English Course Descriptions

This course builds on literacy practices by developing expository and argumentative writing, awareness of audience, purpose and appropriate and effective use of language, close reading, cogent thinking, research strategies, information literacy, and documentation. Students will critically read and write primarily expository and argumentative texts that respond to a variety of rhetorical situations and contexts and incorporate college-level research. (C-ID ENGL 100) Graded only.

This course concentrates on introducing students to a wealth of representative literary works from the major genres. Additionally, the course develops the basic skills necessary in literary analysis, namely critical reading, analytical writing, and research methods. Emphasis is placed on investigating and appreciating the cultural, historical, and aesthetic aspects of literary works chosen from at least four of the five literary genres. (C-ID ENGL 120). Graded only.  

This course is an introduction to the craft of creative writing through the study and analysis of the works of established and peer writers. Students will practice writing in various genres and will be introduced to the workshop method. (C-ID ENGL 200). Graded only.  

This course is an introductory survey to the seminal works, genres and eras of the development of literature in English in the British Isles, from the early Medieval to the Renaissance and 17th century, to conclude with the Augustan literature of the 18th century. It is designed for students seeking an introductory survey of British literature, its figures, and movements. Authors include Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Shakespeare, Swift, and others. (C-ID ENGL 160). Graded only.  

This course is an introductory survey of British literature's seminal works, genres, and movements, from the late 18th century to contemporary British and post-colonial texts. It pays special attention to major authors from the Romantic, Victorian, and modern periods, and promotes understanding of the major works of these periods within their cultural and historical contexts. Designed for students seeking an introduction to British literature and its key figures, this course should supplement the literary knowledge of humanities students as well as prospective English majors. Authors include Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Austen, Dickens, and others. (C-ID ENGL 165). Graded only.  

This course offers instruction in argumentation and critical writing, critical thinking, analytical evaluation of texts, research strategies, information literacy, and proper documentation. (C-ID ENGL 105).

This course is a study of influential works of U. S. Literature from the colonial beginnings through the second half of the nineteenth century. It will include the influence of European and other traditions and cultural backgrounds, as well as various political, social, economic, ecological, and geographical influences and implications that have sustained, shaped, and inspired Americans. Materials will come from a variety of genres. (C-ID ENGL 130). Graded only.  

This course will examine the nature and meaning of the narrative structure of film, placing particular emphasis on literary themes and elements. Through the use of fictional, historical and technical readings, and an examination of a multi-genre range of classic and contemporary films' textual contexts, students will improve their analytical skills, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the written word as the literary foundation of the cinema. Graded only.  

This course is a study of influential works of U. S. Literature from the second half of the nineteenth century to present. It will include the influence of European and other traditions and cultural backgrounds, as well as various political, social, economic, ecological, and geographical influences and implications that have sustained, shaped, and inspired Americans. Materials will come from a variety of genres. (C-ID ENGL 135). Graded only.  

In this course students will study the contemporary poetry of various cultures, styles and literary movements. Emphasis is placed upon deepening the student's understanding of poetry in a historical and social context. Graded only.  

This course is an introductory survey of selected mythologies, including Greek, Hindu, Chinese, Biblical, Native American/Traditional, Mayan/Toltec/Aztec, European, African, and others. Emphasis is on the cultural importance of the stories and the religious importance of the rituals surrounding the myths. The course will include readings from mythology and scholarly works on mythology. The goal of this course is to produce an understanding of the function and force of mythology. Graded only.

This course introduces students to Shakespeare, his works, and his world through lecture, reading, projects, and discussion. This course analyzes representative tragedies, comedies, histories, and sonnets. Graded only.

This course examines representations of "queer" sexuality and identity in films and literary texts ranging from turn-of-the-century works that encode homosexuality in an assortment of ways to contemporary works that explore a variety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally and pansexual (LGBTQ+) identities. This course emphasizes the diversity of perspectives on homosexuality and gender that may be found in twentieth-century film and literature, and highlights how texts by self-identified LGBTQ+ authors have responded and contributed to U.S. culture and history. Graded only.

Through a variety of short stories, novels and poems dealing with existential themes, this course will help the student explore the literary, psychological, philosophical and theological implications of defining and taking responsibility for oneself in the quest for self-actualization. Graded only.

This course presents a comparative examination of films and literature that reflect the richness and diversity of global cultures. Images, voices, and ideas from a wide selection of countries will be the basis for aesthetic inquiry and understanding. Global cultures, as portrayed through film and literature, will be examined in terms of uniqueness and universality. Graded only.

This course is a survey of Latino and Latina authors in the United States. The course will trace the origin of Latino works to the literature and culture of various Latin American countries, and then it will demonstrate how Latino literature emerged as a unique artistic form in the United States. All works will be studied within their historical, political, social, gender, economic, and geographical contexts. Graded only.

This course will examine a diverse selection of Native American literary texts from the eighteenth century to the present. Emphasis is placed on historical and cultural context as well as on how texts authored by Native Americans have contributed to U.S. culture and history.

This course is an Honors level introduction to some of the world's great novels, poetry, drama, and essays, including some of the oldest texts of our past. The primary focus will be on analyzing complete works from a variety of genres, eras, and countries. We will place the texts into context, ascertain what they say to the reader, and identify the tools the authors use to convey their message. Brief works of literary criticism will provide the basis for a wide range of critical approaches such as social, historical, mythological, gender, psychological, cultural, etc. Graded only.

This course is an honors level survey of important 20th- and 21st-century works of literature by a diverse selection of authors representing different cultures. Short works of theory will provide the foundations for a postcolonial approach to contemporary world literature, but our primary focus will be on reading and analyzing complete novels from as many different contemporary cultures as possible to expose some of the ways that identity, power, law, ethics, economics, and familial structures have been constructed and reconstructed through conflicts within and between these cultures. Graded only.

This course develops an awareness of literary fiction as an art form both through the reading of short works of fiction and writing of exercises and complete stories. Emphasis is placed on the development of essential elements necessary for the writing of fiction and on the workshop format as a method for developing understanding and analysis of fiction. The assignments are interconnected in order to help students incorporate the skills they are practicing into increasingly difficult pieces. Graded only.

Supervised study in researching an area in the student's academic major. Any student interested in registering for a Special Studies course should contact a full-time instructor or chair/coordinator in the appropriate area no later than the last day of the tenth week of instruction. 51-153 hours Independent Study. Students may enroll in this course up to 3 unit(s) to complete the entire curriculum of the course.