; written assignments involve in-class work, reflections on craft essays, annotations on creative reading, and one 10-page text of original creative nonfiction.

ENG308 - Fiction Writing Workshop

Do you have an idea for a novel, play, or screenplay? Would you benefit from a focused and committed group of peers to inspire and challenge you? If so, then this course is for you. Join us as we participate in the NaNoWriMo Challenge to write a novel (or fiction manuscript of your choice) during National Novel Writing Month. Utilizing tools from the NaNoWriMo online community, we will plan and plot our stories in the beginning of the semester and draft them during the latter portion. You do not need to finish the manuscript to do well in the course. The main objective is to inspire good, daily writing habits.

ENG310 - Poetry Writing Workshop

In this course, we consider English verse by exploring lyric poetry and engaging in its practice. Work by class members is read and discussed, as are other example poems whose study illuminates the use of tools such as imagery, diction, sound device, structure, lineation, and figurative language in the construction of poetic meaning. Reading assignments involve the close examination of poems; written assignments include short poetry annotations/exercises and the creation of a portfolio of original poetry.

ENG312 - Literature of Postcolonial World

In this course, students consider issues, movements, or traditions in literatures that respond to a history of colonization and/or imperialism. Latin American, African, and Asian cultures or traditions are emphasized in English or in English translations; issues addressed might include matters of publication and criticism, myths about the "third world," nationalism, fundamentalism, human rights, technology, and cultural resistance. Example topics include The Novel in India, Caribbean Dub Poetry, Prison Writing, Major South African Writers, Magic Realism. This is a presentation-intensive course.

ENG313 - American Multiethnic Literature

This course focuses on the history, variety, and aesthetic conventions of one or more racial-ethnic traditions in American writing. Individual courses might focus on key forms or authors; distinct traditions such as African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American literature; or a survey across several traditions. Examples include Barack Obama and the African-American Tradition, Contemporary Latino Literatures, or Haiti and the US in Haitian-American Writing. This is a presentation-intensive course.

ENG340 - Classics of World Literature

This course explores representative fiction, poetry, or drama by major figures in world literature, centering on topics such as love, tragedy, comedy, immortality, madness, wasteland, quest for knowledge, voyages, or exploration. Prerequisite: Any 200-level English course.

ENG402 - Advanced Writing Workshop

This is the capstone course for creative writing majors and minors. Working with a faculty mentor, each student develops and completes a major writing project that focuses on the student’s writing interests. Review, critique, and drafting are crucial course components. The course includes reading assignments that relate to the writing projects. This one-semester course may be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: ENG307, ENG308, or ENG310.

HIST103 - World Civilization I

Beginning with prehistory, this course explores early civilizations and then follows developments in a global context, showing interconnections between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Emphasis is placed on cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments.

HIST104 - World Civ II:

This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101 with a C or better

HIST105 - History of Human Rights

This course surveys the complicated history of human rights from its origins to the modern era. Emphasis is on the historical forces, movements, and events, especially in the last three centuries, that have moved this concept from the realm of intellectual theory and conjecture to practical implementation and application. This course may also touch on some of the major philosophical, ethical, and moral questions intertwined with human rights.

HIST123 - American Civilization I

This course examines the chief political, social, and cultural features of American society as they have developed through the period of Reconstruction. Emphasis is on Colonial America, the War of Independence, the Constitution, and the emergence of the Republic through the Civil War.

HIST124 - American Civilization II

This course is a continuation of HIST 123 from the period of Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis is on reconstruction, industrialization, immigration, constitutional issues, and the emergence of American foreign policy. There is some examination of American political life in the nuclear age.

HIST203 - The History of Women in U.S.

This course explores the social history of women in the United States, beginning in the colonial period and ending with an examination of twentieth-century issues. Emphasis is on the image of women held during these periods, in contrast to actual conditions. Contributions of women to social change and the growth of women’s movements are also analyzed. This is a presentation-intensive course.

HIST204 - Recent American History

This course focuses on the presidencies from the Kennedy era to the present. Work is divided roughly into three areas: foreign affairs; domestic politics; and economic, social, and cultural needs. Topics range from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the weakening of Congress and the expansion of the presidency, the women's movement, changes in popular culture, and domestic economic developments.

HIST207 - African American History

This course explores the history of African Americans in the United States from their African beginnings to the present. It traces the lives and status of African Americans, enslaved and emancipated, as they confronted the barriers of legal, institutional, and cultural prejudices; it examines the socioeconomic and political experiences of blacks in America and investigates strategies of accommodation, resistance, and protest in the struggle of African Americans to gain human and first-class citizenship rights. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST208 - Sub-Saharan Africa after 1800

This survey of sub-Saharan African history explores the ongoing story of African political, social, and economic developments from the post-transatlantic slave trade period to the present. The course considers the impact of European merchants, missionaries, and adventurers on Africa from the time immediately preceding imperialism and colonialism up through the emergence of nationalism and the decolonization and liberation movements. The new nation-states, their postcolonial economies, and their developing systems of justice, education, and rule are investigated. Finally, topics such as soil erosion, disease, conservation, famine, and Africa’s relationships with the wider world are discussed.

HIST209 - China from 1600 to Present

This course is a survey of modern Chinese history from the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the seventeenth century to Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms of the 1990s. Special attention will be paid to modernization, Western and Japanese imperialism in China, and the rise of Communism under Mao Zedong. In addition to learning about important milestones in Chinese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese art, culture, and women's issues through primary sources translated into English. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST210 - Latin Amer Colonial Period to Present

This survey looks at Latin American history from pre-Colombian to contemporary times. Emphasis is on native cultures, the “discovery” of the New World, European presence, colonialism, imperialism, the creation of the peasantry, wars of independence, the formation of nation-states, the role of the military, slavery and racism, development and underdevelopment, the Catholic Church, liberation theology, poverty, and revolution. Major emphasis in South America is on Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and the Portuguese-speaking nation of Brazil. The course also examines foreign intervention and inner instability in Mexico, including struggles for democracy, economic rights, and social justice. In the Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, especially with regard to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama, land and labor systems, gender relations, race and ethnicity, and varied forms of rule are discussed. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST211 - Middle East & Islamic World Since 1800

This course looks at the Middle East and its relations with the wider world, from the appearance of Napoleon to the present. Topics include attempts at reform and modernization in the Ottoman Empire; the impact of Western imperialism on the region as a whole; and twentieth-century developments in the area, including nationalism, pan-Arabism, pan-Islamism, the cult of the personality, coup, revolution, Zionism, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. The economic and social impact of oil, the influence of fundamentalism, and the Great Power rivalry down through the position of the United States toward the area are investigated. The efforts of Iran to gain acceptance in/by the contemporary world are examined, as is the shifting attitude of Egypt toward modernity. Finally, connections between the region and the rest of the Islamic world are explored. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST212 - Mod Japan: Culture & History

This course is a survey of Japan's modernization from the fall of the warring states period to the economic bubble of the 1980s. Special attention will be paid to the contributions of the early modern Tokugawa Shogunate, the Meiji period of cultural borrowing from the West, and the cultural nationalism of the Japanese empire until 1945. In addition to learning about important milestones in Japanese history, students will be introduced to aspects of Japanese art and culture through a variety of primary and secondary sources and film clips. This is a writing-intensive course.

HIST218 - Global History of Childhood

This course introduces students to the ways in which cultural ideas about childhood and childrearing have changed over time. Using Western history as a departure point, the course will compare and contrast key topics of childhood, such as child labor and child rights, in various cultures. This is primarily a discussion seminar, in which students present and discuss a variety of academic readings. There is also a service-learning component. This is a presentation-intensive course.

HIST223 - Special Topics in Global History

In this seminar, students will explore and discuss topics in modern global history focused on a subject of interest to both faculty and studies. Topical areas will vary, and students may take this class twice with a different topical emphasis.

HIST231 - Revolutions & Revolutionary Thought

This course provides an analysis of many types, facets, and styles of revolution, including political, cultural, and scientific meanings of the concept. The readings are taken from literature as well as from history and the social sciences.

HIST260X - Seminar

Seminar

HIST323 - Special Topics in Global History

In this seminar, students will explore and discuss topics of their choice in modern global history, building on themes they previously encountered in the Global & Historical KP course, HIST 104.

HIST325 - The Intellectual Origins of Western Civ

This seminar traces the roots of modern Western thought from ancient Greece through the Enlightenment by discussing and analyzing selections from the writings of major European thinkers. The seminar focuses on dominant figures representative of an historical epoch and examines their ideas in light of existing and future political, social, economic, and intellectual developments. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course or permission of instructor.

HIST327X - Intelluctual Origins of Eastern Civ

This seminar explores Eastern philosophy from ancient India, Classical China, and Medieval and Early Modern Japan by discussing and analyzing selections from Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian classics. The seminar examines these ideas in their historical context and explores their continued influence on art, society, and politics in India, China, and Japan. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course or permission of instructor.

HIST352 - Nature & Meaning of History

The first half of this course examines selective theories of history from Herodotus through Braudel. The second part investigates the historiography of a single topic according to student interest. Readings are selected to introduce the student to interpretive issues surrounding the selected topic. The perspectives of several practicing historians are considered. Students write a research paper. This course is intended for history majors and as a capstone course for history minors; it is open to others who have successfully completed at least three history courses and have the permission of the instructor. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisite: a 200-level history course and permission of instructor.

HIST400 - Individual Seminar in Reading & Research

This course will serve as the first semester of a two-semester individualized history capstone sequence. Students will work closely on an individual basis with a full-time faculty member, meeting weekly to define a topic for in-depth examination through reading, research, and writing. Reading and research will begin during HIST 400 and will continue during the following semester in HIST 401. Students must complete HIST 400 before enrolling in HIST 401. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing and HIST 352 (can be taken concurrently).

HIST401 - Tutorial in History

This capstone course focuses on research methodology and practice in history. The student must gain the written agreement of the faculty member who oversees the project. Each student defines a topic by the end of the first week of the semester. Subsequent weekly meetings address progress and problems encountered in research of the topic. The finished product is a substantial paper (ca. 30 pages) with full scholarly apparatus. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing, HIST 352, and HIST 400.

HUM103 - Invitation to the Humanities

This course invites students to consider what it means to be human from manifold scholarly perspectives. As such, students are introduced to the many disciplines included in the humanities. Arguably, there are eight: art, communication, history, language, literature, music, philosophy, and religion. Taking a thoroughly interdisciplinary approach, this course investigates how humanists employ these varied disciplines in studying and expressing humanness.

HUM105X - Research Assistants Seminar

This course is designed to acquaint students with the many facets of information literacy and to train students to work as peer research mentors in Brennan Library. Coursework will include readings, discussions, and team projects. Practicum experience will include participation in library information literacy instruction classes and in student research advising at the reference desk. Upon completion of this class, students will be eligible to work as peer research mentors in the Brennan Library. “Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” – ACRL Frameworks.

HUM207X - Mexico/U.S.: Poverty & Human Rights

In this course, we will study poverty from the perspective of poor people themselves. Examining the diverse cultures and peoples of Mexico, we consider the way in which people in one Mexican state help themselves. Their history and struggles will shed light on the dire poverty in which half the world’s population lives, as we work shoulder to shoulder with a farming community taking its future into its own hands. The course includes an immersion component in January, involving daily service and study in Mexico through the international nonprofit Niños de Veracruz. The course also includes fifteen hours of service to Niños de Veracruz in November. This course supports the Human Rights Minor

HUM302X - Fantasy Wrlds:Camelot to King's Landing

In this course, we examine Arthurian legends and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series as related cultural artifacts of fantasy. We will explore both story sets through text and via other media; we will then apply multidisciplinary perspectives as we discuss and write about chivalry, women’s roles in medieval patriarchy, sacred quests, nationalism and dynasties, religion, sorcery and science, and the British/Westerosi gaze at the exotic other. We will consider several works of Arthuriana: early texts as well as novels, music, and artwork from later and contemporary sources. We will read the later Game of Thrones books; students can familiarize themselves with the earlier episodes either by reading the books or by watching the first few seasons of the HBO program. Assignments will include a weekly reading journal, two papers (one involving research), and a final exam or project.

HUM399 - Humanities Internship Seminar

This seminar helps students to develop objectives and identify potential sites for the senior internship. Topics include the application of humanities course work to a professional career and the development of skills necessary to locate an internship. The final goal of this course is to locate an appropriate internship. Junior or senior standing is required; this course is designed for Humanities Department majors only.

HUM400 - Humanities Field Experience

This course provides individually arranged participation in a work setting related to students' majors. Students spend 150 hours at the internship site over the course of the semester. Primary responsibility rests with students in identifying and pursuing an area of interest in consultation with the instructor. Students participate in a one-hour seminar each week that focuses on reflective activities that enhance the internship experience. Students complete written exercises about and evaluations of the experience. Evaluation of the field experience is based on student performance as reviewed by the employer and instructor at the internship site, as well as participation in the seminar and written assignments. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, approval of instructor, HUM 399. Humanities Department majors only.

HUM419 - Seminar in Hum: Readings & Research

This capstone course serves as the direct complement to HUM420. Whereas HUM420 is a writing-intensive course, this course is research and reading intensive; students work in a tutorial fashion (i.e., one on one) with the instructor to choose a research topic, read closely in pertinent sources, and report back through informative and exploratory writing assignments and conversations. Like HUM420, this course focuses on the acquisition of knowledge and the solution of problems; when taken together, these courses serve as a capstone experience. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. Humanities Department and IDS majors only.

HUM420 - Seminar in Humanities

This capstone course focuses on the acquisition of knowledge and problem solving. The topic will change; however, the course emphasizes extensive research projects related to students' fields of interest. This is a writing-intensive course. Prerequisites: HUM419 and Junior or Senior standing. Humanities Department and IDS majors only.

PHIL101 - Introduction to Philosophy

This course is an introduction to the basic problems of philosophy, such as the sources of knowledge, the relationship between mind and body, freedom as opposed to determinism, and the nature of values.

PHIL106 - World Religions

This course provides an overview of the major religious traditions: Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Central themes from these traditions are studied through selected scriptures and texts of each tradition.

PHIL109X - Introduction to Logic

An introduction to symbolic logic, including sentential and predicate logic. Its purpose is to familiarize you with certain formal methods for representing and evaluating arguments and reasoning. These methods can be used for any subject matter. The focus is on translating English statements into symbolic notation, and evaluating arguments for validity using formal proof techniques.This course is recommended for data science students, math majors, students who are contemplating graduate school admissions tests, and for general knowledge and application (so, for instance, all computer programming is based on fundamental logic rules and applications).

PHIL203 - Existentialism

This course examines such questions as “Who am I?” or “What relationship do I have with myself,with others, and with the universe?” Readings are taken from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Buber, Jaspers, Sartre, and others. The influence of existentialism on psychology, society, art, religion, and politics is explored.

PHIL208 - Knowing & Reality

This course is a comparative analysis of Eastern and Western perceptions of reality in philosophy and literature, beginning with an historical overview of theories of knowledge and truth as well as the psychological factors in learning.

PHIL302 - Ethical Reasoning

This course will address the interaction between the lives we lead and the application of traditional (and some nontraditional) ethical theories and principles to important decision points in our lives. Students will take on real-life ethical problems and dilemmas for each class; each student will be responsible for presenting a number of issues, as well as for guiding the discussion of those issues in class. The problems we address will largely span a lifetime of experiences and concerns. Students will also write several papers that evaluate formal arguments, using standard tools of critical thinking and philosophy. The course is discussion based, so a willingness to read carefully, to think critically, and to engage in classroom presentations and discussions is essential. Prerequisite: Junior standing, MDSC203 & ENG102.