College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Courses

English

The Department of English offers courses in literature, cultural studies, language, and writing. In these courses, students read poetry, fiction, essays, criticism, and theory to acquire methods for understanding literature and culture. In addition to providing these essential elements of a liberal arts and sciences education, department courses can augment students' specialized interests in other fields. The department also participates in the interdisciplinary departments and programs in American studies; American Indian and native studies; African American studies; the Center for the Book; cinema and comparative literature; literature, science, and the arts; Project on the Rhetorics of Inquiry (POROI); and women's studies.

The department has a strong, long-standing commitment to teaching creative and nonfiction writing.

Although most students in the Ph.D. program are preparing for careers as teachers and scholars, and many in the M.F.A. nonfiction writing program and the Iowa Writers' Workshop are preparing for lives as storytellers, essayists, and poets, the B.A. and M.A. programs provide valuable training for careers in a variety of fields. Students who have earned English degrees from The University of Iowa write for advertising firms, newspapers, and book publishers; teach in primary and secondary schools; practice law and medicine; work in business and industry; and participate in state or federal government. As far as possible, a student's course of study is arranged to meet his or her individual needs and objectives.

Undergraduate Program

The department offers courses in literature, film, critical theory, cultural studies, language, and writing. In these courses, students study poetry, fiction, essays, criticism, film, and theory to acquire methods for understanding the history and significance of texts in the cultures from which they emerge. The program also challenges students to strive for excellence as writers.

Students who plan to apply to the College of Education for a degree in secondary education (English) should consult with an advisor in that program as early as possible. The education degree demands that students chose particular courses in the English major in order to meet state requirements. See "English and Education" later in this section.

Students interested in an English major should consult advisors in the English undergraduate advising office. Visit the Department of English web site for details about the program, faculty, courses, and upcoming events.

Bachelor of Arts

Of the 33 s.h. required for the major, 15 s.h. may be transferred from another institution. At least 18 s.h. in the major must be earned in residence at The University of Iowa.

The following English courses cannot be counted toward the 33 s.h. required for the English major: all 08G and 08A courses, 08C:001 Creative Writing Studio Workshop, and 08N:020 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction.

Introduction to English Major: Theory and Practice (008:005) is a requirement for all English majors; students are encouraged to enroll in the course as soon as they declare the English major.

Other course work is divided into six areas and three historical periods. The area and historical period fulfilled by each regularly offered course is identified in the course description (see "Courses" later in this Catalog section or visit the University's ISIS web site). Information and course lists are also available on the department's web site and from advisors.

Areas: At least one course (3 s.h.) from each of the following six areas is required.

Literary theory and interdisciplinary studies
Medieval and early modern literature and culture
Modern British literature and culture
American literature and culture
Transnational literature and postcolonial studies
Nonfiction and creative writing

Each student chooses one of the six areas as a concentration area and takes an additional two courses in that area, for a total of three courses (9 s.h.) in one area, and eight area courses in all.

Historical periods: Students also must take at least two courses from each of the following three historical periods.

Early literatures through the 17th century
Eighteenth- and/or 19th-century literature
Twentieth- and/or 21st-century literature

Since most courses satisfy both an area and a historical period, most students complete the historical period requirements as they complete the area requirements and are able to choose additional elective course work to complete the major.

Courses Approved for General Education

Four-Year Graduation Plan

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: at least two courses in the major and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: at least six courses in the major and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: at least eight courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Honors

Students usually complete a four-semester sequence to graduate with honors in English. They must complete 008:098 Honors Proseminar twice, preferably during the junior year, and a senior thesis. Students who wish to count other course work, including study abroad, toward the proseminar requirement must have the honors director's permission. The proseminar requirement must be completed the semester before graduation.

To graduate with honors in English, students must maintain a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.33 and an English g.p.a. of at least 3.50.

Ideally, the honors student's senior year is devoted to the thesis project, written under the supervision of a faculty member. Students may earn up to 6 s.h. of credit for work they carry out for the honors thesis, through a combination of semester hours earned in 008:120 Honors Thesis Workshop and/or 008:198 Undergraduate Honors Project Independent Study. Thesis projects may cover the range of fields offered by the Department of English: literary, theoretical, and cultural studies; nonfiction writing; and creative writing (poetry and fiction).

Students who wish to submit a nonfiction thesis must work under the supervision of a regular faculty member in the Nonfiction Writing Program and must have completed at least one nonfiction writing course above the 100 level. Students who wish to submit a creative thesis in poetry or fiction must work under the supervision of a permanent member of the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Students interested in more information should contact the director of the English honors program or the director of undergraduate studies. A handout, Guidelines and Deadlines, which details requirements for the final project and specifies deadlines for turning in the prospectus and the final honors project, is available in the Department of English office and the Honors Lounge.

Contact the University of Iowa Honors Program for more information about honors study at Iowa.

Minor

Before taking courses for the minor, students must complete the requirement for 08G:001 The Interpretation of Literature.

The following courses do not count toward the minor: all 08A and 08G courses, 08C:001, and 08N:020.

The minor is officially acknowledged and recorded only after the student has completed the application for graduation.

Students who would like assistance in planning to meet requirements for the minor may stop by the advising office or schedule an appointment with an advisor by contacting the undergraduate English secretary.

Writing for Undergraduates

Admission to the undergraduate workshops in fiction and poetry (08C:163 Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Fiction and 08C:166 Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Poetry) requires the instructor's consent. Students who wish to participate in these workshops must submit samples of their poetry or fiction to the Iowa Writers' Workshop office no earlier than a week before registration and no later than the last day of registration for that semester.

Nonfiction writing is also a major area of interest for faculty and students in the department of English. Students may enroll for courses that stress practice in forms of nonfiction writing and for courses that focus on nonfiction literature. Students who wish to participate in 08N:150 Undergraduate Essay Workshop and other courses with special permission requirements should check with the instructor of the course before registering. Introduction to Creative Nonfiction (08N:020) does not fulfill requirements for the English major or minor.

Undergraduate majors may concentrate in nonfiction and creative writing with any combination of 08N or 08C courses (except 08C:001 and 08N:020).

English and Education

By the end of the program, students must have completed the following courses.

ENGLISH (PART OF THE UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR)

EDUCATION

Admission

Minor Licensure in English

The English minor licensure program includes the following course work.

An American literature course

A British literature course

A course in creative or nonfiction writing

An additional English course

07S:115 Methods: English

3 s.h.

07S:194 Methods: High School Reading

2-3 s.h.

08N:141/07S:155 Approaches to Teaching Writing

3 s.h.

08P:182/07S:182 Language and Learning

2-3 s.h.

08P:198/07S:193 Reading and Teaching Adolescent Literature

3 s.h.

While this program meets minimum requirements for licensure, the department recommends that students who want to teach English have considerably more training in the field.

Graduate Programs

Although direct application to the Ph.D. program is generally encouraged, some students consider the M.A. an appropriate step in their professional training. These students may have had an undergraduate major in a different field or may want more preparation for other reasons. Some may intend to complete their studies elsewhere. Students interested in careers in any area of book studies (professional writing, editing, web design, or publishing) may wish to pursue the M.A. as a terminal degree, as may teachers seeking to enhance their credentials or students pursuing intellectual growth unrelated to a specific career.

M.A. and Ph.D. students mix freely in graduate courses, share the same access to faculty, and meet the same standards of quality in their work.

Master of Arts

COURSE WORK

One course in criticism and theory

Four courses from the following five areas:

British or American literature and culture before 1500

British or American literature and culture 1500-1660

British or American literature and culture 1660-1800

British or American literature and culture 1800-1900

British or American literature and culture of the 20th Century

Elective courses constitute half of the total credit for the degree and may be chosen from graduate courses both in and outside the English department. Students may wish to explore opportunities for interdisciplinary study, language study, experience in theory and practice of writing, or specialization in a field of literary scholarship.

Completion of the M.A. requires either a thesis or a portfolio. Students submit a written description of their choice to the director of the program before the semester in which they plan to graduate.

M.A. THESIS

A copy of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate College for approval. For detailed information about Graduate College deadlines and policies, see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College.

PORTFOLIO

Students take the first step toward preparing to submit a portfolio by meeting with the director of the M.A. program to discuss the portfolio. Soon after this meeting, and no less than three weeks before the exam date, the student presents to the director a draft of the portfolio's introductory statement. The director may suggest changes either before or after approving the statement. Once the director approves the statement, the student must provide the director with three copies of the full portfolio at least two weeks before the date of the examination.

The work in the portfolio should demonstrate the student's knowledge of literature as a broad historical and theoretical inquiry. Students submit approximately 50 pages (12,500 words) of their best work, along with an introductory statement of five to seven pages. The body of the portfolio should contain revised versions of papers originally produced for classes. The introductory statement should explain the contents of the portfolio, contextualize each paper, and give a brief overview of the writing. Students are expected to describe the research methods used in assembling their portfolios and the critical practices that ground their work.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Master of Fine Arts (Nonfiction Writing)

The required 48 s.h. includes at least 30 s.h. earned in residence at The University of Iowa and 24 s.h. of work in program-designated courses. Electives may be chosen widely, from courses in the English department as well as any other University departments.

In addition to the course work, students are required to enroll for at least 4 s.h. and no more than 8 s.h. of thesis credit. The thesis may be a single extended piece of nonfiction, a collection of shorter nonfiction pieces, or a collection of essays. Whatever the project, the thesis is expected to be of publishable quality.

For more information, consult the director of the Nonfiction Writing Program.

Master of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)

Doctor of Philosophy

Concentrations are offered in areas such as literary history and critical theory, as well as interdisciplinary areas such as cultural studies and transnational studies.

Of the required 72 s.h., at least 30 s.h. must be earned in residence at The University of Iowa with a g.p.a. of at least 3.50.

Ph.D. requirements include the following.

Formal admission to candidacy by a vote of the Graduate Steering Committee, usually during the third semester of doctoral study

Course work in any four of the following historical periods, as expressed in texts of the English-speaking and -writing world (usually but not always British or American):

Literature and culture before 1500

Literature and culture 1500-1660

Literature and culture 1660-1800

Literature and culture 1800-1900

Literature and culture of the 20th century

Three English department seminars taken at The University of Iowa

Fulfillment of the language requirement, usually by completion of an advanced undergraduate course (100-level or above) in a language other than English

A comprehensive examination that consists of the following: a portfolio of five scholarly questions based on a period of literary history (usually British or American); a review essay and annotated bibliography in a special area of interest; two course syllabi; an article to be submitted for publication; and an introduction to the portfolio that synthesizes its parts in preparation for a two-hour oral exam

A dissertation, beginning with a formal presentation of the prospectus to a faculty committee

A final examination in defense of the dissertation

All doctoral candidates are required to gain some teaching experience, preferably in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Rhetoric and in General Education Program literature courses.

For application forms and a complete description of the Ph.D. program, contact the department's graduate program associate.

Admission

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Financial Support

Financial aid applications are considered only from students who have applied or been admitted to a degree program in the Graduate College. Applications and all necessary supporting material must be submitted by the end of January for the following academic year. Forms are available from the Department of English and the University's Office of Admissions.

Writing Programs

Founded in 1936, the Iowa Writers' Workshop was a pioneer in the field of creative writing. It counts scores of distinguished poets and novelists among its alumni. The workshop provides opportunities for students to work with outstanding teacher-authors. It also brings numerous prominent authors to campus each year for lectures and readings.

The University of Iowa M.F.A. program in nonfiction writing is one of the few programs in the nation that offers a full range of graduate course work in this area. It also gives undergraduates the opportunity to pursue a concentration in nonfiction writing. See "Master of Fine Arts (Nonfiction Writing)" and "Writing for Undergraduates" earlier in this section of the Catalog.

Facilities

Several periodicals are published under the department's aegis. The Iowa Review, Walt Whitman Quarterly Review, and Philological Quarterly offer opportunities for especially qualified graduate students to work as research assistants or editorial associates. The Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, edited by English department graduate students, features creative and scholarly work by students in English and related areas.

The Department of English and the Iowa Writers' Workshop sponsor a rich and extensive series of readings and lectures by poets, fiction writers, and scholars, all open to students in the department.

The Association of Graduate Students in English sponsors social and intellectual events during the year and provides a forum for student opinion. All graduate students in the department are members.

Courses