English Catalog
Chair: Mark Hodin, PhD
Introduction
The English major is structured to help students build their reading, writing, and critical skills, as they gain broad exposure to British and American literature and develop a particular interest within the field of English studies. Two-hundred level courses, usually taken in the sophomore year, are organized around a particular literary genre or theme and emphasize literary analysis. ENG 299 introduces majors to critical methods and theoretical approaches to reading and writing, providing a gateway for studying literature at the upper-level. Courses numbered 300 and above are typically based in literature from a particular historical period and usually focus on a tradition, issue, or topic vital to English studies. These more advanced courses often require student presentations, critical approaches, and researched papers. Finally, an English capstone seminar helps students synthesize skills and knowledge from their coursework and reflect upon the meaning and value of their English major.
Qualifications
Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in their major and a 2.0 overall average to graduate with a degree in English.
Advisement
All students should have an advisor in the major and should contact the department directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one. Meetings with academic advisors are required prior to students receiving their PIN for course registration each semester. All majors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their major electives, developing their entire academic program and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.
Double Majors
Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement. In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean.
Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major. Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.
Dual majors involving English are available in a large number of areas, including creative writing, communication, journalism, history, modern languages, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and biology. Interested students should consult the chairs of both departments. With the permission of both chairs, inter-disciplinary courses may be used for credit toward the major requirements in both departments.
Minors in Other Disciplines
Minors provide students the opportunity to pursue additional interests but generally do not require as many courses as a major. Minors generally range from five to eight required courses. To receive a minor, the student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their other credentials (i.e., majors, other minors). The complete list of minors is available on the Canisius website and in the catalog and provides links to each minor. Some majors and minors can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in some cases additional coursework may be required. Students must complete the appropriate minor request form.
Internships
In addition to the classroom experience, internships in local businesses, arts, non-profit and social service oriented organizations prepare majors for careers in all areas where effective communication and understanding are essential, such as teaching, writing, law, social work, mass media and public relations.
Co-Curricular Activities
Additional department activities, designed to make literature a more integral part of the academic and creative life of English majors and other members of the university community, include The Quadrangle literary magazine, Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honors Society), and the Canisius University Contemporary Writers’ Series. Also available for students are The Griffin university newspaper and the Little Theatre.
Curriculum
An Ignatian Foundation
All undergraduate students must complete either the Canisius Core Curriculum or the All-College Honors Curriculum. Many schools refer to their college-wide undergraduate requirements as "general education" requirements. We believe that the core curriculum and the honors curriculum are more than a series of required classes; they provide the basis for a Jesuit education both with content and with required knowledge and skills attributes that are central to our mission.
Free Electives
Students may graduate with a bachelor's degree with more but not less than 120 credit hours. Free electives are courses in addition to the Canisius Core Curriculum or All-College Honors Curriculum and major requirements sufficient to reach the minimum number of credits required for graduation. The number of credits required to complete a bachelor's degree may vary depending on the student's major(s) and minor(s).
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 299 | Introduction to English Studies | 3 |
| English 300 level Shakespeare: (one) | 3 | |
| English 300 level British Literature before 1800: (one) | 3 | |
| English 300 level American Literature before 1900: (one) | 3 | |
| English 200 level or 300 level Writing/Rhetoric: (one) | 3 | |
| ENG 450 | English Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| 200-level English electives: 2 courses | 6 | |
| English Major electives: 4 courses (3/4 at 300-level) | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Prerequisites for 200-level and above English courses: ENG 111 and ENG 112 (students who matriculated in fall 2017 or earlier use FYS 101 and ENG 101 as prerequisites), or permission of the department chair. Acting courses (I and II) carry no prerequisites and are open to freshmen.
Roadmap
Recommended Semester Schedule for Major Course Requirements
| Sophomore | |
|---|---|
| Fall | Spring |
| 200-level English elective | ENG 299 |
| 200-level English elective | Writing/Rhetoric or Major elective |
| Junior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Shakespeare | Pre-1800 British Literature |
| Pre-1900 American Literature | Writing/Rhetoric or Major elective |
| Senior | |
| Fall | Spring |
| Major Elective | English Major Senior Seminar |
| Major Elective | Major Elective |
Learning Goals and Objectives
Student Learning Goal 1
Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary continuity through attention to different literary genres, literary traditions, historical periods, or national literatures.
Students will:
- Objective A: Students will evaluate literary works within specific genres, traditions, periods, or national literatures;
- Objective B: Students will evaluate literary works across specific genres, traditions, periods, or national literatures.
Student Learning Goal 2
Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary texts as works of art.
Students will:
- Objective A: Analyze literary works through carefully selected textual examples;
- Objective B: Analyze literary works in terms of literary language or structure;
Student Learning Goal 3
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the role of literary criticism in shaping the meaning and significance of literature.
Students will:
- Objective A: Incorporate critical sources appropriately into their writing;
- Objective B: Integrate critical sources effectively into their analysis of literature;
- Objective C: Situate their interpretation of literature in terms of critical issues or theories;
- Objective D: Students will use MLA bibliographic and citation style.
Student Learning Goal 4
Students will demonstrate writing skills commensurate with the development of a clear thesis, logical organization, appropriate use of evidence, and command of English grammar and usage.
Students will:
- Objective A: Students will demonstrate the ability to introduce a literary topic and assert a thesis;
- Objective B: Students will demonstrate the ability to use evidence to make a point about literature;
- Objective C: Students will demonstrate the ability to develop an argument about literature with coherent paragraphs;
- Objective D: Students will demonstrate the ability to develop an argument about literature with a logical overall structure;
- Objective E: Students will demonstrate the proper use of grammar and punctuation, as well as versatility with vocabulary and sentence structure.
Minor
For non-majors only. The Minor is a six-course sequence. It requires ENG 299 and 5 additional ENG courses, at least 3 at the 300-level.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 299 | Introduction to English Studies | 3 |
| 3 ENG electives at the 300- or 400-level | 9 | |
| 2 ENG electives (at the 200-level or higher) | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Minors are an important part of the undergraduate curriculum. If students declare a minor by sophomore year, they can usually complete it in a timely manner. Students should work with their advisor to determine if it is possible that the minor can be completed by graduation.
To receive a minor, a student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their major(s) and from other minors, and students must complete more than 50% of the coursework required for the minor at Canisius. Please note that “ancillary/supporting” courses required for a major may still count as distinct courses as long as the remaining coursework still meets the 30 credit-hours required for a major. For more information about minor policies, please see the Declaring Majors and Minors page in the catalog.
Combined Degree Programs
- 4+1 English BA/ Adolescence 7-12, Teaching Students with Disabilities(All Grades) MSEd
- 3+3 English BA/JD ( University at Buffalo)
Courses
ENG 100 Introduction to College Writing 3 Credits
Designed to help improve proficiency in English composition. Involves frequent writing, practicing strategies for gathering ideas, drafting, revising and editing, and reading/studying prose models.
ENG 111 Academic Writing 3 Credits
A course emphasizing the production of academic writing through critical analysis of challenging texts. Topics may be drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines. Stress on writing to enhance learning, finding and evaluating information, practicing academic integrity, negotiating the process of revision, and using correct grammar and syntax.
Offered: fall and spring.
ENG 112 Writing about Literature 3 Credits
Strategies for reading and writing about literature (poetry, drama, fiction, literary essays). Emphasis on understanding and interpreting primary texts, rather than reading criticism. Intensive attention to writing, including the development and organization of interpretive essays, as well as the use and evaluation of sources.
Prerequisite: ENG 111.
Offered: every fall & spring.
ENG 147 Acting I 3 Credits
Introduction to the art of acting. Through lecture and practice in acting assignments in class, students gain understanding of the actor's role in theater.
Restriction: none (open to any student, including freshmen).
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
ENG 148 Acting II 3 Credits
Continuation of Acting I.
Restriction: none (open to any student, including freshmen).
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
ENG 202 Drama 3 Credits
Introductory survey of drama for majors and non-majors.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 216 Literature and Business 3 Credits
Explores a range of literary representations of work, labor relations, business ethics, and developments in corporate culture. Emphasizes the different power relations between workers, managers, and consumers. Focuses on the analysis of literature—fiction and non-fiction—and film chosen from different historical periods and traditions. Open for majors and non-majors.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 217 Law and Literature 3 Credits
Explores a range of literary representations of legal institutions, the impact of significant legislation, and relationships between individuals and the law. Considers the multiple interpretations of law and legal authority. Focuses on the analysis of literature—fiction and non-fiction—and film chosen from different historical periods and traditions. Open for majors and non-majors.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Field 3 (Literature and the Arts), Justice
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 218 Literature and Medicine 3 Credits
Surveys a range of Western cultural literary representations of health and disease, emphasizing the different power positions occupied by patient, caretaker, and doctor. Open to majors and non-majors.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 219 Literature and Psychology 3 Credits
Focuses on the convergence of the disciplines of literature and psychology, especially the ways in which psychology has drawn on literary genres, techniques and motifs. Open to majors and non-majors.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 223 Images of Women in Literature and Film 3 Credits
Representations of women as major characters in literature and film.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 224 The Journey in World Literature 3 Credits
Explores the concept of the journey in international literature from a number of cultural and intellectual perspectives.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts), Global Awareness
Offered: once a year.
ENG 225 The Journey in American Literature 3 Credits
Explores the concept of the journey in American Literature to examine the multi-cultural character of the United States.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: once a year.
ENG 226 Social Justice in Childrens and Young Adult Literature 3 Credits
Using various genres of young adult literature, students will develop an informed awareness of issues of social justice across multiple forms of diversity that fosters a global perspective. Through young adult literature, students will explore and interpret diversity and the social realities of groups with diverse identities. The young adult literature will enhance student appreciation for diverse and complex cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Students will also examine various theoretical stances related to equity, linguistic diversity, social justice, and societal transformation.
Prerequisite: HON 101 or ENG 111 and ENG 112.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 233 The Quest in Medieval Literature 3 Credits
The theme of the quest focuses this survey of medieval literature which includes texts from Anglo-Saxon poetry, the French Lais, and the Arthurian legends. The class also considers how these Medieval texts have been adapted in contemporary film and the stage.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 285 Animals in Film and Literature 3 Credits
This advanced writing-intensive course enables students to explore and evaluate representations of animals, as well as how those representations signify human uses and understandings of animals, in a range of literary texts and films.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 294 Introduction to Creative Writing 3 Credits
Workshop in the fundamentals of poetry and fiction writing, focusing on the close study and discussion of both student manuscripts and professional texts.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: every fall & spring.
ENG 299 Introduction to English Studies 3 Credits
Introduction to the essentials of literary analysis and interpretation. Focusing on the rigorous analysis of poetry, prose narrative and drama chosen from different historical periods, the course will stress writing with critical awareness about literature.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: every fall.
ENG 305 Age of Shakespeare 3 Credits
A survey of poetry, prose, and drama in the vibrant English Renaissance.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or by permission of the department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 306 Eighteenth Century Literature 3 Credits
A survey of the poetry and prose of major British authors in the "long" eighteenth century.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 309 Transatlantic Modernism 3 Credits
A survey of representative figures and genres in early twentieth-century British and American literature
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 315 American Literature I 3 Credits
Studies the formation of a national literature from origins to 1900 through a diversity of American writers. (Diversity).
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 316 Revising the American Renaissance 3 Credits
The course looks at a prolific period in American Literature from 1820-1865 examining romanticism, sentimentality, the slave narrative and periodical literature.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 319 Special Topics in American Literature 3 Credits
The study of a particular theme, mode or period, such as "Captivity Narratives" and "The Rise of the American Novel." Topics vary semester to semester.
Prerequisites: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 319L Rise of the American Novel 3 Credits
The course follows the origins of the American novel in the post-Revolutionary period to its height at the end of the 19th century.
Prerequisites: ENG 111 and ENG 112.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 322 Shakespeare I 3 Credits
Introductory survey for majors. Plays drawn from the categories of comedy, tragedy and history.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: once a year.
ENG 323 Topics in Shakespeare 3 Credits
Works selected with emphasis on specific themes, structures, or styles. Shakespeare I is not a prerequisite.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 342 Writing Young Adult Fiction 3 Credits
Combines the study and the practice of the genre, reading and writing. Students study young adult novels in order to gain a sense of the variety of approaches and techniques available to a writer of YA fiction and, in a workshop setting, students propose, draft, revise, and edit YA stories of their own.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, and ENG 294, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: fall of even-numbered years.
ENG 350 The Theater Experience 3 Credits
Up close and personal experience in theater production through attendance at professional plays in the city, and hands-on experience in reading and producing short works in the classroom.
Prerequisite: either FYS 101 & ENG 101, or ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Oral Communication
Offered: every spring.
ENG 365 English Core Capstone 3 Credits
Themed courses that integrate core curriculum attributes and skills. For majors and non-majors. Topics vary by semester and have recently included "Culture and Conflict: Re-Interpreting World War I," "Memoir: Individual and Culture," and "Post-Colonial Literatures".
Prerequisites: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Core Capstone
Offered: every spring.
ENG 368 Native American Literature 3 Credits
A survey of contemporary Native American literature, covering major and lesser-known authors. The course traces the origins of traditions, both thematic and structural.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 369 Contemporary American Fiction 3 Credits
Study of recently published novels and short stories, exploring the formal and thematic range of new fiction and focusing on the contemporary issues it reflects.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 370 English Gothic Novel 3 Credits
This course will examine the English Gothic novel. Gothic novels emphasize the horrible, the supernatural, the sublime, and the fantastic, finding their inspiration in the mystery of the unknown. Knowledge and mystery, good and evil, the beautiful and the sublime, light and dark, all are opposing forces that characterize the human condition in the Gothic novel, which often dramatizes psychological, social, and sexual conflict. We will begin with Walpole and wend our way through the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Gothic tradition and discuss how the Gothic transforms, adapting its political and social critique and incorporating developing understandings of human psychology.
Prerequisites: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 373 Jane Austen 3 Credits
Studies the novels along with literary criticism and other eighteenth century texts in order to understand Austen and her time.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 375 US Cold War Culture and Counterculture 3 Credits
An exploration, through readings in literature, history, and film, of trauma and optimism following the end of World II in the United States, both the construction of a conformist culture and the emergence of counterculture meant to contest it.
Prerequisites: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 381 Postcolonial Literature 3 Credits
Post World War II literature from areas of the globe that have recently emerged from European colonization; may include literature and film from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, the Caribbean, or Ireland.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Global Awareness
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 382 African American Literature 3 Credits
A survey of major writers and historical trends in African American literature from the time of slavery to the present.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Diversity, Field 3 (Literature and the Arts)
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 383 Advanced Academic Writing 3 Credits
Intensive practice writing a sustained academic argument, including developing a topic, defining a purpose, conducting research, synthesizing sources and drafting an essay.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 385 Rhetoric and Composition 3 Credits
Introduction to the theoretical underpinnings and applications of rhetoric and composition.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive
Offered: occasionally.
ENG 388 Literary Publishing 3 Credits
A practicum combining the study of the history of the literary magazine in America with the practical work of editing The Quadrangle, the Canisius College literary magazine.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: every spring.
ENG 389 Business Communication 3 Credits
Practice in writing letters, memos and reports, with models and strategies offered for each form.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive
Offered: every fall, spring, & summer.
ENG 390 Tutoring Writing 3 Credits
A theoretical and practical introduction to the methods and strategies of tutoring in a writing center.
Prerequisites: a minimum grade of C in ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Fulfills College Core: Advanced Writing-Intensive
Offered: every fall.
ENG 391 Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction 3 Credits
Workshop for experienced writers in fiction.
Prerequisite: minimum grade of B in ENG 294 or permission of instructor.
Offered: spring of even-numbered years.
ENG 392 Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry 3 Credits
Workshop for experienced writers in poetry.
Prerequisite: minimum grade of B in ENG 294 or permission of instructor.
Offered: spring of odd-numbered years.
ENG 393 Advanced Creative Writing: Memoir & Nonfiction 3 Credits
Workshop for experienced writers in memoir.
Prerequisite: minimum grade of B in ENG 294 or permission of instructor.
Offered: fall of odd-numbered years.
ENG 396 English Honors Seminar 3 Credits
English Honors seminars are designed by faculty around especially engaging questions, topics, and texts. Some are interdisciplinary; some involve both critical and creative writing; others are organized around a particular period, theme, critical approach, or major writer. Majors do not need to be in the English Honors Program to take this course.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of department chair.
Offered: every fall & spring.
ENG 450 English Capstone Seminar 3 Credits
A culminating experience where students apply critical skills and knowledge gained from their English major coursework to an intensive study of a particular literary theme or subject. Topics vary by semester.
Prerequisite: ENG 111 & ENG 112, or permission of the department chair.
Offered: every fall.
ENG 490 Creative Writing Senior Capstone 3 Credits
Focus on preparation of a portfolio of polished work, creation of an artistic statement, submission of professional work, and career opportunities for writers.
Prerequisite: minimum grade of B in ENG 294 or permission of instructor.
Offered: every spring.
ENG 497 English Honors Thesis 3 Credits
The honors thesis is a long paper, written on a topic of the student's choosing under the direction of a faculty mentor, the culmination of a semester's reading, researching, and writing.
Offered: every fall & spring.
ENG 498 Internship 3 Credits
Internships are by application only and must be approved by the associate dean.
ENG 499 Independent Study 1-3 Credits
Offers the opportunity to conduct a program of independent readings and/ or research on a topic of the student's choice under the supervision of a member of the English Department. Independent studies require an application and approval by the associate dean.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor, department chair, & associate dean.