English
An English major and minor, and minors in creative writing and writing are offered.
The core curriculum courses in English introduce students to the basics of writing clearly and concisely and to an appreciation and understanding of literature.
Other courses emphasize 1) the study of literature by major British, American, and world writers; 2) the research and writing process; and 3) the student’s own creative use of language.
English majors explore a range of literary genres and periods; they grapple with the complexities of literary texts; they hone their abilities to write, speak, think, and research; and they prepare portfolios for use in job interviews and/or graduate school applications.
The writing classes EN 101 Writing And History to EN 118 Writing And Place fulfill the competency requirement in writing. Each course concentrates on the student’s own writing but uses a different thematic content as a basis for the reading, writing, and research assignments. All courses use a workshop format, require several individual conferences with the instructor, and require the same number and scope of assignments. Students are advised to take one of these courses as early in their studies as possible because the courses stress writing and research skills needed for other competency courses. Students also may take these courses as electives.
Career Opportunities
English majors find employment in many professional areas, including education, business, publishing, communications, and government. They also continue their education in graduate and professional schools, majoring in English, journalism, creative writing, education, law, or other related studies.
Admission to the English Major or Minor
The student wishing to major or minor in English must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 and no grades below C- in any required English course.
See the Graduate section of this Catalog for more information on Graduate programs offered at Mount Mercy.
Major
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | |
| Writing And History | ||
| Writing And The Environment | ||
| Writing And Popular Culture | ||
| Writing and Issues of Health & Mortality | ||
| Writing And Film | ||
| Writing And Gender Studies | ||
| Writing And Social Issues | ||
| Writing And Other Cultures | ||
| Writing And Life Stories | ||
| Writing And Sports | ||
| Writing And Place | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Professional Writing | ||
| Technology & Communication In Business | ||
| Introduction to Journalism | ||
| Writing For Public Relations | ||
| EN 176 | American Literature Survey: Colonial to 1914 2 | 3 |
| EN 203 | Creative Writing | 3 |
| EN 210 | Writing And Analysis Of Literature (before the senior year) | 4 |
| EN 215 | Major English Writers (before the senior year) | 3 |
| EN 234 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| EN 278 | American Literature Survey: 1914 to Present | 3 |
| EN 303 | Topics In American Literature | 3 |
| EN 325 | Seminar: Independent Research | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Chaucer And The Middle Ages | ||
| Milton and the 17th Century | ||
| 18th-Century Literature | ||
| The English Romantic Age | ||
| The Victorian Age | ||
| Topics in Literature | ||
| Anglophone Literature | ||
| British Modernism | ||
| Contemporary British Literature | ||
| Law and Literature | ||
| Select one of the following internships: | 3 | |
| Internship | ||
| Student Teaching in the Secondary School | ||
| Student Teaching in the Secondary School | ||
A three-credit internship in another discipline | ||
| Total Hours | 44-45 | |
Students who cannot complete an internship will take EN 445 Independent Study with a focus on career preparation.
Students planning to pursue teacher education should follow the program guidelines within the education section of this Catalog and contact an advisor in the education department for assistance.
| 1 | The course selected will double count as the Writing Competency. |
| 2 | This course double counts for the Literature Domain. |
English Minor
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | |
| Writing And History | ||
| Writing And The Environment | ||
| Writing And Popular Culture | ||
| Writing and Issues of Health & Mortality | ||
| Writing And Film | ||
| Writing And Gender Studies | ||
| Writing And Social Issues | ||
| Writing And Other Cultures | ||
| Writing And Life Stories | ||
| Writing And Sports | ||
| Writing And Place | ||
| EN 278 | American Literature Survey: 1914 to Present | 3 |
| EN 203 | Creative Writing | 3 |
| EN 210 | Writing And Analysis Of Literature | 4 |
| EN 215 | Major English Writers | 3 |
| Select one of the following: 2 | 3 | |
| Introduction to American Multicultural Literature | ||
| Introduction to Film Adaptation | ||
| Introduction to World Literature | ||
| Introduction To Literature | ||
| American Drama | ||
| American Literature Survey: Colonial to 1914 | ||
| Major American Writers | ||
| Introduction to Literature and Gender | ||
| British Literature and Culture | ||
| Irish Literature & Culture | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Chaucer And The Middle Ages | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Milton and the 17th Century | ||
| 18th-Century Literature | ||
| The English Romantic Age | ||
| The Victorian Age | ||
| Topics in Literature | ||
| Anglophone Literature | ||
| British Modernism | ||
| Contemporary British Literature | ||
| Law and Literature | ||
| Total Hours | 23 | |
The following is the typical sequence of courses required for the major*:
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Writing Competency | 4 | EN 176 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EN 203 | 3 | EN 215 | 3 |
| EN 210 | 4 | EN 278 | 3 |
| Elective (CO 120, CO 280, BA 250 or EN 123) | 3-4 | ||
| 7 | 9-10 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EN 234 | 3 | British Literature Elective (200 or higher) | 3 |
| British Literature Elective (200 or higher) | 3 | EN 424 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| EN 303 | 3 | EN 325 | 3 |
| British Literature Elective (200 or higher) | 3 | ME 450 | 1 |
| 6 | 4 | ||
| Total Hours: 45-46 | |||
Note: Travel course EN 190 British Literature and Culture or EN 195 Irish Literature & Culture is recommended during January-term sophomore year.
*Disclaimer
The course offerings, requirements, and policies of Mount Mercy University are under continual examination and revision. This Catalog presents the offerings, requirements, and policies in effect at the time of publication and in no way guarantees that the offerings, requirements, and policies will not change.
This plan of study represents a typical sequence of courses required for this major. It may not be applicable to every student. Students should contact a department faculty member to be sure of appropriate course sequence.
Courses
EN 011 Inquiry and Expression: 1 semester hour
This course offers direct experiences in exploring, formulating, and evaluating ideas through oral and written communication. The communication process, revision, and individualized instruction are emphasized throughout the semester; proofreading competence is studied in the context of student writing. The main focus is on developing the students' abilities in writing, reading, speaking, and listening. This course is also highly recommended for returning students who may need to refresh their skills. (Offered spring semester).
EN 012 Writing & Inquiry: 3 semester hours
This college developmental writing course emphasizes reading and writing skills essential to college success while stressing the writing process and revision. The key focus is on learning to question, evaluate, and rethink concepts through dialogue, exploring and listening to the ideas of others. Students study, through intensive reading and writing, the factors that shape and influence a writer's life: decisions, events, culture, media and technology.
EN 101 Writing And History: 4 semester hours
By examining a period of historical topic, students will have the opportunity to discover how history is relevant to contemporary life. The course will focus on a different topic each semester such as the Vietnam War, the Holocaust, or the American Frontier, using it as a focus for writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 106 Writing And The Environment: 4 semester hours
Our national culture is firmly rooted in the ways we treat the land and wildlife. Many writers have responded to our changing environment in a multitude of ways. This course will examine that literature in order to stimulate student writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 107 Writing And Popular Culture: 4 semester hours
This course will study how television, movies, and music influence our everyday lives and shape our values, showing how popular culture has increasingly been used in fiction and poetry. Assignments will allow students to examine different perspectives about popular culture. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 108 Writing and Issues of Health & Mortality: 4 semester hours
Frequently, the impulse behind writing comes from the awareness of our mortality and our desire to care for one another. Writers, including those who are doctors and nurses, know this and have created a rich trove of literature from all genres about these experiences. This course will examine that literature in order to stimulate students writing and research in writing.
EN 111 Writing And Film: 4 semester hours
This course will use cinema from around the world to stimulate student writing. Specific versions of the course might center around important American films, films of directors, films from a particular genre, or films dealing with a major theme. Students will explore different perspectives about how film can entertain, educate, and provoke an audience. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 112 Writing And Gender Studies: 4 semester hours
Gender is a concept that refers to the cultural sources of our identities as women and men. This writing course will explore gender in conjunction with socialization, stereotypes, intimacy, the media, the workplace, and the family. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 114 Writing And Social Issues: 4 semester hours
This course examines social issues such as racism, poverty, and crime. Students may participate in brief service projects. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 115 Writing And Other Cultures: 4 semester hours
This course includes reading and writing about people from diverse cultural positions, and focuses on understanding the various social, political, and economic factors that shape a culture. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 116 Writing And Life Stories: 4 semester hours
The course explores how students and published writers craft compelling stories out of life experiences. Assignments include personal essays, analytical papers, and a research project. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 117 Writing And Sports: 4 semester hours
Given the emphasis placed on sports in the life of a college student, as well as in our culture in general, this course will stress the fundamentals of college writing and research while using sports as a thematic focus. The course will examine such topics as participation in sports, historical developments of professional sports, individual versus team sports, and the broad area of sports literature. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 118 Writing And Place: 4 semester hours
An understanding and a belonging to a place can give us a sense of community and purpose. This class will explore issues connected with places both familiar and foreign while using them as a focus for writing and research. Fulfills the competency requirement in writing.
EN 120 Grammar: 1 semester hour
A study of grammar with an emphasis on revising and editing.
EN 122 Grammar for Teaching English as a Second Language: 3 semester hours
This course covers aspects of modern English grammar important for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). The basic structure of words (morphology), sentences (syntax), and meanings (semantics), including basic rules of writing mechanics most problematic for English learners are also studied.
EN 123 Professional Writing: 4 semester hours
Designed to help students understand the basic resources and techniques of writing pertinent to their chosen professions. Writing assignments and discussions covering such areas as occupational letters, reports, and letters of job application are geared to the student's individual professional needs. Prerequisites: One course selected from the core curriculum writing courses and sophomore standing.
EN 125 Introduction To Language: 3 semester hours
An introduction to the principles and basic structure of the English language with an emphasis on grammar, the history of English, and sociolinguistics.
EN 133 Introduction to American Multicultural Literature: 3 semester hours
This course surveys literature that reflects America's racial and ethnic diversity. Students will examine texts by African Americans, Native Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and Muslim Americans. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 134 Introduction to U.S. Latino Literature: 3 semester hours
Stories are powerful transmitters of culture. In this course we will look at stories from contemporary Latino writers in the United States to help us discover, appreciate, and understand the Latino part of our multicultural heritage. As we study representations of Latino culture in different genres, we will grapple with the gifts and challenges of a bi-cultural identity. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 135 Introduction to African American Literature: 3 semester hours
This course considers the breadth, depth, and significance of the African American literary tradition, ranging from the eighteenth century through the present era. We will study slave narratives, speeches, poetry, drama, and fiction to explore the complex relationship between race and writing and to discover how African American literature both responds to and helps shape American history and culture. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 150 Introduction to Film Adaptation: 3 semester hours
This course will study the common practice of creating film adaptations of all kinds: form literature, graphic novels, musicals, television scripts, history, etc. - for instance, adapting works such as Pride and Prejudice, No Country for Old Men, the short story "Million Dollar Baby", the musical Chicago, the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the graphic novel Persepolis, the comic book series of Batman. This writing intensive class fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain.
EN 154 Introduction to World Literature: 3 semester hours
This course introduces the basics of literary analysis while examining works of poetry and prose by major writers from around the world. This writing-intensive course fulfils the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: completion of the writing competency course.
EN 170 Introduction To Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will provide an introduction to poetry, fiction and drama, emphasizing reading, analysis, and interpretation. Students will be asked to read a variety of literature that reflects both the history and the diversity of the genres and to respond orally and in writing. Fulfills the core curriculum requirement in literature. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 175 American Drama: 3 semester hours
Selected dramas from 1920 to the present ranging from classic American plays by Williams and Miller to more offbeat, contemporary works. Students may be required to attend productions outside class. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 176 American Literature Survey: Colonial to 1914: 3 semester hours
This survey course will examine the major topics/trends/movements in American literature from our nation's beginnings to World War I through reading a variety of genres: poetry, short fiction, autobiography, and the novel. Topics will include American Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 178 Major American Writers: 3 semester hours
This course will examine works (fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction) from important American writers. Some of the writers that may be included: Franklin, Hawthorne, Douglass, Thoreau, Dickinson, Whitman, Twain, Chopin, Hemingway, O'Neill, Faulkner, Frost, Morrison, Miller, A. Wilson, O'Connor, Wright, Kingston, Erdrich, Tan, and Cisneros. This writing intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 180 Introduction to Literature and Gender: 3 semester hours
This course examines the ways in which poets, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, and memoirists create, explore, and challenge social constructions of gender. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain. Prerequisite: one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 181 Introduction to LGBTQ Literature: 3 semester hours
Students will explore literature that depicts the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. This course will emphasize literature by LGBTQ authors themselves, primarily American and British authors from the late nineteenth century to the present. This writing-intensive course fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 190 British Literature and Culture: 3 semester hours
This travel course examines selected works of British literature in conjunction with the art, history, cityscapes, and political and economic realities that helped produce them. The course includes a 7-10 day trip to London, Canterbury, Bath, and Oxford. This writing-intensive course fulfills either the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain or the Global Awareness Domain. Students must specify to which Domain they wish this course to be applied. Prerequisites: payment of travel deposit and one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 195 Irish Literature & Culture: 3 semester hours
This travel course examines selected works of Irish literature in conjunction with art, history, cityscapes, and political and economic realities that helped produce them. The course includes a 1-2 week trip to Dublin, Belfast, and Derry. The writing-intensive course fulfills either the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts Domain or the requirement in the Global Awareness Domain. Students must specify to which Domain they wish this course to be applied. Prerequisites: payment of travel deposit and one course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 203 Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
This course focuses on writing short stories, poems and creative nonfiction using a workshop format. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 204 The Art Of The Essay: 4 semester hours
This course is a study of the art form of the essay from Montaigne to the present with a focus on the student's own writing. Prerequisites: One course selected from the core composition courses; at least sophomore standing.
EN 210 Writing And Analysis Of Literature: 4 semester hours
An intensive writing course required of English majors and minors. Also covers the critical analysis of the major genres and the study of various theoretical approaches. Must be taken at Mount Mercy before the senior year. The CLEP exam does not apply. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 215 Major English Writers: 3 semester hours
This course focuses on selected writings from such authors as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Charlotte Bronte, Keats, Browning, and Joyce. English majors must take this course before their senior year. Prerequisite: One course selected from the core composition courses or equivalent.
EN 225 Chaucer And The Middle Ages: 3 semester hours
This course is an introduction to the Middle English literature with a concentration on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 234 Shakespeare: 3 semester hours
Selected histories, comedies, and tragedies; Shakespeare's London and his stage. Required for all English majors. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 236 Milton and the 17th Century: 3 semester hours
This course will place an emphasis on Milton's verse and prose; also selected works of the Cavalier and metaphysical poets, especially Donne. Prerequisite: One lower division course or permission of the instructor.
EN 243 18th-Century Literature: 3 semester hours
Major works from 1660-1780, showing the development of poetry, drama, and the novel. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 254 The English Romantic Age: 3 semester hours
Prose and verse, 1780-1832, especially works by Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Scott, Austen, Lamb. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 265 The Victorian Age: 3 semester hours
Poetry and fiction by such authors as Tennyson, Browning, Hopkins, Dickens, Eliot, Gaskell, and Hardy. Prerequisite: One lower division course or permission of the instructor.
EN 278 American Literature Survey: 1914 to Present: 3 semester hours
This course will examine the major topics/trends/movements in American Literature from World War I to the present through reading a variety of genres: poetry, short fiction, drama, and the novel. Topics will include Modernism, Postmodernism and Deconstruction, and Multiculturalism.
EN 300 Topics in Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will examine a specific topic in literature. Course content will vary. The course with different content may be repeated. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 303 Topics In American Literature: 3 semester hours
This course includes an examination of a specific topic in American literature. Course content will vary. The course with different content may be repeated. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 305 Anglophone Literature: 3 semester hours
After the demise of the British Empire in the 20th century, the English language remained in use all over the world in many of its former colonies and commonwealth states. As newly independent peoples began to define their national identity, their native writers adopted English as the medium for telling their stories. Appropriately called World Englishes, these offshoots of the language of Britain shaped themselves to the culture, geography, and circumstances of a whole new cadre of Anglophone writers. This course will explore world literature written in English from places such as India, Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, and the Caribbean in order to engage with the questions of identity that arise, both for nations and for individuals, in a post-colonial society in a global age.
EN 309 British Modernism: 3 semester hours
This course will focus on the major works and movements of British literature from 1900-1945, specifically focusing on Modernism. It will cover texts by such authors as Yeats, Auden, Conrad, Joyce, Woolf, Forster, Ford, Eliot, Lawrence, Mansfield, and Bowen.
EN 310 Contemporary British Literature: 3 semester hours
This course will examine the major works and movements in British literature from 1945 to the present. It will cover texts by such authors as Greene, Waugh, Lessing, Beckett, Heaney, Ishiguro, McEwan, Smith, and Barnes. Prerequisite: One lower division literature course or permission of the instructor.
EN 314 Law and Literature: 3 semester hours
How do law and literature shape our ethics, identities, and understanding of the truth? Why do so many literary writers feature legal documents, crime, prisons, and trial scenes? Students explore all these questions as they study British, American, and world literature ranging from ancient Greek tragedy to novels by Nobel Prize winners to recent Oprah picks. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a service learning project at the Anamosa State Penitentiary.
EN 320 Intermediate Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
This is an advanced creative writing course focusing on the student portfolio, a collection of original poems, stories and creative nonfiction written for the class. Prerequisite: EN 203 or permission of the instructor.
EN 321 Topics In Creative Writing: 3 semester hours
Students will study and practice one specific type of creative writing, such as poetry, mystery novels, or creative non-fiction. Students may repeat the course when it features a different type of writing. Prerequisite: EN 203 or permission of the instructor.
EN 325 Seminar: Independent Research: 3 semester hours
This is a capstone seminar which asks that students demonstrate through independent research and in-class activities a proficiency in critical, verbal, and written skills. Since this class is process oriented the instructor and students will collaborate on selecting the theme(s) for the seminar. Students will also explore career development. Required of all English majors. Prerequisites: Senior English major status; one course selected from the core composition courses; and at least one upper-level English literature course at Mount Mercy.
EN 424 Internship: 3 semester hours
This class is a supervised work experience in various profit/non-profit organization. It is required of all English majors who have not had another internship experience through Mount Mercy University and who are not Education majors. It is open to English majors of junior or senior status. All students must receive the approval/consent of the English Program before participating in this internship. If students do not receive this approval, they will take EN 455, focusing on career preparation. To count toward the English major, the internship must be taken for three credits.
EN 445 Independent Study: 3 semester hours
Study topic will be arranged by the student and the English Department best able to direct the work. An independent study gives the English major the opportunity to pursue authors, genres, and literary periods not developed in regular courses.