Amst 201:
U/Topics in American Studies:

This course will be an interdisciplinary investigation of major influences on and developments in American culture. Each semester there will be a focus on one chronological period, but a variety of topics will be covered. Such topics could include gender, religion, race, social movements and conditions, and artistic and literary developments. The course will emphasize student use and study of period writings and cultural materials; there will be guest lectures by faculty outside the departments of the instructors to enhance the interdisciplinary nature of the course. Offered once yearly

Engl 170:
The Practice of Criticism

Introduction to the interpretation and analysis of literature, as well as to the abstract principles and assumptions that underlie all efforts to represent the meaning, structure, and value of texts. In classroom discussions and short essay assignments, students undertake critical readings of texts from a variety of genres (poetry, novel, drama, etc.), while examining how critical controversy emerges from the different theoretical commitments and preconceptions of readers. This course is a prerequisite for any 300-level English literature course taken for the English major or concentration.

Engl 343:
Women & Literature:

An advanced course in literature by or about women designed to foster new insights into gender roles, identity politics, sexuality, class and race, through an examination of literary and cultural representation. Readings are informed by feminist theory and literary criticism. (Maybe taken for credit twice under different subtitles.) Prerequisites: ENGL 170. Offered every fall