You are in the official 1998-99 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
You are in the official 1998-99 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
M.A. in English
Composition Theory Option, Literature Option, Nonfiction
Prose Option
M.F.A. in Creative Writing
Andrew M. Simmons, Chair
Richard T. Hansen, Credential Coordinator
Linnea M. Alexander, Craig Bernthal, Cheng Lok Chua, William H. Cowling,
Lillian Faderman, Magdalena Gilewicz, Corrinne Hales, John R. Hales, Charles
G. Hanzlicek, F. Andrew Hart, Laurel Hendrix, Christi Henson, Ruth Y. Jenkins,
J. Lyn Johnson, Martin T. Paul, Jean E. Pickering, Judith A. Rosenthal,
Reuben M. Sanchez Jr., Scott Stevens, Michael G. Tate, Clare-Marie Wall,
James Walton, Lisa Weston, Liza Wieland, Steve Yarbrough, Eugene E. Zumwalt
English is a general major or minor designed to give proficiency in skills
that traditionally have been among the most highly prized by society: an
ability to read with comprehension and critical judgment; to communicate
accurately and clearly both orally and in writing; to grasp difficult ideas
and think logically; to do research and organize materials; to make ethical
and moral judgments from an historical and humanistic framework; and to
appreciate literature and the arts.
The core of the English major consists of four basic kinds of courses in
the upper division: literary history courses, literary genre courses, literary
seminars, and writing courses. The masterpiece courses apply to the minor
and meet General Education BREADTH, Division 6 requirements. The department
also offers courses in mythology and folklore, methods of research, film,
and women's studies.
The Single Subject Waiver Program for teaching credential candidates contains
a number of specific prerequisites and special required courses, some of
which are outside the Department of English. For specific program requirements,
consult with the credential coordinator each semester.
The English Department consists of 30 full-time faculty whose teaching fields cover every area of literary studies and the humanities, including film and folklore. Most of the faculty have published books, textbooks, and articles in their disciplines, five have received outstanding teaching awards at the university, and one has received an outstanding teaching award for the entire CSU system. In addition, the faculty includes a number of lecturers, part-time instructors and teaching assistants, and the department operates an English writing lab staffed by tutors trained to work with students on an individual basis.
English has a broad application to a variety of vocations: teaching,
law, journalism, editing and publishing, business management, data processing,
public office, professional careers in writing, and many others. English
majors and minors are being looked upon today with special favor by employers
in professional and industrial fields because of their skills in writing
and thinking, their ability to communicate clearly to others, and their
general knowledge of people and experiences gained from the study of literature.
The English Department maintains an Internship Program whereby our majors
and minors, while working toward a degree, are placed in vocational positions
requiring English skills. Job opportunities through this program have included
positions with such organizations as the American Cancer Society and Older
Americans Organization, businesses such as computer software firms and publishers
of national trade newsletters, and such various employers as local congressmen,
assemblymen, charitable organizations, and arts centers.
