Undergraduate Course Descriptions: English (EH)
from the 2001–2003 Undergraduate Catalog
091. Introduction to College English—Focuses on connections between reading and writing, especially as they relate to a writer's purpose and development of academic writing. Includes review of grammar, punctuation, and usage, with emphasis on editing skills and writing effective paragraphs and expository essays. Required for students who score below 20 on the English portion of the ACT or equivalent on English Placement Test. Prepares students for EH 101; may not be used for fulfillment of any degree requirement. 5 hours.
101. English Composition—Process and final product of expository and argumentative essays. Research and documentation required on most essays. Students must receive grade of C or higher in EH 101 and 102 to complete Core Curriculum requirement in English language. (Also see CLEP examinations and AP examinations.) Prerequisite: Satisfactory ACT or UAB English Placement score or completion of EH 091 with a C or better if indicated. 3 hours.
102. English Composition—Process and final product of argumentative essays. Research and documentation required on most essays. Students must receive grade of C or higher in EH 101 and EH 102 to complete Core Curriculum requirement in English language. (Also see CLEP examinations and AP examinations.) Prerequisite: EH 101 or equivalent. 3 hours.
203. Writing in Birmingham—Improvement of skills for public writing, using Birmingham as geographical, historical, and institutional context. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
205. Introduction to Creative Writing—An introduction to the writing of fiction, poetry, and the creative essay. Emphasis on fundamentals of writing creatively, with students producing original work in each of the the three genres. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
210. Semiotics of Film—Introduction to critical analysis of the language of film, surveying concerns in contemporary film theory, including narrative, authorship, genre, the cinematic apparatus, race, gender, and spectatorship. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
214. Introduction to Literature: Special Topics—See class schedule for topic. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
215. Introduction to Literature: Detective Fiction—Poe and Holmes to present, including novels and short stories by Christie, Hammett, Chandler, and others. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
216. Introduction to Literature—Fiction, poems, and plays from variety of historical periods and cultures. Emphasis on techniques of each genre. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
217-218. World Literature—EH 217: World literature before 1660. EH 218: World literature since 1660. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours each.
220. Young Adult Literature—Young adult books of demonstrated literary and social value, with emphasis on adolescent psychology, the history of the young adult as reader, and the formation of literary canons. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
221-222. British and Irish Literature—EH 221: Anglo-Saxon literature to end of eighteenth century. EH 222: End of eighteenth century into twentieth century. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours each.
223-224. American Literature—EH 223: 1620 to 1865. EH 224: 1865 to present. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours each.
241. Literature of the Supernatural—Critical examination and historical survey of fairy tale, ghost story, wonder tale, and gothic narrative. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
242. Greek and Roman Mythology—Introduction to classical myths; emphasis on influence of mythology in Western literature. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
250. Introduction to Linguistics—(Also LING 250.) Areas of linguistics and fundamentals of linguistic science; world language families. 3 hours.
251. Structure of English—(Also LING 251.) Description and analysis of present-day English grammar. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
252. The Structure of English Words—(Also LING 252.) English vocabulary elements and word formation, including topics in history of English and sound patterns as these topics relate to word formation. 3 hours.
292. Special Topics in Linguistics—(Also LING 292.) See class schedule for topic. 3 hours.
Advanced Undergraduate
Prerequisites: Nine semester hours in EH, including 101 and 102.
300. Engineering Communication—Introduces engineering students to the theory and practice of communicating effectively in various organizational contexts. Subjects covered include managing and producing professional reports, proposals, and feasibility studies; communicating ethically in the workplace; and presenting ideas to multiple audiences in written and oral formats. Required for most undergraduate engineering majors. Prerequisites: EH 101, EH 102, EGR 100 or permission of instructor. 2 hours.
301. Reading, Writing, and Research for Literature—Designed to improve skills for critical writing about literary texts. Required for English majors; recommended prior to taking 400-level courses. 3 hours.
303. Advanced Composition—Improvement of skills for academic and public writing, focusing on analysis and critique. Prerequisite: EH 102 or equivalent. 3 hours.
304. Editing in Professional Contexts—Theory and practice of editorial/rhetorical concerns throughout writing process. 3 hours.
305-306. Beginning Poetry Writing Workshop—Fundamentals for beginners; emphasis on techniques and style through readings and student's own writing. 3 hours each.
307-308. Beginning Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop—Fundamentals for beginners; emphasis on techniques and style through readings and student's own writing. 3 hours each.
309-310. Beginning Fiction Writing Workshop—Fundamentals for beginners; emphasis on techniques and style through readings and student's own writing. 3 hours each.
311. English Internship—On-campus and off-campus training positions in fields utilizing language and writing skills, with some positions offering external funding. Students should contact the Undergraduate Director for listings of available positions and application procedures. May be counted as elective only. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing as English major and approval of application. May be repeated once for credit. 3 hours.
318. Science Fiction—Modern science fiction, including novels and short stories by Asimov, Heinlein, LeGuin, and others. 3 hours.
329. Literature of the Vikings—Old Norse mythology, poetry, and sagas in translation. Background for Beowulf. 3 hours.
339. 20th Century Theatre—(Also THR 353.) Study of major works in 20th century drama. 3 hours.
344. Native American Literature—Introduction to oral and written storytelling arts by North American Native peoples. 3 hours.
355. Introduction to Sociolinguistics—(Also LING 355.) Social factors that play role in language usage and learning; emphasis on American English. 3 hours.
356. Semantics—(Also LING 356.) Meaning in language with reference to questions of synonymy, ambiguity, and language use. 3 hours.
360. Phonology—(Also LING 360.) Sound patterning of languages. 3 hours.
365. African American Literature, 1746–1954—Cultural values from colonial writer Lucy Terry, through slavery and emancipation, to Ralph Ellison and writers of early 1950s. 3 hours.
366. African American Literature, 1954–Present—Cultural values from James Baldwin in 1950s, through black nationalist, civil rights, and black feminist movements, to contemporary writers such as Ishmael Reed, Charles Johnson, and Toni Morrison. 3 hours.
367. Southern Literature—Literature of American South: Faulkner, Jefferson, Douglass, Chopin, O'Connor, and others. 3 hours.
368. American Drama in the Twentieth Century—(Also THR 368.) Major developments and themes emphasizing O'Neill, Odets, Williams, Miller, Albee, and Shepard. 3 hours.
369. The American Dream—Literature expressing values and ideals of American people from Hawthorne and Thoreau to Richard Wright and Adrienne Rich. 3 hours.
376. Shakespeare—Five or six plays including one history, one comedy, three major tragedies. Intensive study of two or more tragedies. 3 hours.
389. Bible as Literature—Literary themes and styles of Old and New Testaments. 3 hours.
392. Special Topics in Literature—See class schedules for topic. 3 hours.
393. Special Topics in Linguistics—(Also LING 393.) See class schedule for topic. 3 hours.
Advanced Undergraduate
Prerequisites (unless otherwise specified): Nine semester hours in EH, including 101, 102, and three semester hours in EH at the 200 level, or permission of instructor. In addition, majors are required and all students are advised to take EH 301 prior to or concurrently with all 400 level literature courses.
401. Tutoring Writing—Improvement of writing skills through understanding theories of tutoring. Preparation of future teachers for tutor training and writing center development. 3 hours.
402. Writing in Popular Periodicals—Current theory regarding production, distribution, and consumption of popular periodicals. Practice contributing to these sources. 3 hours.
403. Business Writing—Advanced writing concentrating on letters, resumes, and professional reports. 3 hours.
404. Technical Writing—Advanced writing concentrating on short informal and long formal reports. 3 hours.
405-406. Poetry Writing Workshop—Advanced work in poetry through student's own writing. Prerequisites: EH 305 or 306 or permission of instructor. 3 hours each.
407-408. Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop—Advanced work in creative nonfiction through student's own writing. Prerequisites: EH 307 or 308 or permission of instructor. 3 hours each.
409-410. Fiction Writing Workshop—Advanced work in prose fiction through student's own writing. Prerequisites: EH 309 or 310 or permission of instructor. 3 hours each.
411. Novel—Techniques of prose fiction: selections from British, American, European, and Russian literature. 3 hours.
412. Poetry: Lyric and Shorter Forms—Songs, sonnets, elegies, odes, and dramatic monologues. 3 hours.
413. Drama—Techniques and problems of drama, classical through contemporary. 3 hours.
414. Modern British and European Drama—Techniques and problems of modern European drama: Ibsen, Shaw, Chekhov, Synge, Pirandello, Brecht, Beckett, and others. 3 hours.
415. Form of Fiction: The Short Story—American, Russian, and European short stories emphasizing aesthetics of form. 3 hours.
416. Modern American Poetry—Selections from Frost, Stein, Stevens, Pound, Eliot, Williams, Doolittle, Jeffers, Moore, McKay, Loy, Toomer, Crane, Hughes, and others. 3 hours.
417-418. Creative Writing Workshop: Special Projects—Advanced work in genres other than poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction or a special workshop taught by a visiting writer. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. 3 hours each.
419. Young Adult Literature—Close reading of young adult literature; its form and history, its assumptions about adolescent psychology, and its literary relationship to the traditional canon. 3 hours.
420-421. World Literature—(Also LT 420-421.) EH 420: Selections in translation from Greek, Roman, and Hebrew classics, other literature, and from oral tradition. EH 421: Selections in translation from European, African, and South American writers. 3 hours each.
422. African Literature—Selected novels, short stories, autobiographies, folk tales, drama, essays, films, songs from pre-colonial Africa to the present, including works by Emecheta, wa Thiong'o, Head, Achebe, Ba, Armah, Laye, Salih, Soyinka, and Abrahams. 3 hours.
423. African Women's Literature—Writing in all genres by African women from pre-colonial Africa to the present. 3 hours.
425. French or Francophone Literature in English Translation—(Also LT 425.) Topic to be announced. 3 hours.
426. German Literature in English Translation—(Also LT 426.) Topic to be announced. 3 hours.
427. Spanish and/or Spanish-American Literature in English Translation—(Also LT 427.) Topic to be announced. 3 hours.
430. Brazilian and/or Portuguese Literature in English Translation—(Also LT 430.) Topic to be announced. 3 hours.
431. Special Topics in Film—In-depth study of a specialized topic in film. The course may focus on a particular national cinema (American, Italian, Japanese, etc.): one or more directors (Welles, Hitchock, Kubrick, etc.): a development in film history or genre (the studio system, the French New Wave, the musical, etc.): or issues in visual representation (film theory; adaptation; sexuality in film, etc. Preq: EH 210 or permission of instructor. 3 hours.
435. Teaching Creative Writing—Examines current theory and practice in teaching creative writing, particularly in secondary schools and introductory college-level classes. Preq: EH 101, 102, and at least three hours of literature at the 200 level or above. 3 hours.
441. Literary Theory and Criticism, the Ancients to the Nineteenth Century—Introduction to theories of art and literary production in the contexts of aesthetics and culture from Plato to the end of the nineteenth century. 3 hours.
442. Literary Theory and Criticism, the Twentieth Century to the Present—Introduction to theories of art and literary production in the contexts of aesthetics and culture from Russian formalism to the present. 3 hours.
443. Archetype and Myth—Recurring images, underlying patterns, and shapes-of-meaning in poetry, fiction, and fairy tales. 3 hours.
444. Women's Literature and Theory—Literary works and theoretical perspectives of Angelou, Chopin, Hong, Kingston, Hurston, Walker, Woolf, Plath, and others. 3 hours.
445. Special Topics in African American Literature—Investigates writings of colonial and contemporary African American writers on specific topic. 3 hours.
446. African American Autobiography—Personal narratives by African Americans, including texts by Wheatley, Douglass, Jacobs, Wilson, DuBois, Johnson, Hurston, Hughes, Wright, Baldwin, Angelou, and Moody. 3 hours.
447. African American Dramatic Tradition—Development of African American dramatic tradition from the nineteenth century through the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts movement to contemporary postmodernism, including Brown, Hurston, Baraka, and Wilson. 3 hours.
448. African American Poetry Tradition—Development of African American poetry from its early works to the present, including Wheatley, Dunbar, Hughes, Brooks, and Angelou. 3 hours.
450. Advanced Grammar—(Also LING 450.) Present-day English grammar. Prerequisite: EH/LING 250 or EH/LING 251 or written permission of instructor. 3 hours.
451. Generative Grammar—(Also LING 451.) Advanced analysis of English grammar with emphasis on Chomskyan generative grammar. Prerequisite: EH/LING 250 or EH/LING 251 or written permission of instructor. 3 hours.
452. Grammar and Usage for English Teachers—(Also LING 452.) Intensive review of structure of English; usage, punctuation, and style as these relate to grammar. Prerequisite: EH/LING 250 or EH/LING 251 or written permission of instructor. 3 hours.
453. Advanced History of the English Language—(Also LING 453.) Advanced topics. Prerequisite: EH/LING 250 suggested or written permission of instructor. 3 hours.
454. The Biology of Language—(Also LING 454.) Vocal tract and neuroanatomical specializations for language, language acquisition, genetic language disorders, language and other primates, and evolution of language. 3 hours.
457. Writing and Medicine—Public discourse focusing on health, illness, and medical practice. Production of texts as health consumers and health practitioners. 3 hours.
458. Communication Criticism—(Also CM 458.) Rhetorical systems for appraising persuasive messages and campaigns in twentieth century. Prerequisite: Junior standing. 3 hours.
459. Discourse Analysis—Public discourse, with emphasis on social politics of linguistic choices. 3 hours.
460. American Women Writers before 1900—Survey of American women's writing before 1900. 3 hours.
461. American Literature, 1620–1820—Representative American writing from colonial period to Washington Irving. 3 hours.
462. American Literature, 1820–1870—Representative writers such as Alcott, Cooper, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, Emerson, Fuller, Fern, Harper, Thoreau, Jacobs, Whitman, Stowe, and Dickinson. 3 hours.
463. American Literature, 1870–1914—Realism and naturalism: Twain, James, Howells, Crane, Jewett, Wharton, Dreiser, Norris, and Chopin, among others. 3 hours.
464. American Literature, 1914–1945—Selected fiction, poetry, and drama of major American writers: Cather, Eliot, Faulkner, Hemingway, Hurston, O'Neill, and Wright, among others. 3 hours.
465. American Literature, 1945–Present—Selected fiction, poetry, and drama in context of post-war cultural trends and literary movements. 3 hours.
466. The Slave Narrative and Its Literary Expressions—Genre of slave narrative, its critical theories, and its nineteenth- and twentieth-century literary expressions. Includes Equiano, Jacobs, Wilson, Douglass, DuBois, Wright, Angelou, and Morrison. 3 hours.
467. Black Women Writers—Evolution of Afrocentric feminist consciousness through early and contemporary writings. 3 hours.
468. The Harlem Renaissance—Black writers during Harlem Renaissance movement. Includes Johnson, Toomer, Murray, Larsen, McKay, Thurman, Reed, and Morrison. 3 hours.
469. Medieval Culture: Literature and Society—Exploration through art, literature, and history of dominant themes of Middle Ages, from Germans to Dante and Chaucer. 3 hours.
470. Arthurian Legend—King Arthur and his knights in literature from sixth-century history and formulation of legend in Middle Ages to its use in twentieth century. 3 hours.
471. Beowulf in Context—An interdisciplinary course in Anglo-Saxon art and culture bearing upon Beowulf; close study of the Norse analogues of the Old English epic. 3 hours.
473. Chaucer: Pilgrimage to Canterbury—Selections from Canterbury Tales and Chaucer's fourteenth-century milieu. 3 hours.
474. English Renaissance Drama (Excluding Shakespeare)—Plays by Marlowe, Kyd, Jonson, Tourneur, Webster, Middleton, and Ford. 3 hours.
475. English Renaissance Poetry and Prose—Topics vary. Broad survey of period or close analysis of genre, theme, or author. 3 hours.
476. Shakespeare—King Lear, Othello, and three other plays. Required for English majors. 3 hours.
478. Milton—Selected prose and poetry, including Paradise Lost. 3 hours.
480. The Restoration—Dryden, Butler, Rochester, Marvell, Bunyan, Congreve, Wycherley, and Etherege. 3 hours.
481. The Eighteenth Century: Literature and Culture—Interdisciplinary exploration of texts that focuses on social, economic, and political backgrounds. Topics and authors vary. 3 hours.
482. The Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation—Formal and philosophical implications of selected texts. Authors and topics vary. 3 hours.
483. British Romanticism—Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, Hazlitt, Lamb, and DeQuincy. 3 hours.
485. British Victorian Poetry—Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, and others. 3 hours.
486. Eighteenth-Century British Novel—Fielding, Defoe, Sterne, Smollet, and Richardson. 3 hours.
487. Nineteenth-Century British Novel—Austen, Dickens, Thackeray, Bronte, Trollope, and Eliot. 3 hours.
488. British Novel: The Modern Age—Conrad, Lawrence, Joyce, Woolf, Ford, and others. 3 hours.
489. James Joyce—Joyce's fiction through Ulysses. 3 hours.
491. Major Writers—Varies in content depending upon course and instructor. 3 hours.
492. Special Topics—See class schedule for topic. May be repeated for total of 9 hours. 3 hours.
493. Special Topics in Linguistics—See class schedule for topic. 3 hours.
497. Individual Studies—Consult Undergraduate Director for procedure to apply for this course. 1–3 hours.
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