2026-2027 Course Catalog – Humanities: English
Humanities: English
CL College Level
DC Dual Credit
Required Courses
Every student who enters as a sophomore or junior must take American Literature the fall semester and World Literature the spring semester.
ENG05144
Introduction to Literary Studies (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall and Spring
This course invites students to explore genres of literature as dynamic, surprising, and worthy of serious consideration. Students will read poetry, drama, novels, short stories, biographies, journals, diaries, essays, and other forms to discover how literary meaning is created through language, form, genre, and historical and cultural context. Students analyze how each genre shapes literary understanding or experiences differently, how different genres enable or constrain the expression of ideas, how certain genres have had a stronger impact on the culture than others in different historical times periods, and what the most influential genres are in contemporary times. Thus, class discussions will focus on noticing what stands out in a text, asking compelling questions, and testing different interpretations rather than searching for a single “right” answer. Students will practice close reading, creative and analytical writing, and collaborative discussion while exploring how literature reflects, challenges, and reshapes culture. The course is designed to be an engaging introduction to literary study that builds confidence, curiosity, and the skills needed for more advanced English courses.
Electives
ENG103
Composition and Rhetoric (DC)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
This course introduces and develops an understanding of principles of rhetoric, basic research methods, and the elements, strategies, and conventions of persuasion used in constructing written and multi-modal texts.
* Ball State University offers 3 college credit hours in ENG 103 to students who complete this course. Refer to the Dual Credit section for details on enrollment and fees.
ENG104
Composing Research (DC)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Spring
This course applies the fundamentals of rhetoric to the research process: methods of research; the rhetorical nature of research; elements, strategies, and conventions common to research writing, including multimodal presentations of new knowledge.
* Ball State University offers 3 college credit hours in ENG 208 to students who complete this course. Refer to the Dual Credit section for details on enrollment and fees.
ENG05104
The Irish Literary Revival (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Spring
This course focuses on the ways that the Irish Literary Revival at the turn of the twentieth century refashioned and adapted earlier myths, literary forms, characters, and themes of Irish literature and the Irish nation. We will examine how Irish writers selected elements of their country’s past literary traditions and then revised, rewrote, or re-presented those elements as a part of a literary, nation-making project, which unfolded as Ireland itself fought for and achieved independence from the British Empire. We will pay close attention to the ways in which older themes or characters which did not align with Ireland’s twentieth-century, nationalist vision of itself may have been excluded or written out of the mainstream literary tradition. We’ll move between novels, drama, poetry, and prose to practice the methods required for writing literary analysis of these forms. No experience with the Irish language is necessary, yet we will consider Irish-language texts in translation and the impact that has on storytelling and meanings.
ENG05108
Detective Fiction (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
Detective Fiction introduces students to the particularities of the mystery genre and immerses them in discourses regarding the intersection of mainstream literature with popular culture. Arguably developed first in the nineteenth century, the notion of an arch investigator continues to appear in many contemporary forms but almost always as someone whose investigation operates beyond and outside of police forces. From the cerebral deductions of Sherlock Holmes and his good-natured competition with Scotland Yard, to Phillip Marlowe’s calling out of police corruption, the detective figure and the crimes they solve offer us a way to explore ethical dilemmas and plumb the psychological depths of human behavior. Simultaneously, these stories offer a much needed reminder that many of our society’s most cherished philosophical ideals, such as “truth,” “duty,” and “justice,” can be achieved only through questioning and holding in check those in power. Assignments will involve students thinking critically to interpret texts, group discussions, occasional quizzes to ensure comprehension of subject matter, and a final research project of a creative and/or analytical nature that involves both a written and presentational aspect.
ENG05114
Literature of the World Wars (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
In our increasingly global world, there is a great need to have an understanding of how prior global conflicts have shaped our cultural history. Literature of The World Wars offers such an examination by exploring works of prose and poetry, many written by former soldiers, that attempt to grapple with how to represent the chaos and tragedy of wars waged on a world-wide scale. Students will analyze the topics and methodologies of writers of varied nationalities, all of whom offer different experiences and perspectives on their involvement with the World Wars, from British and U.S. servicemen to everyday citizens who survived atrocities like the Holocaust. With this study, as well as with an application of literary theories and critical voices normal to English courses, students will have the opportunity to expand their critical thinking skills and confront some of the most impactful moments of recent history.
ENG05117
Critical Approaches to Literature (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Spring
This course on literary criticism provides a survey of advanced theoretical frameworks used to analyze texts. Beginning with the question of ‘what is literature?’, this discussion-driven course explores a variety of modern methods for making meaning. With a thematic emphasis on the literary construction of otherness, students will be introduced to a wide range of critical approaches by applying them to exciting and challenging works, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Bluest Eye, and Annihilation. Additionally, students will engage with scholarly articles, develop academic research skills, and construct a literature review to prepare for their own analytical essays.
ENG05138
Studies in the Novel (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
In this course, students will learn about the development of the novel, while sharpening their critical thinking, analytical writing, and close-reading skills. We will examine the way writers from a variety of backgrounds and literary periods transform the novel by exploring new subject matter and form and subverting or building on existing literary traditions. Oral participation, daily reading responses, and literary analysis papers will challenge students to read closely, identify important themes and concepts, assert thesis claims, and prove their arguments through detailed analysis of textual evidence.
ENG05146
Making Meaning: The Art of Visual Semiotics (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
This course introduces students to the critical and creative field of visual semiotics—the study of how art and design express and communicate meaning through the use of signs—drawing on theories and practices from art history, communication, aesthetics, linguistics, and studio art. Taking on the identity of both critic and creator, students will develop skills in the semiotic interpretation of visual art and communication, articulate how semiotic theories inform creative practices, and produce a portfolio of their own art and design that demonstrates a semiotically-informed ability to communicate through, and instill meaning in, visual forms. No previous art experience is necessary—simply curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
ENG05147
Ecohorror and Environmental Literature (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Spring
Ecohorror and Environmental Literature is a course that invites students to explore the fascinating overlap between science and culture by taking an interdisciplinary approach to storytelling. In a world beset by increased natural disasters – storms, droughts, wildfires, floods – discussions and debates about the causes and consequences of environmental issues frequently form the basis for adventure and horror. More than just scary stories, such tales reflect how monsters and madness often indicate deep-seeded human anxieties and emotions about important environmental issues. Toxic terrors of pollution, mythic mushrooms, evolutionary evils; there seems to be no limits to the interplay between nature and the human imagination. Looking at these thrills and chills of fictional stories, alongside the non-fiction of science and nature writing, students will discover how human behavior has influenced, and been influenced by, the intricacies of place and nature. In this way, students will address how society can use written communication to prevent humans from being the next endangered species. Coursework will include both discussion and writing, involving a variety of short reflections and creative exercises as well as longer analytical essays.
ENG05148
Panel Breakdowns: Reading Contemporary Comics (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Spring
Students gain an appreciation of the specific history, form, and culture of modern long-form comics through in-depth engagement with representative and canonical works, developing skills and strategies for reading and analyzing visual-verbal texts through both formal and cultural lenses. In the 21st century, comics are a critically respected form, participating as a vital part of the contemporary artistic and cultural landscape. Highlighting contemporary trends and genres, this class offers an engaging survey of the culturally nuanced and formally complex nature of contemporary long-form comics.
ENG05113S1/05113S2
Creative Writing (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall (ENG05113S1) or Spring (ENG05113S2)
Students in this one semester class write poetry, short stories, plays, and creative non-fiction with opportunities for oral participation. The concept of manipulation of language to convey ideas, feelings, moods, and visual images is the basis of the course. The students become familiar with the standard literary elements through the reading and study of published prose and poetry and are taught to use those elements in their own writing. They learn strategies for evaluating their own writing and the writing of others. Students who are interested in an audience for their creative work and suggestions for improvement and development of their literary styles are encouraged to sign up for this course.
ENG01012/01012S2
Advanced English as a Second Language (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall/Spring Sequence
This course is designed for international students who want to understand academic writing in an American context It provides foundational academic writing skills essential for writing paragraphs and essays It develops processes for critical reading, writing, and responding to a variety of texts in order to compose various academic essays It promotes an awareness of the interplay among purpose, audience, content, structure, and style while introducing documentation methods Students are expected to demonstrate rhetorical skills, use academic language such as academic vocabulary, collocations, and phrases, and demonstrate effective use of structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling They are also expected to understand American academic conventions including the issue of plagiarism in academic writing.
ENG05140
Global Cinema (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
Global Cinema provides students with the opportunity to explore the art of film in a global context. Students will analyze the preoccupations and methodologies of filmmakers and their films from nations like France, Germany, Taiwan, Sweden, India, the Czech Republic, and Mexico. Studying the moving image is akin to studying poetry, and students will be asked to challenge and expand their visual literacy and critical thinking skills. We will study materials in film and art theory, philosophy, and cultural studies, and write thesis-based analytical papers in which we apply theory to film analysis and confront the fictions and non-fictions of worlds beyond our own. In doing so, we will have the chance to see and to understand ourselves better. The course may have guest lecturers from other departments, like language and history, and, when possible, we will screen films in a BSU screening room.
ENG05141S1
Speculative Fiction (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: 1 credit
Offered: Fall
Speculative Fiction will engage with prevailing questions of society, identity, history and technology through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, horror and other genres. It will explore how literature uses provocative premises to engage in thought experiments and social critique. It will focus on key topics which will be addressed through a sequence of works, emphasizing comparative analysis and a variety of perspectives. Throughout the class we will engage in discussion and debate about the daily readings and their subject matter, produce analytical work about the material, and develop our own speculative topics which reflect the experiences and concerns which are most relevant to us.
Electives: English Quarter Courses
ENG05118
The Short Story (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: .5 credit
Offered: Quarter 3
The short story is sometimes an under-appreciated art form. Within the space of a few pages, an author must weave a story that is compelling, create characters readers care about and drive the story to its ultimate conclusion. This short story quarter course will include many of the best short story writers of all time, authors who have mastered the art of the short story, turning condensed pieces into memorable works of literature. Students will read, analyze, and discuss short stories written in English or famous works that have been translated into English including major authors such as Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, Cather, Ellison, Hughes, Hemingway, Faulkner, Anderson, O’Conner, Salinger, Vonnegut, Munro, Mansfield, Erdrich, Alexie, Conrad, Joyce, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Borges, Garcia, Kafka, and many more.
ENG05143
Game Studies & Design (CL)
Prerequisite: None
Credit: .5 credit
Offered: Quarter 4
As old as history and as new as the latest release, games have played an outsized role in human culture. The advent of digital games has led to an explosion of artistic experimentation and a competitive industry. This course will introduce students to the academic field of game studies, providing an opportunity to think deeply about games and how they function in contemporary culture. It will also encourage students to become active participants in that culture. Students may pursue one of two tracks: a critical track and a design track, with critical students performing scholarly analysis, and design students working to develop a prototype game.