English Courses and Descriptions
100 COLLEGE WRITING IMPROVEMENT (3 units)
Designed to improve writing skills required for college papers. Fundamentals
of grammatical form and compositional structure will be emphasized.
Placement is determined by ACT/SAT scores and high school records. Graded
S/U. A grade of "U" requires that the course be repeated until an "S" is
achieved before entering ENG 101. Does not count for Core composition.
(Not open to students with credit in ENG 101 or 102.) Section 100AA is for
international graduate students.
101 ENGLISH COMPOSITION I (3 units)
Prerequisite: ENG 100 if required by placement
Stresses the development of effective grammatical and rhetorical form through
the assignment of expository and argumentative writing projects. Students will
learn to reflect on ideas and observations, to use writing as a tool to sharpen
those ideas, and to reflect on their own writing process. Frequent writing. May
not be taken for S/U credit. Meets Tier I credit for composition I.
102 ENGLISH COMPOSITION II (3 units)
Prerequisite: ENG 101
Stresses reading, writing, and thinking critically through close reading of literary
texts. Students will develop additional sophistication in reading, observing,
handling evidence, exploring texts, and presenting arguments. Frequent writing.
May not be taken S/U. Meets Tier I credit for composition II.
110 WRITING LABORATORY (1 unit)
Individualized instruction and practice in writing skills for all academic writing
assignments, including grammar, punctuation, sentences, paragraphs and
the short essay. Graded S/U. May be repeated once for additional credit. Does
not fulfill general education or English requirement.
201 INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING (3 units)
An introduction to basic techniques and forms of poetry and fiction writing.
Regular writing and reading assignments are designed to illustrate specific
aspects of poetic and prose narrative form.
203 THE AMERICAN LITERARY EXPERIENCE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
The study of a specific problem or question in American society using four to
six book-length texts drawn from the colonial period to the present. Possible
areas of focus might include Race and Slavery; Nature and the Environment;
Freedom, Democracy and the Individual; Immigration and Nativism; Gender
in America ; America at War; and American Exceptionalism. Meets Tier II
credit for humanities.
210 BIBLE AS LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Sustained study of representative Biblical texts using the tools of literary analysis.
The course will approach the Bible as literature from a social, historical,
and literary perspective. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
217 BRITISH LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Sustained study of selected texts of British literature from the past and the present.
Emphasis on literary content as statement of moral and philosophic attitudes
in British writers. Class discussion and written work will involve detailed
analysis of significant literary works. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
300 WRITERS'WORKSHOP: PLAYWRITING (3 units)
Prerequisites: ENG 101, 201
This course is designed to familiarize students with various approaches and
techniques for writing plays. Focus will be on dramatic structure, character, and
dialogue, with the goal of producing short one-acts. May be repeated twice for
credit. ENG/THEA credit.
301 WRITERS'WORKSHOP: POETRY (3 units)
Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201
A seminar course in the writing of poetry. Emphasis on developing various
writing projects. The workshop is conducted by professors with extensive publication experience. May be repeated twice for credit.
302 WRITERS'WORKSHOP: CREATIVE
NONFICTION/FICTION (3 units)
Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201
A seminar course in the writing of fiction and creative nonfiction. Emphasis on
developing various writing projects. The workshop is conducted by professors
with extensive publication experience. May be repeated twice for credit.
304 THE SHORT STORY (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An intensive study of the short story as a literary genre. Particular attention is
paid to the narrative construction of representative short stories and to the
techniques used by authors in the short form. Although the course is primarily
a study of the writings of others, students may have some opportunity to
write their own short fiction as part of the examination of the short story genre.
Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
306 THE ESSAY (3 units)
Prerequisite: ENG 102
An analysis of the essay form as both a literary genre and a source of ideas.
Discussion of representative essays from European and American writers with
stress upon the intellectual content of the writing. Student writing may include
essay composition.
308 THE POEM (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
The course focuses on the verbal and written analysis of 4-6 volumes of poetry
and will answer the questions: What strategies are effective in reading a
poem, and what strategies are effective in reading a book of poems? Meets Tier
II credit for humanities.
309 AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A close examination of representative works by African-American writers,
ranging from early slave narratives to contemporary prose, poetry, and drama.
The course studies contributions by African-American writers within the literary
canon as well as worthy texts that may have been excluded from the canon because of cultural considerations. The course examines the possible
local and worldwide consequences of slavery and liberation, particularly as
these forces relate to literary expression. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
310 LITERATURE FOR ADOLESCENTS (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of representative literature for use with adolescents with particular
emphasis on learning styles and the integration of literature into thematic units
and humanities courses. This course is intended for Integrated Language Arts
and Middle School Language Arts students who are pursuing a teaching
degree.
314 WOMEN'S LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A close examination of representative texts written by women across a variety
of periods of literature. The course studies contributions by women writers
within the literary canon as well as worthy texts that may have been excluded
from the canon because of cultural considerations. The course examines the
way in which women's experience and their social and cultural context have
shaped their writing. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
317 STUDIES IN SHAKESPEARE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An introduction to Shakespeare. Students will read examples of histories,
comedies, romances, and tragedies, exploring the language and the theater of
the plays to develop an understanding of the structures and themes of the plays.
Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
319 THE MODERN DRAMA (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A study of about a dozen significant works of European and American drama
from the late 1800s to the present. Through close analysis of the published
texts, the course considers such questions as: How have representations of reality changed on stage over the 20th century? What continuities are evident
between modern dramatic works and their predecessors? How distinctly does
the author loom in his or her work? What influence have television and film
had on drama? Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
322 MODERN POETRY (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Discussion will concern the value of modern poetry to the canon of poetry
in English and how form and theme differ in modern poetry. These issues
will be addressed through close reading of selected modern poems. Meets Tier
II credit for humanities.
324 THE MODERN NOVEL (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An analysis of the modern novel as art form and as social document.
Representative novels in English and English translation will be examined to
explore a central question: How is the modern novel a reaction to the problems
and issues of modernity? Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
325 MAJOR WRITERS SEMINAR (3 units)
Prerequisite: ENG 102
A course designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of one or more
major writers. Class assignments will include extensive reading of the works of
the particular writers, supplemented by critical, biographical and historical
materials. Emphasis on the particular artistic and moral qualities of the writer
as revealed in his or her art. Selection of writers is indicated in the class
schedule for each semester. This course may be repeated as different authors are considered.
333 AMERICAN STUDIES - 19th CENTURY (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An examination of a particular topic of American literature, history, religion
and/or culture from the nineteenth century. The course will examine how
literature captures the American spirit and how it interacts with historical,
religious, and other aspects of culture. The course will take a focused and interdisciplinary approach to its topic, combining the reading of poetry, novels
and/or plays with historical, religious and cultural documents that provide
context for the imaginative readings. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
334 AMERICAN STUDIES - 20th CENTURY (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An examination of a particular topic of American literature, history, religion
and/or culture from the twentieth century. The course will examine how
literature captures the American spirit and how it interacts with historical,
religious, and other aspects of culture. The course will take a focused and interdisciplinary approach to its topic, combining the reading of poetry, novels
and/or plays with historical, religious and cultural documents that provide
context for the imaginative readings. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
337 GREAT BOOKS (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An exploration of the human desire to make sense of history through story
telling. The origin of the world, the place of human beings in the world, the
nature of good and evil, and the importance of ethical and responsible behavior
are explored within the context of several great books in the literary tradition.
Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
338 SEMINAR IN GREAT IDEAS (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An exploration of a major idea or theme through a wide range of literary and
related texts. Typically, the seminar will focus on a particular historical, social,
or artistic idea. Topics may include the nature of tragedy, the varieties of
humor, the place of human beings in the world, the nature of good and evil, the
nature of ethical behavior, or the nature of love. Meets Tier II credit for
humanities.
340 READINGS IN JEWISH LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A reading and discussion course covering a number of major writings in Jewish
literature. The works will be examined from historical, social, and aesthetic
perspectives. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
350 CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN STUDIES SEMINAR (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An examination of a particular topic of American literature, history, religion
and/or culture from contemporary life. The course is designed to consider a
body of literature, generally published within the previous twenty years, about
which historical conclusions still are largely unformed. The course thus
encourages students to begin to develop cultural and historical analyses of contemporary texts through a close examination of how such literature captures
the American spirit and how it interacts with historical, religious, and other
aspects of culture. The course will take a focused and interdisciplinary
approach to its topic, combining the reading of poetry, novels and/or plays with
historical, religious, and cultural documents that provide context for the imaginative readings. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
351 ADVANCED COMPOSITION (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An advanced course in compositional form and expression. Emphasis on
development of effective rhetorical and stylistic techniques in the essay, memoir
and other examples of literary nonfiction. Analysis of style through representative
authors. Writing assignments will stress stylistic control and conceptual
development.
352 TECHNICAL WRITING (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A workshop in contemporary technical, scientific, and business communication.
Writing assignments will stress development of precision and clarity
in descriptive technique. Designed to provide the student with writing skills
applicable to professional careers in business, science, and industry.
360 LITERATURE OF CRIME AND RETRIBUTION (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This class stresses reading and close analysis of literature on the themes of
crime and retribution. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
365 GREEK LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This course will address the question, "What was the Greek view of men and
women in relation both to each other and to the gods as revealed in their literature?"
Readings will be at least one of the Homeric epics together with a
selection of the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Meets Tier II
credit for humanities.
370 THE RUSSIAN NOVEL (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Students will discuss Tolstoy's War and Peace and Dostoevsky's The Brothers
Karamozov . Among the many questions these monumental novels raise, perhaps the most important is how we can maintain our humanity in the face of
suffering. Meets Tier II credit for humanities.
371 LITERATURE AND FILM (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
An intensive examination of film with particular stress on its aesthetics and on
visual narrative as it compares and contrasts to written literary narrative. The
course focuses on a close reading of both classic and contemporary motion pictures,
with particular attention to shot composition, editing techniques, lighting,
and sound. Students will consider how these elements of film direction
create a visual narrative that can be studied as an aesthetic and cultural expression.
This course may be used as an elective in the English major or minor.
Meets Tier II credit for aesthetics.
372 NIETZSCHE AND THE PROBLEM OF VALUES (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Intensive readings of a major work of Nietzsche's such as Thus Spake
Zarathustra or The Twilight of the Idols together with readings of other selected
literary and philosophical texts by such authors as Heidegger, Shakespeare,
Dostoevsky, and Melville from both Philosophical and literary perspectives to
determine how and why values are formed by human beings. Meets Tier II
credit for humanities.
401 THE LITERATURE OF EARLY ENGLAND (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of the literature of England from the Anglo-Saxon period through
the time of Chaucer. Particular emphasis on the rhetorical features of Old and
Middle English. Reading and analysis of representative works, including
Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales .
403 SEMINAR IN WRITING TECHNIQUE AND STYLE (3 units)
Prerequisites: Junior status, and at least one writing course beyond Tier I composition
II
A seminar and workshop exploring the techniques and style in types of writing
defined by the class members. Through analysis and experiment, students
will explore the relationship of style to content and challenge the assumptions
of particular types of writing. Students will focus on a specific area of writing
and produce a major project in that area.
404 THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of England 's literature of the Elizabethan period. Particular attention
to the emergence of literary genre and the development of literary theory and
philosophy. Reading and analysis of representative writers, including Spenser,
Marlowe, and Shakespeare.
405 PROBLEMS IN CREATIVE WRITING (3 units)
Prerequisites: ENG 300, 301, 302
This course is concerned with the development of individual style and voice in
student writing through a series of prose or poetic projects. The course is conducted
by professors with extensive publication experience.
406 17TH CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A study of material written by men and women in England and some of its
colonies during the 17th century. Class discussions are set within the context
of the political and religious strife during a century building up to the English
Civil War and then reckoning with its aftermath. We will look at many genre,
including some of the following: poetry, drama, fiction, pamphlets, petitions,
letters, essays, captivity narratives. Our goal will be to explore what these various
genre can teach us about the social, political, and theological/ philosophical
landscape of early modern England .
408 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A study of both traditional and emergent literary traditions, from neoclassicism
to sentimentalism and from satire to sensibility. This literary time period is
framed by two major political revolutions: the Glorious (or "Bloodless")
Revolution and the French Revolution which greatly influenced literary production
in England . We will read poetry, drama, and fiction and discuss how the latter genre gains in significance and popularity over the course of the century. We will also focus on several persistent themes: reason, science, and discovery (often called "enlightenment"); emotion, manners, and morals(often called "sensibility"); imperialism; social mobility (status/class); national identity; and gender identity.
410 THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of literary expression in the Romantic movement in l9th century
England . Attention is also paid to the critical background of the period.
Reading and analysis of representative writers including Wordsworth, Keats,
Blake, the Shelleys, Coleridge, and Byron.
411 THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
Intensive readings of major texts of the Victorian period selected from the
writings of Browning, Tennyson, Arnold, Carlyle, Newman, Gaskell, Eliot,
and Trollope. Attention is also paid to the critical background of the period.
413 TWENTIETH CENTURY ANGLOPHONE
LITERATURE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This course will be an exploration of the literature of Great Britain , Ireland ,
and the Anglophone world other than America in the 20th century. Students
may read some literature in translation. Representative writers include Yeats,
Joyce,Woolf, Beckett, Heaney,Wolcott, and Gordimer.
415 EDITING ONE'S OWN CREATIVE WRITING (3 units)
Prerequisites: ENG 300. 301, 302
This course is concerned with the editing and presentation of the student's literary
output. The principal work of the class will be the revision and presentation
of the student's writing over his/her college writing career.
417 ENGLISH GRAMMAR & USAGE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This course will provide students with knowledge of grammar, syntax, and
mechanics of the language and will fulfill stated NCATE requirements for
teachers of English and Language Arts. It is designed for those preparing to
be teachers of English and Language Arts as well as for those who wish to
extend their knowledge of the language.
418 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This course focuses on the history of the English language, its many dialects,
and vocabulary development from root words and derivational affixes. It fulfills
NCATE requirements in the history of the language for teacher licensure.
The course is designed for English majors and minors wishing to improve their
knowledge of the history of the language, those who will be teachers of secondary school English and language arts, and others curious about the history
and dialects of the English language.
425 AMERICAN LITERATURE I: COLONIAL TO 1845 (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
This course is a survey of American writing from the Puritan period to 1845.
Representative writers include, among others, Franklin, Edwards, Bradstreet,
Taylor, Brown, Irving, Cooper, Emerson, and Poe. Emphasis on the emergence
of a particular American identity, as expressed in literature of this
period, and in critical commentary about the period.
426 AMERICAN LITERATURE II:THE
AMERICAN LITERARY RENAISSANCE (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of American writing during the period called the American
Renaissance. Emphasis on Transcendentalism as a dominant literary and intellectual school, and on the response of various American writers who both
extended and resisted its influence. Possible emphasis also on popular literature
of the period. Representative writers include, among others, Whitman,
Dickinson, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Fuller, Stowe, Douglass, and Melville.
Critical commentary about the period may also be emphasized.
427 AMERICAN LITERATURE III:
REALISM TO MODERNISM (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of the American literary consciousness from the late nineteenth century
to the end of WWII. Emphasis on social changes produced by urbanization
and industrialization as reflected in the literature of the period, and in critical
commentary about the period. Representative writers include, among others,
Twain, Dreiser, Crane, Cather, James, Wharton, Moore, Frost, Stein,
Pound, Eliot, Williams, Stevens, Fitzgerald, Wright, Faulkner, Hurston,
O'Neill, Hemingway, Hughes, and Steinbeck.
428 AMERICAN LITERATURE IV:
FROM WWII TO THE PRESENT (3 units)
Prerequisite: a composition II course from Tier I
A survey of American literature from 1945 to the present. Emphasis on social
and cultural changes reflected in the literature of this period, and in critical
commentary about the period. Representative writers include, among others,
Ellison, O'Connor, Bishop, Roethke, Williams, Miller, Baldwin, Ginsberg,
Rich, Lowell, Plath, Wright, Brooks, Sexton, Carver, Oates, Barth, Ashbery,
Bellow, Malamud, Morrison, Pynchon, Roth, Gluck, Graham, Oliver,
Robinson, and McCarthy.
470 AMERICAN STUDIES SENIOR THESIS I (3 units)
Prerequisite: Senior status and permission of advisor
This course is taught on a tutorial basis by the student's thesis advisor (usually
from the English or History/Political Science departments). Students will
engage in researching and reading extensively in subject areas relevant to thesis
topic. The thesis will reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the major by
drawing from sources in two or more disciplines. Students will write at least
the first chapter, approximately the first third of the thesis.
480 AMERICAN STUDIES SENIOR THESIS II (3 units)
Prerequisite: ENG 470
This is a continuation of the senior thesis and will be taught by the student's
thesis advisor. Students will complete the writing and revision of the thesis of
50 or more pages in length.