Department of English
Dr. Mary R. Lamb, Chair
Mission and Goals
The Department of English at Clayton State University offers both an undergraduate degree and courses in graduate degrees. At the undergraduate level, we have courses in the core curriculum; courses that comprise a major and minor in English; courses for middle level teacher education majors; and content courses for secondary education students. At the undergraduate level, we offer a major (Bachelor of Arts) and minor in English, and a badge in Professional Writing Proficiency. At the graduate level, we offer courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching English, the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with an English concentration, and a Combined BA/MALS with an English concentration.
Our core courses include first-year writing (ENGL 1101 English Composition I, ENGL 1102 English Composition II, Area A1) and literature survey courses (2000-level literature courses, Area C). Students in the First-Year Writing program acquire skills that will increase their ability to write for a wide variety of professional and academic contexts. The course sequence offers instruction in writing processes, collaborative writing strategies, methods of organization, research skills, discourse conventions of Standard Written English, and rhetorical strategies. The literature survey courses introduce students to some of the greatest writings and ideas humankind has created, thus expanding their understanding of themselves and their cultures.
The Bachelor of Arts in English (120 hours) offers three concentrations—literature, writing, and secondary education. Throughout their coursework, students will learn to understand multiple perspectives, make connections across disciplines, and critically evaluate, interpret, and synthesize information from various sources. Furthermore, students will learn to read critically, write effectively, think analytically, work collaboratively, apply technology, and communicate clearly. Students will have the opportunity to practice these skills as they work with professors on research projects or as they participate in one of the internships hosted by our department in producing the Cygnet (our literary magazine), publishing Connections (our First-Year Writing textbook) or The Vibrant Voice (our newsletter), or writing for social media.
The English major prepares students for success in:
- graduate study (e.g. in English, library science, technical writing, and creative writing)
- professional schools (e.g. law, medical, divinity)
- careers in education, media, marketing, public relations, professional and technical writing, and many others
In short, a degree in English will give students the foundation to thrive, solve problems, and succeed in their civic, personal, and professional lives. It teaches students to be creative, imaginative thinkers and problem-solvers and equips them to participate effectively in an ever-changing, information-based society. The English department educates almost every student at Clayton State and cultivates a vital community for literature and writing on campus and in the community.
Honor Societies and Clubs
The Department of English houses the Alpha Nu Xi chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. We also produce the Cygnet, a student-run literary magazine and Connections, the university’s First-Year Writing textbook. The department sponsors several student writing awards.
Badge in Professional Writing Proficiency Requirements
The requirements for a Badge in Professional Writing Proficiency are:
- Passing a grammar/skills test
- Passing ENGL 3900 Professional & Tech. Writing
- Passing either ENGL 3910 Professional Editing or CMS 3710 Writing for Digital Media
- Passing either ENGL 3220 Argumentative Writing; ENGL 4320 Adv Creative Nonfiction Wrtg; or ENGL 3212 Advanced Composition: the first class is recommended for professions requiring more persuasive writing, the second is for professions requiring more informational writing, the third class emphasizes rhetorical and stylistic choices.
Baccalaureate Programs
Certificate Programs
Combined Degree Programs
Minor Programs
Specialized Programs
English (ENGL)
This is a 3-hour credit course that Learning Support students will take as a co-requisite with ENGL 1101. The content of corequisite support courses will be geared to supporting students in mastering the content of the gateway course. Placement in the course will be determined by the English Placement Index.
A composition course focusing on skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with emphasis on exposition, analysis, and argumentation, and also including introductory use of a variety of research skills.
Prerequisites: A01 with a score of 17 or S13 with a score of 24 or S28 with a score of 430 or (ACCNGR with a score of 237 and ACCW with a score of 4)
A composition course that develops writing skills beyond the levels of proficiency required by ENGL 1101, emphasizing interpretation and evaluation and incorporating a variety of more advanced research skills.
Prerequisites: ENGL 101 (ENGL 1101 or ENGL 111 or ENGL 101)
A survey of important works of world literature from ancient times through the mid-seventeenth century viewed in both historical and contemporary perspective.(Works are read in translation where necessary.) Critical thinking and communication skills are emphasized.
Prerequisites: ENGL 112 ENGL 1102
A survey of important works of world literature from the mid-seventeenth century to the present viewed in both historical and contemporary perspective. (Works are read in translation where necessary) Critical thinking and communication skills are emphasized.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
A survey of important works of British Literature from the Old English period through the neoclassical age. This includes English literature from its roots in Anglo-Saxon through its development in Great Britain and its global development outside the United States through approximately 1800.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102H or ENGL 112
A survey of important works of British Literature from the Romantic Era to the present. This includes the global development of English literature outside the United States from approximately 1800 to the present.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
Major works of American Literature from the late 16th century through the mid-19th century, including those outside the traditional canon.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
Major works of American Literature from the late 16th century through the mid-19th century, including those outside the traditional canon. This course is restricted to students enrolled in the Honors Program. Students with a 3.0 cumulative GPA who are not in the Honors Program may be enrolled with permission from the department chair or the Honors Program Director.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102H
Major works of American Literature from the mid-19th century to the present, including those outside the traditional canon.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
Major works of American Literature from the mid-19th century to the present, including those outside the traditional canon. This course is restricted to students enrolled in the Honors Program. Students with a 3.0 cumulative GPA who are not in the Honors Program may be enrolled with permission from the department chair or the Honors Program Director.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102H
The skills and knowledge necessary for successful pursuit of a degree in English: close reading, critical writing, acquaintance with current theoretical issues, familiarity with bibliographic and electronic resources, and career opportunities. Required of all English majors.
Introduction to Writing Studies includes an overview of writing across historical periods and cultures, terminology and methods used by writers, and skills in academic, professional, and creative writing. The course will also introduce theories of composing processes, rhetorical and audience analyses, and key characteristics of writing genre. It serves as an introduction to the array of writing courses offered in the department outside of the traditional literature courses. Required of all English majors with writing and literature concentrations.
Introduction to Visual Rhetoric and Document Design explores how images and other visual texts influence audiences in today's writing and communication landscape. The use of visual imagery in advertising, art, film, social media, publishing, technical documents, nonprofit work, and other contexts can be subtle, direct, or provocative. By thinking about images and visuals as rhetorical texts, we explore how they persuade or create meaning and, in turn, can significantly impact our understanding of the world. This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of visual rhetoric and document design in a variety of contexts. As part of the coursework, we will analyze, discuss, write about images and visual texts, as well as produce digital and visual media with image editing software.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
An introductory survey of the history of the English language, from pre-Anglo-Saxon times, through Old, Middle, and early Modern English, and into English as a contemporary global language. Attention to historical changes in sound, structure, syntax, and social contexts.
A course surveying the history, structure, and teaching and learning practices in English grammar. Also includes an overview of modern grammars, including structural and transformational, and research on grammar instruction. Required of all language arts majors and minors in the Clayton State Middle-level Education program. Highly recommended for all English majors.
Exploration of more advanced forms and concepts in the development of writing for academic audiences. Emphasizes the various conventions of discourse situations, invention, revision, editorial skills, and document design for individual writing and for the teaching of writing. Also includes a study of grammatical structures that promote syntactic growth and diversity of style.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
A course in the methods of developing academic, professional, and civic written arguments; the course includes the application of classical and contemporary rhetorical theories of argument, the analysis of various arguments, and multiple revisions of papers.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
This course teaches the structure of English grammar and the options students have when presenting their ideas in formal and informal writing. The course will provide a brief survey of the most common non-standard dialects of American English with the purpose of comparing standard and non-standard dialects. The goal of the course is to highlight the many options students have in writing. When students know how English works, they will become more proficient speakers and writers.
Prerequisites: ENGL 112 or ENGL 1102
This course focuses on the fundamentals of proposal writing, with application to researching and writing grant proposals. Students will explore social, political, and economic contexts driving grant proposal development, as well as common processes in writing grant proposals, such as identifying a project for funding, researching funding sources, tailoring research to write proposals appropriate for their selected sources, and post-award or rejection follow-up with funders. Students will read appropriate texts, as well as complete both short writing assignments and a full grant proposal for a project and funding source of their choosing.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 112 or ENGL 1102H
Texts by women and/or works that treat issues of gender and sexuality. Primary texts are supplemented by additional readings designed to enhance students' abilities to think and write critically about women writers and motifs of gender and sexuality.
A course focusing on the major movements, issues or themes in the study of African American Literature from 1750-1877.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 and (ENGL 2111 or ENGL 2112 or ENGL 2121 or ENGL 2122 or ENGL 2131 or ENGL 2132 or ENGL 2111H or ENGL 2112H or ENGL 2122H or ENGL 2131H or ENGL 2132H or ENGL 2200)
A course focusing on the major movements, issues or themes in the study of African American Literature from 1877-present.
Primary focus on texts by members of one or more traditionally marginalized cultural groups within the United States and with attention to historical and theoretical aspects.
A course focusing on the major movements, issues, or themes in the study of Caribbean Literature.
A course focusing on the major movements, issues, or themes of literature written by writers of Asian ethnicities living in the United States (including Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, and/or others).
An introduction to issues and practices relevant to careers in professional writing with an emphasis on understanding contexts, genres, and technologies and producing documents for a variety of professional writing communities and workplaces.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 102
An introduction to postcolonial literatures in English. The course may include literature from Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.
This writing course will be balanced with theory and be influenced by a strong service learning component. Small groups of students, under the guidance of the instructor, will work directly with a local or regional nonprofit organization, using their writing skills and rhetorical strategies to address a real need in the community.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
An introduction to one-on-one writing instruction, classroom based writing consultancy, and the theories that guide these practices. Students will write many kinds of documents, including essays about tutoring and consulting, and they will have applied what they have learned in peer review situations.
This course introduces students to basic design principles and tools for writing in digital media. In the course, students will consider how the Internet lets different kinds of communities create meeting spaces, and the role that digital writing plays in constructing those spaces.
Prerequisites: ENGL 112 or ENGL 1102
Introductory study in imaginative writing emphasizing both selected readings in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and student writing in these genres.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102
An advanced, study and application of principles for effective professional and technical writing. Topics to include audience and context analysis, ethical communication, and writing for international readers. Students put these concepts into practice by writing and designing several professional and technical documents for both specialist and non-specialist readers. While open to students from all majors, the course includes entry assessment of writing skills for the baccalaureate degree program in Communication and Media Studies. Required to earn at least a C in the course, based on the program-entry-level assessments of writing skills built into the class.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 102 or ENGL 112
This course focuses on editing documents from a variety of genres and authors. The course includes proofreading, copyediting, formatting, and recognizing and correcting grammar, punctuation, and mechanics in written documents.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 102
This course is the principal experiential learning opportunity for the English major, and is normally taken no earlier than the junior year. The environment will be appropriate for an English major, either on or off campus, and should be related to the student's career interests. Course is repeatable for credit (only with permission).
A study of different theoretical approaches to the interpretation of texts and other cultural objects. These theories are then applied to selected works drawn from literature, the mass media and the fine arts.
Prerequisites: ENGL 3100
This course will investigate historical and contemporary relationships among language, culture, and power in a variety of communities. In this course, we examine the roles of writing and persuasion to explore politics of identity and difference, including race, ethnicity, citizenship, gender, class, and ability.
Prerequisites: ENGL 112 or ENGL 1102
This course prepares English Education majors in the theory and practice of teaching literature in secondary schools. The class will emphasize planning, selecting, and evaluating instructional materials for grades six through twelve. Students will develop lessons and units to become effective teachers of literature at the secondary level. Significant field experiences will include educational interactions with students.
This course prepares English Education majors in the theory and practice of teaching writing in secondary schools. The class will emphasize planning, selecting, and evaluating instructional materials for grades six through twelve. Students will develop lessons and units to become effective teachers of writing at the secondary level. Significant field experiences will include educational interactions with students.
This course focuses on the principles of graphic design as well as theory and practice of multimodal composition to explore advanced techniques of layout/design, desktop publishing, and typesetting. By reconceiving print and digital texts as multimodal, we will read, analyze, and create products in a variety of contexts so that students may craft deliverables such as posters, flyers, cards, brochures, magazines, journals, books, and ebooks using word processing and layout/design software.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 112 or ENGL 1102H
Major works of American literature from 1588 to 1820, including captivity narratives and writings that explore the early development of America as a nation.
Major works of American literature from 1820-1860, including Emerson and Thoreau, as well as writers outside the traditional canon.
A thematic study of literature for adolescent and young adult audiences. This study will analyze a broad representation of materials, including those which focus on a variety of ethnic groups, cultural experiences, and historical periods. This course is required for all middle level teacher education students with a major concentration in language arts.
Major works of American literature from 1860 to 1914 including Twain as well as writers outside the traditional canon.
Major works of southern American literature from the Romantic period to postmodern writings, including Faulkner and writings outside the traditional canon.
American poetry, prose, drama, and nonfiction from 1900 to the present. Topics vary from semester to semester.
A survey of contemporary American Literature during the period of 1945 to the present.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 and (ENGL 2111 or ENGL 2112 or ENGL 2121 or ENGL 2122 or ENGL 2131 or ENGL 2132 or ENGL 2111H or ENGL 2112H or ENGL 2121H or ENGL 2122H or ENGL 2131H or ENGL 2132H or ENGL 2200)
Major works of literature from Old and Middle English, including Chaucer, medieval plays, and examples of other early British literary traditions.
This course focuses on the representations of gender and race in early British literature and explores how those representations can both embrace and contradict current social paradigms.
Major works of British poetry, prose, and drama from the late 15th century through the mid-16th century, including Shakespeare and Milton.
A survey of Shakespeare's dramatic works with primary emphasis on the major comedies and tragedies and some attention to the histories, problem plays, and romances. Formerly ENGL 3150
A course focusing on the major movements, issues, or themes in the study of Eighteenth Century Literature in Britain, 1660-1783.
A survey of British literature written during the period extending from 1780-1830, with emphasis on the six traditional Romantic poets and on rediscovered authors of the Romantic Period.
A survey of British literature written during the period extending from 1830 through 1900, with emphasis on traditional Victorian poets and prose writers and on rediscovered authors.
Major works of British poetry, prose, and drama from 1900 to the present.
A workshop intensive instruction in fiction writing. Students will study the fiction writing craft and technique and produce their own short fiction.
Prerequisites: ENGL 3800
A practical study of the techniques and craft of writing the creative nonfiction essay, article, or interview.
Prerequisites: ENGL 3800
Selected poetry from the latter 19th century through the present, including works written in English and in English translation from other world poetic traditions.
A survey of environmental literature and ecocriticism with significant reflective, research-based, and nature-oriented writing. Readings and assignments examine environmental issues in nonfiction, memoir, travel writing, and other major literary genres.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102H
The preparation of an extended research paper/project based on original work or on work previously completed for another English course. Original projects may be tied to an internship experience directed through the Office of Experiential Learning. Supervised by a member of the full- time faculty, the project is presented to the Department of Language & Literature in both oral and written forms during the final year of study. The thesis is required of all senior English majors.
Prerequisites: ENGL 3100
Selected topics in English language-based literary and writing study.
Selected topics in English language-based literary study.
Selected topics in English language-based literary study.
Selected topics in English language-based literary study.
Advanced study of topics in women and literature, along with applicable feminist theories.
This course focuses on drama covering a variety of time periods, issues, and cultures. Video viewings, guest speakers, and attendance at live performances may supplement lectures and class discussion. Topics may vary.
Individual study, reading, or other research project(s) under the supervision of a faculty director.
Prerequisites: ENGL 3100
This course presents a current critical, pedagogical, creative, or rhetorical issue in English studies; students complete relevant projects in their concentrations. The course will include close readings, informed research, understanding of professional resources, and advanced undergraduate mastery in writing. This course is the capstone course of the English major, a requirement for graduation for all English majors with literary studies and writing concentrations. Students with Secondary English Education concentrations fulfill this requirement through their certification program.
*Course Changes: Add ENGL 4045 Digital and Multimedia Writing
Language Arts (LART)
This course focuses on research-based strategies necessary for effective literacy instruction in language arts, mathematics, science and social science. Reading selections and strategies will reflect the subject matter content of the various disciplines, with emphasis on mathematics, science, and social studies. Required for all middle level teacher education students.
This course offers a constructivist approach to the study of the key literacy skills needed by the middle level teacher, including those needed for reading literature and informational texts, writing, speaking and listening, and language. Students will learn and use research-based approaches for teaching these literacy skills. Required for all middle level teacher education students with a language arts concentration.
Prerequisites: LART 3010 (may be taken concurrently)