English

www.smu.edu/english

Professor Darryl Dickson-Carr, Department Chair

Professors: Darryl Dickson-Carr, Thomas DiPiero, Dennis Foster, Ezra Greenspan, David Haynes, Ross Murfin, Jasper Neel, Rajani Sudan, Steven Weisenburger
Associate Professors: Angela Ards, Richard Bozorth, Greg Brownderville, Michael Holahan, Daniel Moss, Beth Newman, Timothy Rosendale, Jayson Gonzales Sae-Saue, Nina Schwartz, Lisa Siraganian, Bonnie Wheeler
Assistant Professors: Timothy Cassedy, Jacob Rubin, Martha Satz
Professors of Practice: Carol Dickson-Carr,  Angela Wood
Senior Lecturers: Diana Grumbles Blackman, Jo Goyne, Vanessa Hopper, Pamela Lange, Bruce Levy
Lecturers: Stephanie Amsel, Joan Arbery, Marta Harvell, Mary Catherine Mueller, Pauline Newton, Patricia Pisano, Kristen Polster, Ona Seaney, Emily Sharma, Sam Ross Sloan, Lori Ann Stephens

General Information

The B.A. in English offers a rich intellectual experience through the study of American, British and other literature written in English. The course of study engages with contemporary modes of literary inquiry in order to arrive at an understanding of how language, culture and society work. At the same time, it emphasizes the aesthetic, emotional and intellectual pleasures of imaginative writing. The degree is appropriate for students who wish to obtain a broad liberal education as a foundation for careers or further study, and is especially recommended as preprofessional training for fields such as law, administration, and business that require high proficiency in written and oral communication and in analytical thinking.

Departmental Distinction

This program is open to seniors by invitation. To enter the program, a student ordinarily must earn an overall GPA of at least 3.000 by the middle of the junior year, and a 3.500 average or better in courses fulfilling requirements for the major. Candidates for distinction must take ENGL 5310  in the fall of the senior year. Candidates completing ENGL 5310  with a grade of B+ or better will then choose from the following options: ENGL 5381  (culminating in a senior thesis); or a graduate pro-seminar in English numbered 6320–6380 (requires permission of instructor); or (for creative writing specialists only) ENGL 4394 . Candidates must earn a B+ or better in the option selected, and attain a 3.500 GPA in all courses counting toward the major and distinction. ENGL 4394 , ENGL 5381  and ENGL 5310  may not be used to satisfy the 12 hours required in 4000-level courses. A minimum of 36 hours is required to graduate with departmental distinction.

Programs

• English, B.A.
• English, B.A., Creative Writing Specialization

• English Minor

Courses

The courses are numbered by the final two digits as follows.

• ENGL 4360 - Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature
• ENGL 4369 - Transatlantic Studies III
• ENGL 4370 - Special Studies
• ENGL 4390 - Advanced Studies in Creative Writing
• ENGL 4391 - Advanced Poetry Writing
• ENGL 4392 - Advanced Fiction Writing
• ENGL 4393 - Directed Studies in Poetry Writing
• ENGL 4394 - Directed Studies in Fiction Writing
• ENGL 4395 - Directed Studies in Poetry Writing
• ENGL 4396 - Directed Studies in Fiction Writing
• ENGL 4398 - Craft of Fiction
• ENGL 5310 - Seminar in Literary Theory
• ENGL 5381 - Independent Studies
• ENGL 5382 - Independent Studies
• ENGL 5383 - Independent Studies
• ENGL 5384 - Independent Studies