ENGL 195 - Intro to English Studies

Credit(s): 3
3 hours lecture, 3 hours contact
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): ENGL 112 or ENGL 192 /HONR 192.
This course provides students majoring in English with an introduction to English studies, and to the English major overall, with an emphasis on exploring why English exists as a major field of study; what majors in English do during the course of their English studies; and where the English major might lead in life beyond college. Students in the course will be introduced to elemental practices in English studies, such as close-reading and analysis of diverse literary and cultural texts. Students will develop reading strategies, so to effectively explore the power and mystery of the written word, of language, of story, of rhetoric. Students will as well develop research strategies, so to effectively delve into the discourse of English and the humanities. And students will develop writing strategies, so to hone their skills of writing and of self-expression. Throughout the course students will reflect on ways in which these reading, thinking, researching, and writing practices might translate meaningfully to their lives, to their futures, and to the world around. Attention will be paid to the role of technology, to the digital humanities, in English studies and professions. Field-trips to archives and to sites of interest, such as museums, will be a part of the course. 3 sem hrs. 3 credit hrs. Prerequisites: ENGL 112 or ENGL/HONR 192. Only available to English majors. This course should be taken as early as possible in an English major’s college career, preferably in the semester immediately following the completion of the prerequisite ENGL 112 or ENGL/HONR 192. This course is registration-locked as it is reserved for English majors only. Contact your PACT mentor about obtaining a Program Director permit for a seat in the course.