You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
You are in the official 2007-2008 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
B.A. in English
English Major Option
English Education Option
M.A. in English
Composition Theory Option
Literature Option
Nonfiction Prose Option
M.F.A. in Creative Writing
Certificate of
Advanced Study in Composition
James E. Walton, Chair
Linnea M. Alexander
Steven Adisasmito-Smith
Craig Bernthal
John Beynon
Samantha Caughlan
Cheng Lok Chua
Steven Church
Virginia Crisco
Lillian Faderman
Magdalena Gilewicz
Kathleen Godfrey
Corrinne Hales
John R. Hales
Rick Hansen
Laurel Hendrix
Chris Henson
Ruth Y. Jenkins
J. Lyn Johnson
Samina Najmi
Judith A. Rosenthal
Reuben M. Sanchez, Jr.
Tim Skeen
Michael G. Tate
Clare-Marie Wall
Bo Wang
Lisa Weston
Toni Wein
Steve Yarbrough
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 may meet General Education requirements. The department also offers
courses in mythology and folklore, methods of research, film, and women's
studies.
The Subject Matter 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.
English
Courses