Outcomes for English Courses

I. 100-level historical sequence courses

1. The ability to analyze a variety of texts and situate them within their historical contexts
2. Familiarity with literary terminology (using the Bedford Glossary)
3. Beginning knowledge of research skills
4. The ability to write a coherent 5-7 pp. essay

II. 100-level genre courses

1. The ability to identify common structural features
2. Close reading skills, using literary terminology
3. The ability to write a well organized, 6-10 pp. essay or creative project that demonstrates an understanding of the genre in question.

III. 200-level seminars

1. The ability to apply a range of critical, theoretical, and interdisciplinary approaches (such as philological, historical, feminist, deconstructionist, psychoanalytic, or linguistic) to a variety of texts
2. The ability to understand a complex text in great depth
3. The ability to develop cogently argued and carefully supported original ideas about a variety of texts
4. The ability to write an effectively-documented and extended (10-15 pp.) research paper
5. The ability to deliver an effective oral presentation

IV. Capstone Seminar

1. The ability to apply a broad range of critical and theoretical approaches to a variety of texts.
2. The ability to design and complete an independent research or creative writing project of 20 pages or more
3. The ability to deliver an effective oral presentation
4. The ability to work effectively on a team project