English (ENGL)

Introduces students to techniques of research and scholarship in literary study through a survey of critical debates in literary theory.  Offered in the Fall.

Introduces students to techniques of research and scholarship in writing studies through a survey of critical debates in writing studies scholarship, with special attention to current research on composing and its pedagogical implications.  Offered in Spring semesters only.

This course trains students in methods of bibliographic research for graduate English Studies. It will cover what genres scholars use to make knowledge and how to access research materials through library resources. Units will also help students develop skills in reading and assessing bibliographic sources, understanding journals and bibliometrics, note-taking, annotation, and synthesis of sources on a topic, using technology in research, bibliographic source management, planning and proposing a research project, and crafting academic genres.

This course prepares students for careers inside and outside the academy. It will cover topics from how to manage the MA degree and developing academic goals to acquiring competencies in various professional literacies. Students will meta-cognitively analyze their professional identities and practices of counter-professionalism. They will learn best practices for proposal writing (e.g., conferences, grants, pitches), giving presentations and lectures, collaborating on professional projects, preparing a professional project, maintaining a digital professional presence, and engaging in career preparedness (i.e., developing career goals and objectives, articulating transferable skills to employers, creating CVs and resumes, preparing for informational and job interviews, writing cover letters, applying to PhD programs, and other topics). Assignments will focus on career preparedness and other topics.

Examination of poetry, drama, or prose written before 1660.  Sample topics:  The Global Renaissance, Digital Shakespeare, Writing Women in Early English Literature. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Studies of major writers and texts of the British long eighteenth century (1660 - 1832). Primary focus is on the literary texts, and cultural history of the period, with opportunities to bring in current literary theories and criticism.  Sample topics:  Gender and Sexuality in the Novel, Gothic Fiction, Travel Writing.  May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Exploration of one or more writers, genres, literary movements, issues, or ideologies of the 20th century. Includes writers from the British Isles and the Commonwealth. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Studies of British fiction, poetry, and prose written between 1830 and 1900 and the social forces—domestic, economic, political, religious, scientific—that influenced and were influenced by these works.  Sample topics:  Social change and the Victorian body; Victorian fun; Victorians and Empire. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.  

Readings in one or more writers, genres, literary movements, issues, or ideologies of the period. Sample topics: Transoceanic Americas: Literatures amid the Spanish Empire, American Print Cultures, Medicine and Early American literature. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Studies in one or more writers, genres, literary movements, issues, or ideologies of the period. Sample topics: The Lost Generation, Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance, Falkner and the South. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Exploration of one or more major writers, genres, literary movements, issues, or ideologies since World War II. Sample topics: Experimental Narrative, US-Latin American Literature and Culture, The Postmodern Novel. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Studies in topics in the fields of literary and cultural study. Maybe repeated when topics vary.

This course introduces students to how to use theory to interpret literature and culture. It trains students in advanced skills for reading, discussing, and understanding theory. Students will apply specific schools of theoretical thought to the analysis of literature and culture. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

This course introduces students to how surveys have been and continue to be important approaches for interpreting literature and culture. This course emphasizes how literary and cultural texts are often grouped and understood according to time period, geographical area, and or genre. It approaches the study of literature and culture through the lens of “traditions” and how texts are in conversation with those that have come before and those that are inspired to be produced in the future. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

This course offers students advanced study of literary genres and forms, such as poetry, the novel, the short story, drama, autobiography, the personal and/or philosophical essay, and others. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

This course trains students in pedagogical approaches to literature and culture. Investigates how and why we teach literature in college and secondary school settings. Students will read scholarship concerning teaching and learning as well as literature, literary criticism and literary theory to understand the value of literary texts in education, society and individual lives. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

Study and practice in methods by which written texts are evaluated and the evaluation used for instructional purposes. Methods range from classroom techniques to formal assessment procedures (holistic, primary trait, portfolio, etc.).

Studies in the theory and pedagogy of the teaching of developmental writing. Focus centers on the political, sociolinguistic, and educational history and status of basic writers.

Explores the dynamics of contemporary reading and writing practices by examining the rhetorical, social, cultural, political, educational, technological and ethical dimensions of multimodal, visual, or digital texts. Students will create multimodal texts in a variety of genres, and contexts.

Examination of classical and modern traditions in rhetoric and their application to written discourse. Topics focus on contributions of classical and modern rhetoricians, written literacy, and the institutionalization of written instruction.

Students will develop a broad understanding of the definition of visual rhetoric, learn to analyze texts by identifying the visual elements that comprise texts, understand how to use visual rhetoric, and create their own texts.

This course is the Summer Institute of the Coastal Bend Writing Project, affiliated with the National Writing Project. It is a writing workshop designed for teachers of all levels (pre-k through university level) and subject areas, meaning we will study and practice writing in ways that benefit teachers personally and professionally. In this workshop, we will study theory and effective practices in writing pedagogy, and focus on improving participants' writing and research skills. As a site of the National Writing Project, this course is backed by a national network of scholars and data-based practices.

Exploration of specific issues and problems in rhetoric and composition studies. Sample topics: ethnographic research, gender and writing. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

A study of works by contemporary rhetoric/composition specialists, with special regard to the theoretical basis of composing and its pedagogical implications.

A studio approach to writing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, with an emphasis on the elements and critical terminology of each genre. Maybe repeated when topics vary.

Workshop on the genres and practices of professional writing and communication.

An advanced workshop on the grant proposal writing process, including identifying sources of funding, conducting research to support funding applications, data analysis, tailoring each proposal to a specific funding agency, and the requirements of electronic submission. Students will receive experience writing actual proposals on behalf of local organizations and agencies.

Exploration of topics related to language in society, including but not limited to an introduction to sociolinguistics, language variation, language and gender, language planning and policy, multilingualism, and world Englishes.  May be repeated when topics vary.

Introduces students to the nature and behavior of human language; covers topics in phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, and language acquisition. Maybe repeated when topics vary.

Exploration of topics broadly covered in the field of Applied Linguistics. Topics may include (but are not limited to) language assessment, grammar, second language writing, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and second language acquisition. May be repeated when topics vary.

Practical training for English Teaching Assistants. A seminar in contemporary composition and rhetorical theory with practical applications for the First-Year classroom.

The thesis is a scholarly or critical project involving 6 credit hours (taken in two separate semesters) at the final stages of the graduate program. Grade assigned will be "credit" (CR) or "no credit" (NC).

Individual study, reading or research with faculty direction and evaluation. To receive program credit for the MA in English, students must have completed the English core. Credit for this course is limited to 3 hours in any degree plan. Offered on application to and approval of the program coordinator.

WORKSHOP Variable topics in English, offered in a practical, workshop setting when there is sufficient demand. Grade assigned will be “credit” (CR) or “no credit” (NC).