College of Arts and Sciences

Department of English

William Haney II, Head

Faculty

• Khawlah Ahmed
  
• Naghmana Ali
  
• Ahmad Al-Issa
  
• Fatima Badry
  
• Maher Bahloul
  
• Judith Caesar
  
• Peter Crompton
  
• Marina Dodigovic
  
• Nawar Golley
  
• Cindy Gunn
  
• Nicholas Karavatos
  
• Betty Lanteigne
  
• Laila Noman
  
• Rana Raddawi
  
• Aisha Mohamed Sayidina
  
• Sarah Shono
  
• Rodney Tyson
  
• Mohamed Zayani

Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature (BAELL)

The mission of the Department of English is to cultivate an understanding of the English language and its literature that prepares students for academic and professional success.

The department’s programs expand students’ understanding of the complexities of various cultures and their global interactions, and prepare students for further studies in the arts, humanities or social studies. The Department of English also contributes to the university’s general education requirements by offering a range of undergraduate courses.
The goals of the Department of English are to:

• enhance students’ oral and written communication skills
  
• develop students’ ability to use English fluently and accurately
  
• increase students’ English proficiency in a variety of media, genres and contexts
  
• prepare students to think critically and to view and analyze information objectively as well as subjectively
  
• develop students’ ability to synthesize information from a variety of disciplines in order to foster independent thought and creative ideas.

The Department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with concentrations in language or literature, and minors in education, English language, English literature and women’s studies. The department also offers a Master of Arts in TESOL program. Please refer to the AUS graduate studies catalog for details.

The objectives of the BA in English with a concentration in language or literature are to:

• provide a comprehensive knowledge of the structure and use of English
  
• enable students to understand English within its historical, theoretical and cultural context, without which one cannot fully understand the literature or the society of the present English-speaking world
  
• teach students the research tools, critical processes and analytical skills necessary for functioning effectively in today’s English-based information environment

The language concentration of the BA in English aims to:

• enhance students’ proficiency in English
  
• increase awareness of the relation between language, thought and culture
  
• develop linguistic and communicative competencies of non-native speakers of English
  
• explain the history and development of  Modern English
  
• provide an understanding of the interrelationship between society and language
  
• appreciate the role of pragmatics in language use
  
• develop a critical approach to linguistic analysis
  
• realize the power of language in cross-cultural communication

The literature concentration of the BA in English aims to:

• provide an appreciation of the change of ideas from one period to another
  
• understand the exchange of ideas from one culture to another
  
• understand the richness and nuances of the English language and British, American and Anglophone literature
  
• learn the styles and elements of various genres
  
• learn the basic elements of critical and creative writing
  
• learn to use the English language as a medium for expression that transcends itself through literature
  
• explore the philosophical and critical theories that underlie both the understanding and the writing of literature

Admission to the Program

Admission to the program follows the AUS undergraduate admission requirements. Students transferring into the program must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Students seeking to major in English language and literature must select a concentration in either English language or English literature.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 120 credits, including the following, is required:

• a minimum of 42 credits of general education requirements, including ENG 203 or ENG 204, MTH 100 and STA 202
  
• a minimum of 51 credits of major requirements and major electives
  
• 12 credits of concentration requirements
  
• a minimum of 15 credits of free electives
  
• a minimum CGPA of 2.0

Major Requirements (30 credits)

• ENG 210 Introduction to Literature
  
• ENG 214 Nineteenth Century American Literature
  
• ENG 215 Contemporary World Literature
  
• ENG 223 Introduction to Language Study
  
• ENG 224 English Grammar
  
• ENG 226 Development of the English Language
  
• ENG 234 Language in Society
  
• ENG 300 Introduction to Literary Theory
  
• ENG 302 Stylistics
  
• ENG 312 English Poetry and Prose I: Beginnings to 1800

Major Electives (minimum of 21 credits)

Students must complete a minimum of 21 credits from any course in Arabic (ARA), Education (EDU), English (ENG), translation (TRA) and women’s studies (WST) at the 300 level and above.

English Language Concentration Requirements (12 credits)

• ENG 331 The Sound Patterns of Language
  
• ENG 332 The Psychology of Language
  
• ENG 385 Language and Gender or ENG 401 Advanced English Grammar
  
• ENG 405 Discourse Analysis or ENG 495 Seminar in English Language

English Literature Concentration Requirements (12 credits)

• ENG 313 English Poetry and Prose II: 1800 to Present or ENG 316 Modern Drama and Beyond
  
• ENG 410 The American Novel or ENG 421 Early English Novel or ENG 430 Modern British Novel
  
• ENG 490 Senior Research Project
  
• ENG 495 Seminar in English Literature

Minor in Education

Students enrolling in the education minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing.

The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.

Students seeking a minor in education must complete the following courses or their equivalents. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

Minor Requirements (6 credits)

• EDU 210 Philosophy of Education
• EDU 220 Introduction to Teaching

Minor Electives (minimum of 12 credits)

• EDU 307 Teaching and Learning in an Electronic Environment
• EDU 309 Classroom Discourse
• EDU 319 Teaching and Learning in a Foreign Language
• EDU 325 Methodology and Materials Development
• EDU 329 Curriculum Development
• EDU 394/494 Special Topics in Education
• PSY 302 Developmental Psychology

Minor in English Language

A minor in English language helps students understand the history and structure of English and the relationship between society and language. It also equips students with the necessary tools to compare languages across cultures in a multilingual and multicultural world.

Students enrolling in the English language minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing.

The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.

Students seeking a minor in English language must complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

This minor is not open to English language and literature students.

Minor Requirements (9 credits)

• ENG 223 Introduction to Language Study
• ENG 224 English Grammar
• ENG 226 Development of the English Language or ENG 234 Language in Society

Minor Electives (minimum of 9 credits)

• ENG 302 Stylistics
• ENG 331 The Sound Patterns of Language
• ENG 332 The Psychology of Language
• ENG 385 Language and Gender
• ENG 394/494 Special Topics in English Language
• ENG 401Advanced English Grammar
• ENG 405 Discourse Analysis
• ENG 495 Seminar in English Language

Minor in English Literature

A minor in literature increases students’ awareness of the complexity and diversity of the literary culture of the English-speaking world and the origins of the literary traditions and beliefs that continue to shape and reflect the global English-speaking community.
Students enrolling in the English literature minor should have normally completed a minimum of 30 credits of course work and be in good academic standing.

The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.

Students seeking a minor in English literature must complete the following courses or their equivalent. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

This minor is not open to English language and literature students.

Minor Requirements (6 credits)

• ENG 210 Introduction to Literature
• ENG 215 Contemporary World Literature

Minor Electives (minimum of 12 credits)

Any four courses at or above the 300 level in English literature for a minimum of 12 credits, including ENG 320/MCM 320, ENG 378/MCM 378 and ENG 393/MCM 393.

Minor in Women’s Studies

The minor in women’s studies aspires to promote an understanding of women’s achievements, contributions and experiences in their historical and social contexts. Women’s studies courses provide students with opportunities to critically analyze theoretical frameworks related to women but within multicultural and multidisciplinary contexts.

The following rules apply:

• The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits, including at least nine credits in courses at or above the 300 level.
• At least nine credits of the 18 credits required for the minor must be taken in residence at AUS.
• At least six credits of the nine credits at or above the 300 level must be taken in residence at AUS.
• Free electives can be taken toward the minor.
• A grade of at least C- in each course and a GPA of at least 2.0 must be earned in courses taken to satisfy the minor.

Students seeking a minor in women’s studies must complete the following courses or their equivalents. All course prerequisites must be satisfied.

Minor Requirements (9 credits)

• HIS 208 Women in History
• WST 240 Introduction to Women’s Studies
• WST 250 Women’s Voices Across Cultures

Minor Electives (minimum of 9 credits)

In addition to the minor requirements, students must complete three courses selected from any WST course and/or ENG 385 for a minimum of 9 credits.

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