English Education

Offered by the Department of English and Modern Languages

English Faculty:
Professors Harris, Pifer, Rashidi, Sornberger, and Ulrich (Chairperson)
Associate Professors Barton, Doerksen, Murphy, Sullivan-Blum, and Washington
Assistant Professors  Guignard and Sanner
Modern Languages faculty: Associate Professors Arango-Keeth, Blanco, Holtman, Keeth, and Oyallon

The English major provides students with a strong grounding in the field of literary studies, with an emphasis on developing excellent analytical, critical thinking, writing, and research skills. Students pursuing the English curriculum receive training in literary analysis and gain a broad understanding of literature from a diverse set of cultures and written in a variety of genres. In addition, students learn to situate works in their literary historical and cultural contexts, and to employ various critical methods when interpreting texts. English majors must also complete the study of a second language through the intermediate (2202) level.

Students who successfully complete the English major will be able to:

• Demonstrate their ability to interpret texts critically.
• Demonstrate their ability to situate literature in various contexts, including literary, cultural, and/or historical.
• Demonstrate their ability to conduct library research with effective use of print and electronic sources.
• Demonstrate their ability to understand writing as a process, to assess rhetorical contexts, and to revise written work effectively.
• Demonstrate their ability to conform to the prescriptive rules of standard written English.

Students may pursue either a B.A. (Liberal Arts) or B.S.E. (Secondary English Education) program. The programs afford students an extensive exposure to the various forms of literary expression and the methods of literary interpretation. Such a background in the analysis and interpretation of literature, coupled with strong research and writing skills, provides the B.A. major with a strong basis for further graduate study in literature, as well as for careers in writing, editing, the law, public relations, communications, politics and government, industry, and library science. Students in the B.S.E. program receive a thorough grounding in literary analysis, English grammar, the theory and practice of composition, and the historical development of the English language, and are thus provided with a strong content-area basis in preparation for teaching English at the secondary level. (See The Teacher Education Certification Section in the University Policies section of this catalog for further details regarding admission to teacher certification candidacy and Pennsylvania certification requirements.) 

The Department of English and Modern Languages also offers minor programs in African-American Studies, Creative Writing, English Literature, Women’s Studies, French, German, Spanish, and Latin American Studies. Students may with to complete a minor in order to add additiional content emphasis to their course of study. 

In planning a course of study, English majors must consult with their English faculty advisor on a regular basis. English B.A. and B.S.E. students will compile a portfolio of their written work to serve as evidence of their progress through the English curriculum. The portfolios will consist of the following essays: one from ENG 1130: Introduction to Literary Studies; two from different upper division ENG courses; a substantial revision of one of these three essays (to be completed as required in ENG 3333); the research paper from ENG 4401: Seminar in Literary Studies; and the writing lesson plan from ENG 3324: Composition Theory and Practice (BSE only). Students may also choose to include essays from their minor programs, such as Creative Writing or Women’s Studies, in addition to the required essays. Students will submit their portfolio essays electronically to the department chair. The English Curriculum Committee will periodically review the portfolios to assess the effectiveness of the English degree program.

For more information on the English program, go to http://www.mansfield.edu/~english

THESE ARE NEW COURSE SUBSTITIONS REPLACING OLD COURSES BEGINNING FALL 2009. STUDENTS MAY TAKE EITHER THE OLD OR THE NEW, BUT MUST NOT TAKE BOTH ON THE SAME ROW.

 STUDENTS GRADUATING BEFORE MAY 2013 HAVE A CHOICE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY TAKE THESE COURSES. STUDENTS ENTERING IN FALL 2009 MUST TAKE THESE COURSES