Department of English
Department of English Mission Statement
Using innovative teaching approaches, the Department of English empowers students to write and communicate across numerous current and emerging fields, to think critically, and to solve problems creatively. At all levels of instruction--from first-year composition through graduate classes--the Department of English establishes a firm foundation for students to begin their exploration of the world and, for English majors, builds on that foundation with opportunities to enrich their cultural and intellectual lives through classes that emphasize deep analysis, careful research, and rigorous writing across several fields including the study of literature, creative writing, and professional writing. The Department of English both serves the needs of the University and strives to become a destination department for those students whose personal goals and intellectual curiosity align with the Department’s mission.
Cool Classes for Summer 2022
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
Students will survey Emily Dickinson’s poetry and other writings, learn more about her biography, publication history, and image, and consider representations of her in popular culture.
A survey of major works by a featured author(s), including works by major authors of a particular era, literary movement, region, nationality, and/or genre. May be duplicated for credit for a total of six (6) semester hours, as long as each course taken is on a different topic.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
A survey of works by the Beat Generation, a collection of writers who created an American literary movement in the 1950s that rebelled against conventional society by advocating for personal and artistic freedom.
A survey of major works by a featured author(s), including works by major authors of a particular era, literary movement, region, nationality, and/or genre. May be duplicated for credit for a total of six (6) semester hours, as long as each course taken is on a different topic.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
Selected works of poetry and prose by such major Southern writers as Eudora Welty, Alice Walker, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor.Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
This course will consider films in which the summer or the vacation journey becomes a world apart, shaping and challenging the identities of those who enter it with trust or doubts.
Analyzes the works of a particular director, genre, period, etc. with an emphasis on film as text. May be duplicated for credit for a total of nine (9) semester hours, as long as each course taken is on a different special topic.
Prerequisite
Completion of at least 6 hours of 300+ English classes and permission of the Department Chair and sponsoring faculty member. Contact Dr. Allegra Smith for more information.
Description
Provides direct experience and application of principles, concepts and theories acquired in coursework with an emphasis on writing in a professional organization while giving students the opportunity to gain work/career experience in service/learning or business/corporate settings. For English majors and minors. Grade: Pass/Fail.
Please see our list of Internship Opportunities.
Prerequisite
Enrollment in applicable graduate program.
Description
Best of Southern literature with emphasis on the work of major writers.Cool Classes for Fall 2022
Prerequisite
EH 101, EH 103, or EH 105
Description
Introduction to Creative Writing is the starting point for all creative writing courses at JSU. Through reading, writing, and experiencing the creative process firsthand, students will create their own works and receive feedback to help improve their skills.
Prerequisite
None
Description
An introduction to the study of games, including how to design, analyze, and write for games.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
A study of selected literature by Native Americans, including traditional oral genres (myths, folktales) and written genres (autobiography, fiction, poetry).
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
This course will explore the life and works of Poe as an influential literary figure through close analysis of stories, poems, and other writings.
A survey of major works by a featured author(s), including works by major authors of a particular era, literary movement, region, nationality, and/or genre. May be duplicated for credit for a total of six (6) semester hours, as long as each course taken is on a different topic.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
Writing style, research methods, rhetorical strategy, and best practices for social media content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms. (Writing Intensive Course)
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
A survey of the literature of young adults with particular attention to recent examples. Emphasis will be on the literary qualities of the reading.
Prerequisite
EH 251 or approval of the instructor.
Description
A course focused on analyzing published fiction, reading and commenting on the writing of classroom peers, and producing original fiction for discussion in a workshop format.
Prerequisite
EH 251 or approval of the instructor.
Description
A course focused on the field of literary publishing through work on a literary journal and other smaller publications; topics include manuscript selection, layout, design, aesthetic considerations, and marketing strategies, among others relevant to a career in publishing.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
Introduction to the literary ideas, forms, and techniques found in English translations of the Bible.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
A consideration of the motion picture in its artistic, technical, and historical contexts. A number of films by major directors will be viewed, ranging from the comedies of the thirties and forties to the work of Alfred Hitchcock and the fantasy of the Hollywood musical. (Writing Intensive Course)
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
An examination of LGTBQ+ literature through the ages and from across cultures in light of current queer, feminist, and gender studies theory.
Prerequisite
EH 102, EH 104, or EH 106
Description
A study of major twentieth- and twenty-first-century African American writers.
Prerequisite
Completion of at least 6 hours of 300+ English classes and permission of the Department Chair and sponsoring faculty member. Contact Dr. Allegra Smith for more information.
Description
Provides direct experience and application of principles, concepts and theories acquired in coursework with an emphasis on writing in a professional organization while giving students the opportunity to gain work/career experience in service/learning or business/corporate settings. For English majors and minors. Grade: Pass/Fail.
Please see our list of Internship Opportunities.
Prerequisite
Enrollment in applicable graduate program.