Department of English

20240815_powellpalooza_036

Dr. Charlotte Rich, Chair
Dr. Gerald Nachtwey, MA Program Coordinator/Advisor
Prof. Robert Dean Johnson, MFA Program Director/Advisor

www.english.eku.edu
(859) 622-5861

General Information

The Department of English offers a 30-hour program of study leading to the Master of Arts in English & Writing Professions Degree. The Department of English also offers a 48-hour program of study leading to the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA-CW) degree.

The Master of Arts in Education degree with a concentration in English is offered in the College of Education with the cooperation of the Department of English. The Master of Arts in Teaching degree with a concentration in English is also offered in the College of Education. The regulations for these degrees may be found in the College of Education section of this Catalog.

Each of the above degree programs caters to students who are interested in English Studies but who have different immediate career goals:

  • The MA in English & Writing Professions prepares students for careers in higher education—especially working with first-year writing and student support programs—as well as professional and technical writing.
  • The MFA in Creative Writing helps students interested in publishing creative work of all genres to develop their craft and to learn how to navigate the modern publishing industry.
  • The MAEd program provides professional development for already-certified K-12 teachers. The MAT is a fully-online program that provides an alternate pathway for teacher certification. Both of these programs may require supporting in English at the graduate level, depending on the course of study.
 

Master's

Courses

ENG 700.  Topics in Professional Writing.  (3 Credits)  
A. Familiarizes students with visual communication as applied in popular culture, business, science, and technology. Students learn visual design principles, and apply them by creating a variety of visual projects, from icons to infographics.

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ENG 702.  Topics in Creative Writing.  (3 Credits)  
A. Special topics and workshop course for advanced or specialty genres and for students who desire to have their manuscripts critiqued. Guest lectures by and discussion with writers in residence. May be taken with different topics for a maximum of six hours.

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ENG 703.  Creative Writing Residency.  (3 Credits)  
A. This course is only offered in the Summer term. Prerequisite: departmental approval. Held in conjunction with Bluegrass Writers Studio’s eight-day Summer residency on EKU-Richmond campus, followed by asynchronous online work. Includes craft lectures, panels, and readings by visiting writers. Students must submit an original creative writing manuscript before the residency. Students having received credit for this course at the 500 level may take this course for a maximum of six hours, including the undergraduate credit.

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ENG 710.  Intro to Linguistic Theory.  (3 Credits)  
A. An introduction to current linguistic theory and practice.

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ENG 715.  English as a Second Language.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of theories advanced to explain the learning of English as a second language.

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ENG 720.  History of English Language.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of the history of the English language in terms of social, historical, and linguistic forces from which it developed into modern English, with an emphasis on English in contemporary contexts.

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ENG 730.  Topics in a Genre:____________.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of a particular genre or comparison of related genres. These can include traditional literary genres contemporary popular genres; or digital multimodal genres . May be retaken with different topics to a maximum of six hours.

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ENG 750.  Topics in Textual Studies:__.  (3 Credits)  
A. An intensive study of a particular aspect of textual production, transmission, or reception such as a movement, an author, historical contexts, or contemporary directions/experiments. May be retaken with a different topic to a maximum of six hours.

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ENG 800.  Seminar on Writing Pedagogy.  (3 Credits)  
I. An introduction to best practices in writing studies with practical application, problem solving, and research especially relevant to college-level teaching and consulting.

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ENG 801.  Introduction to Graduate Study.  (3 Credits)  
I. Introduction to professional expectations, issues, techniques, and tools of graduate-level study and research in disciplines related to literacy, written communication, and textual criticism. Must be taken before 12 hours earned in the program.

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ENG 806.  Topics in Modern Rhetoric:____.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study in depth of selected major concepts, theories, research and/or pedagogical approaches in twentieth-century rhetoric and writing studies, with attention to application. May be retaken with a different topic to a maximum of six hours.

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ENG 807.  Advanced Study of Language: Knowledge & Use.  (3 Credits)  
A. Prerequisite: ENG 510/710 or equivalent. An advanced course in language knowledge (competence) and use (performance) from the perspective of language theory, focusing on aspects of language acquisition and literacy development.

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ENG 808.  Studies in Modern Composition.  (3 Credits)  
A. An advanced course in modern writing theories, suitable for students of writing and for students interested in writing professions; includes theory, practice, and administrative application.

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ENG 809.  Seminar in Scholarship & Writing.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of the range of scholarly tools and methods for research and writing, including print and electronic sources. Special emphasis on practical application to a specific research project.

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ENG 810.  Advanced Grammar.  (3 Credits)  
A. In-depth analysis of linguistic and grammatical theories informing contemporary style rules in academic and professional contexts.

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ENG 812.  Seminar in Comprehensive Research Methods.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of research methodology for rhetoric and composition, focused on gathering primary and secondary source material, ethics, collaboration, and reporting findings. Emphasis on practical application to specific research project conduct as a class.

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ENG 814.  Writing Across the Curriculum.  (3 Credits)  
A. A study of how literacy and writing programs function at the institutional level in higher education. Special focus on first-year writing, writing center, and general education administration practices.

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ENG 827.  History of Rhetoric.  (3 Credits)  
A. A study of theories of rhetoric over time, with a focus on rhetoric’s application to writing studies.

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ENG 830.  Textual Studies Seminar.  (3 Credits)  
A. An intensive study of selected texts. May include examinations of textual production, applications, and appropriations in popular and political contexts, especially as those phenomena occur within transcultural, transhistorical, and transmedial flows. May be retaken with different topics to a maximum of six hours.

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ENG 833.  Multimodal Criticism.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of selected major critical approaches (such as Multimodal Criticism, New Criticism, Marxist Criticism, Psychoanalytic Criticism, Deconstruction, New Historicism, Feminist Criticism, LGBTQ Criticism) and their application to multimodal texts.

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ENG 839.  Professional English Project.  (0.5-6 Credits)  
A. Prerequisite: Departmental approval. Work under faculty and field supervisors in cooperative placement related to literacy, writing, or media studies. One to six hours credit per semester or summer session. Minimum of eighty hours work required for each academic credit. Maximum of three hours credit may apply toward an M.A. degree in English. Credit will not be awarded for both ENG 839 and ENG 898.

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ENG 839B.  Cooperative Study in English.  (1-6 Credits)  
A. Work under faculty and field supervisors in cooperative placement related to English graduate studies. Maximum of three hours credit can apply toward MA in English degree.

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ENG 840.  Foundations in Professional Technical Writing.  (3 Credits)  
A. Focuses on workplace writing in networked environments for technical, scientific, business, and other professional contexts. Emphasizes context and user analysis, data analysis and display, project planning, document management, usability, ethics, and research.

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ENG 850.  Critical Studies Contemporary Texts.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study in depth of texts produced after 1840, paying attention to technological and socioeconomic contexts as well as poetic and rhetorical trends. May be retaken with different topics to a maximum of six hours, only upon advisor recommendation.

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ENG 860.  Topics in Reading & Teaching.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of topics related to reading and teaching literature. May focus on informational, narrative, and/or poetic texts, and should address engaging with texts in digital, oral, and print modes. Designed for current and prospective 5-12 teachers, as well as students interested in post-secondary and professional instructional environments. (Counts towards MA, MAT, MAED, and Extension Certificate). May be retaken with different topics to a maximum of six hours, upon advisor approval.

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ENG 863.  Writing & Teaching Writing.  (3 Credits)  
A. Study of writing practices and writing instruction to develop K-16 students’ writing skills and strategies. Designed for current and prospective K-12 teachers, as well as students interested in post-secondary and professional instructional environments. (Counts toward MA, MAT, MAED, Extension Certificate.) Students who already have credit for ENG 805 will not receive credit for ENG 863.

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ENG 880.  Seminar in 20th Century British Literature.  (3 Credits)  
A. A study in depth of several major authors, or of a significant literary movement, in modern British literature. May be retaken with different topics to a maximum of six hours, only upon advisor recommendation.

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ENG 890.  Special Studies.  (1-3 Credits)  
A. Independent research and writing designed to fulfill individual needs and interests of advanced students. Student must have the graduate special studies proposal approved by faculty supervisor, graduate program coordinator, and department chair. ENG 898 Thesis I. (3) A. ENG 899 Thesis II. (3) A.

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ENG 898.  Thesis.  (3 Credits)  
A. An intensive research project related to critical textual studies, literacy, or written communication. Students are required to contact faculty and propose course of study in semester prior to taking this course. Credit will not be awarded for both ENG 839 and ENG 898.

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