College Electives: A Comprehensive Guide to English Course Options

Choosing college electives can be an exciting opportunity to explore diverse areas of interest and enhance your overall educational experience. For students passionate about language, literature, and critical thinking, English electives offer a wide array of options. This article provides a detailed overview of various English courses, drawing from a comprehensive list of subjects and topics within the field.

Introduction to English Studies

The Department of English seeks to help students develop their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. In addition, we hope to foster imaginative reasoning, which we define as the ability to use the imagination to think hypothetically about the world in all its diversity-the past, present, and future, the local and the global. Such an ability, learned through the study of diverse literature and film, the critical analysis of language, and the generation of creative work, enables students to thoughtfully engage with social, cultural, and political phenomena. It allows students to re-envision what is possible and to dream audacious solutions to seemingly insoluble problems.

An "Introduction to English Studies" course implies a broad scope, covering various disciplines and their methods generally while also engaging in specific composition and hermeneutic activities. The design of this course aims to both prepare students who plan to major in English while also develop the knowledge and understanding of those currently majoring in English in relation to the nature of what it means to study English. Specifically, students will read a variety of texts, topics, while being introduced to numerous strategies of interpretation. They will also compose across rhetorical and creative genres.

Core English Electives

Foundations of Literary Study

Ways of Reading: This course focuses on the reader, text, and contexts, exploring various genres such as poetry, short fiction, drama, and novels.
History and Practice of English as a Discipline: This course delves into the history and practice of English as a discipline, examining four central aspects of literary study.
Literary Theory: Courses in literary theory and interdisciplinary studies explore 20th- and 21st-century thought.

Exploring Identity and Culture

Sexual Identity in Literature: This course explores works from various genres, time periods, and cultures that reflect and construct a wide range of sexual identities, often requiring prerequisites such as ENGL:1200.
Sexuality in American Popular Culture: A critical and historical introduction to the representation of human sexuality in American popular culture from World War II to the present. This course often fulfills GE: Values and Society requirements.
Gender in Global South Literature and Cinema: Literary and cinematic representations of gender in works by authors and directors from the Global South, examining artistic representations of love, sexuality, friendship, and parenting, and shifts in gender identities and relations that result from social and political crises.
Human Rights Issues in Global South Cinema: Cinematic representations of human rights issues in films by directors from the Global South, examining artistic representations of race relations in colonial and postcolonial societies, and public health issues, specifically women's and children's rights in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Literature, Culture, and Women: Studies in the intersections between literature, culture, and women.

African American Literature

Selected Topics in African American Literature: An exploration of literary works by selected African American authors.
African American Literature Before 1900: A study of African American literature and culture before the 20th century.
African American Literature After 1900: A study of African American literature after 1900.
Contemporary African American Literature: African American literature from 20th- and 21st-century writers, addressing African American experiences of race, sexuality, gender, class, and privilege in the contemporary era. This course examines how poets, rappers, and authors tackle these themes within literary forms such as fiction, creative nonfiction, autobiography, poems, and songs, and societal structures of power.
The Autobiography by African American Writers: An exploration of autobiographical works by African American writers.

Latinx Literature and Culture

Latina/o/x Literatures and Cultures: Exploration of major themes and research topics in Latina/o/x literatures and cultures.
Selected Topics in Literature and Cultures of the Americas: A course covering selected topics in the literature and cultures of the Americas.

Global and Postcolonial Literature

African Cinema and Literature: A study of films and literary works from Africa.
Postcolonial and Transnational Writing by Women: Exploration of postcolonial and transnational writing by women.
Transnational and Postcolonial Literature: Courses focusing on transnational and postcolonial literature of the 20th and 21st centuries often require ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.

Creative Writing Electives

Fundamentals of Storytelling

How We Tell Stories: This course explores the creation of compelling, thought-provoking, and resonant texts from the raw material of daily life. It emphasizes emotional and intellectual risks, imaginative rigor, and revision.
Sentences: This course delves into how sentences work, what they do, and how they can enhance writing, expand understanding of prose style, and stretch options.
Reading and Creative Writing: Courses that combine reading and creative writing, with topics that vary and are often taught by faculty. Prerequisites may include ENGL:2010.

Genre-Specific Creative Writing

Fiction: In-depth exploration and analysis of creative works in fiction.
Poetry: In-depth exploration and analysis of creative works in poetry.
Creative Nonfiction: Rigorous exploration and analysis of a range of nonfiction creative works.
Literary Translation: Rigorous exploration and analysis of a range of creative works in literary translation.
Drama: Rigorous exploration and analysis of a range of creative works in drama.

Advanced Creative Writing Workshops

Creative Writing Workshop: For English and Creative Writing majors, these workshops require prerequisites such as ENGL:2010 and ENGL:2020.
Fiction Workshop: A fiction workshop specifically for English and Creative Writing majors.
Creative Nonfiction Workshop: A creative nonfiction workshop tailored for English and Creative Writing majors.
Advanced Nonfiction Writing: Experience working on new nonfiction projects, drafting and preparing one piece throughout a semester. Individualized work promotes understanding of and creation in genres of nonfiction writing.
Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing Projects: Close work with faculty and peers on advanced creative nonfiction writing projects.

Specialized English Electives

Digital Media and Writing

Writing for Alternative Media: Multidisciplinary sessions mixing media production, creative nonfiction, and literary theory. Topics range from hypertext authoring and electronic magazine publishing to sound art and digital video. The course covers principles and practices of writing for alternative media and theoretical understanding of how various media frame the situation.
Digital Video for Writers: A writers' introduction to digital video, focusing on compelling forms of nonfiction filmmaking from the film essay to the environmental documentary. Students learn how to convert texts into film, conduct interviews, and shoot and edit digital video.

Writing About Specific Subjects

Writing About Science and Technology: Exploration of classic literary nonfiction on the sciences, focusing on various stylistic practices for making complex topics compelling for a general audience and developing a clear and readable prose style.
Translation Workshop: Translation exercises, discussion of translation works in progress, and alternative strategies for translation projects.

Book History and Design

Book Design: Introduction to the major aspects of book design, including typography, layout, standard industry software, and discussion of trends in the field.
History of the Book and Book Arts: Introduction to the history of the book and book arts in diverse global contexts, covering histories of visual and verbal media, cross-cultural exchange, and the book's impact across time and space. It includes hands-on work with historical books and book arts including papermaking, woodblock and letterpress printing, and binding.
Literature and the Book: The relationship between literature and the book as a medium. Authorship, publishing, etc. within specific historical and cultural contexts.
Theory and Practice of Book Studies: Meanings of word and image in the book format; comparative study of other media, applied study of the codex as a physical artifact.

Language and Linguistics

Language and Identity: How language reflects and constructs learners' identities and cultures; readings related to oral and written language, native and second language development, linguistic diversity; discussion of the relationship of language theory to schools of language instruction.

Literature by Period and Region

British Literature

Dramatic Literature of the English Renaissance: Study of dramatic literature from the English Renaissance.
Shakespeare: Courses focusing on Shakespeare's early and later plays.
London and Shakespeare: London was a distant outpost of the Roman Empire, but the Romans had an outsized influence on Shakespeare's plays and poems; students explore those works and their sources in classical authors, including Ovid and Plutarch.
British Literature of the 18th and 19th Centuries: Courses often require ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.
British Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Courses often require ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.
Medieval and Early Modern Literature: Courses covering literature through the 17th century, often requiring ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.

American Literature

American Literature of the 18th and 19th Centuries: Courses often require ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.
American Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Courses often require ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.
American Playwrights: American playwrights and plays after 1900.

Other Regions and Cultures

Native American Literature and Culture: Study of Native American literature and culture.
Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages: Study of literature and culture of the Middle Ages.
Study of Beowulf in Old English: An in-depth study of Beowulf in its original language.

Social Justice and Literature

Advocacy Through Writing: Reflection of students' place within educational systems, development of rhetorical tools for successful advocacy, and advocation through writing for change within higher education and the UI; student loans, racial segregation, social and economic immobility, free speech, data insecurity, sexual assault.
Literature and Social Justice: How literature from various time periods-American and global-has enacted, represented, depicted, or encouraged forms and acts of social justice; students study various genres (e.g., essay, poem, autobiography, short story, fiction) and learn how literature has been used to conceptualize social justice, address national and global inequities, and take up complex and intersecting issues of power and privilege.
Representations of Gender, Class, and Sexuality: Representations of gender, class, and sexuality in British, American, or postcolonial literature.

Practical and Professional Electives

Publishing and Editing

Literary Publishing: A laboratory-style class offering a step-by-step breakdown of fundamental professional and creative skills needed for jobs in the literary publishing world.
Literary Publishing Practicum: Supervised, extended practice of the skills core to landing possible literary publishing jobs.
Literary Magazine Production: Working collectively, as if part of a professional publishing house, students bring a single, themed book to publication. They handle all aspects of the publication process, assuming the roles of writers, editors, art directors, designers, and marketers, culminating in a book launch.
Agenting and Internships: Hands-on, real-life work experience combined with exploration of inner workings of the industry, such as how agenting works to preparing for the first internship.
Editing: Courses focused on editing skills, such as ENG 2433.

Teaching and Education

Reading and Evaluation of Literature for Young Adults: Reading and evaluation of literature suitable for junior and senior high school students.
Teaching High School English: Organizational techniques, methods, materials for teaching high school English; experience in simulated teaching situations during laboratory sessions, integrated with lectures and discussions.
Significant Developments in English Education: Primary and collateral readings on significant developments in English education.

Internships and Independent Study

Writing Internship: An internship, found by the student, and related to their career goals or exploration.
Independent Study: Independent study under faculty guidance for the creation of an honors project in creative writing.

Honors and Advanced Seminars

Honors Seminar in Literature: An honors seminar in literature, often requiring ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.
Literary Seminar: A seminar focused on literary topics, often requiring ENGL:2010 as a prerequisite.

Additional Considerations for English Electives

College Degree Requirements

College Distribution Requirements: The College of Arts and Sciences distribution requirements are designed to ensure a range of courses across disciplines within the College. Students develop the ability to learn in a variety of ways and apply their knowledge from a variety of perspectives.
CDR: Written Communication: Select from courses approved for ACE outcome 1.
CDR: Humanities: Select a course from ARAB, CHIN, CLAS, CZEC, ENGL, FILM, FREN, GERM, GREK, HIST, JAPN, LATN, PHIL, RELG, RUSS, or SPAN.
Experiential Learning Requirement: All undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete an Experiential Learning (EL) designated course.

Major-Specific Requirements

To satisfy the English major, the student must present for the degree 30 credits of English courses numbered 2000 or above. At least one three-credit English course taken by the student must be at the 3000 level.

Models of Study

The department offers optional models of study to help students create coherent patterns of focus and breadth in their coursework. Models of study do not have tracking status.

Course Level

Complete a total of 10 English courses at 3000/4000 level.

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