The English Department Handbook
Coe College Department of English
Why do people study English?
[ Topics ]People usually choose majors according to what they find most interesting. English majors and minors enjoy reading, writing, and talking about literature. They tend to share a belief that these are valuable as well as pleasurable activities.
By studying literature, we gain a vision of humanity that crosses boundaries of time and place.
By writing about our reading, we trace and refine our responses to valued works of literature, and we enter into conversation with those works and with each other. We join the tradition of human beings trying to understand themselves and explain themselves to each other by means of verbal pictures of human thought and action.
By talking with each other about our reading and writing, we form ties with each other, entering into the process of creating communities here and now that are in contact with the great communities found in the past and beyond the borders of our everyday lives.
If this description of English appeals to you, then perhaps you really want to major or minor in English.
If you want to examine your values and interests more fully, you might visit the Career Services Office, where the staff will be pleased to help you with skill and interest inventories.
Also of interest at Career Services is Career Choices for Students of English, which describes careers in Advertising, Banking, Publishing, Retailing, Education, Law and Paralegal work, and Technical Writing, and which includes interviews with people working in these fields.
What do English majors do with their lives? Do they have incomes?
[ Topics ]English professors often hear this speech, "I am sure I want to study English, but when I told my parents, they said that all I can do with that is teach, so I will never make any money. They want me to major in _______.
It is true that some English Majors become teachers and that teachers do not usually draw large salaries, though people who are good at and enjoy teaching seem to think that what they gain from doing valuable work well may be worthwhile despite the moderate income. However, it is not true that English majors only teach. Here are some English graduates from the last 30 years who are not teaching English or language arts.
Virginia Gute '65: Director of Marketing and Promotion at Book Partners Inc.
Louise Miller '65: Vice President of Zuckerman, Fernandes & Partners.
Nolan Zavoral '65: Religion Writer for Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Christine Billinger '65: Assistant Director of Admissions, Wingate College.
Dennis Hummel '66: Brigadier General, United States Air Force.
Anne McCabe '66: Assistant Presbyterian pastor.
Theodore Miller '66: Editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance.
Mary Eley '67: Freelance Editor.
Gregg Kakesako '67: Assistant City Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Honee Hess '75: Director of Education, Worcester Art Museum.
Pamela Kress '75: Public Services Librarian at Loras College.
Eliza Ovrom '75: Assistant District Attorney in Polk County, IA.
Kay Fuglei '77: Actor, McCarter Theater.
Huguet Krisdaporn '77: Information Assistant for UN Commission of Refugees.
Diane Sloane '85: Employee Communication Specialist at Jerome Foods, Inc.
Carol Benson '87: Owner & President of Elan Models.
Rebekah Walsh '87: Branch Manager for Manpower.
Mary Wolf '87: Program Analyst for the Department of Defense.
Scott Rettberg '92: Prize-winning co-designer of WWW.ABOUT.COM.
Dustin Floyd '03: Marketing executive, co-author of Digital Deadwood web site
and An Insider's Guide to South Dakota's Black Hills and Badlands.This sampling of our alums indicates the wide range of jobs English majors take up successfully, and this is just a small sampling. Coe English alums also have worked as: advertising writers, an American Express Vice President, day care professionals, a federal drug enforcement officer, doctors, homemakers, farmers, a fund-raiser for public television, politicians, and salespeople. Were we to look at lists of executives, astronauts, politicians, artists, entertainers, and social leaders, we would find among them also a fair proportion of English majors. Some of them, of course, had second majors, but most have learned their jobs since graduating, and their English skills have helped them to learn effectively and to advance in their fields.
The main thing a list like this proves is that English, like most liberal arts majors, prepares you to be skillful in a variety of work settings. As you might guess, then, English is an excellent major for people with talent for working closely with others at tasks in which verbal communication is important.
So, of course English majors find satisfying work and earn incomes. Some become famous and wealthy. We assume that success comes from a combination of imagination, hard work, and mastery of the kinds of personal and communication skills that a well-planned English program can help you develop.
English is clearly not preparation for a specific job. Such training usually takes place in graduate programs or on the job itself. The English Department wants to prepare you well for the graduate program of your choice or to learn quickly whatever jobs you choose.
But the Department also has a larger goal. We want all of our students to be stronger human beings as a result of their work in English. We want them to know themselves better, to be more confident and skillful users of their language, to understand more about the worlds that literature shows us and to feel at home in them, and to be more skillful at forming relationships with the people they know as well as those they can only read about. If you learn well with us, you'll not only be a better worker, but also, we hope, a better citizen. And, you'll have resources for a productive and happy life.
How is the English Department organized? What goes on there?
[ Topics ]This Blackboard web site allows English students to communicate by e-mail with each other and with the English staff. It provides links to this handbook and other useful sites. To use the English Center, you must be enrolled. Students who register for courses in English usually are enrolled automatically. If you wish to be enrolled contact Terry Heller.
[ Link to English Center ]Academic Programs
The Department of English at Coe College offers a major and a minor in English and a major in Poetry and Fiction Writing. We cooperate with the Rhetoric Department to offer a minor in writing and a general major in
Writing.. Other areas that are closely related to English and share courses with the Department are: Speech, Writing (Rhetoric), Afro-American Studies, Asian Studies, American Studies, Classical Studies, and Gender Studies.The English Major consists of 10 courses:
1. One of the following: African Literature; African American Literature; Asian Literature; Irish Literature; Literature in Translation; Middle Eastern Literature; Russian Literature; Literary Studies in Gender
2. ENG-315 History of English Literature
3-5. Three English courses numbered 335 or above.
6. ENG-615 Literary Analysis This is the prerequisite for Seminars and Senior Thesis in English.
7-8. Two additional English courses, one of which may be in creative writing (CRW-___).
9-10. Two seminars.Also, to complete a major in English, one must write two "Reflection & Evaluation" projects. These are normally parts of Literary Analysis and Seminar in Literature. See Links and Forms at the top of this page.
The English Minor consists of 6 courses:
1. One of the following: African Literature; African American Literature; Asian Literature; Irish Literature; Literature in Translation; Middle Eastern Literature; Russian Literature; Literary Studies in Gender
2. ENG-315 History of English Literature
3-4. Two English courses, one of which must be numbered 335 or above and one of which may be in Creative Writing (CRW-___)
5. ENG-615 Literary Analysis This is the prerequisite for Seminars and Senior Thesis in English.
6. A seminar in English.Also, to complete the minor, one must write one "Reflection & Evaluation" project, when one takes Literary Analysis. See Links and Forms at the top of this page.
Creative Writing - Collateral Major -- Must be a second major.
Note: Students who major in both English and Creative Writing must take at least 15 courses in the two areas; no more than four courses may be double-counted for English and Creative Writing. Students choosing a Creative Writing major or minor may not add either the collateral major or the minor in Writing offered by the Rhetoric Department.1. Fulfill requirements for another (not collateral) major.
2. Two courses in literature (ENG-___)
3. CRW-105 Topics in Creative Writing
4. Two of the following:
CRW-280 Poetry Workshop
CRW-290 Fiction Workshop
CRW-200 Beginning Playwriting
5. One of the following:
CRW-285 Advanced Poetry Workshop
CRW-295 Advanced Fiction Workshop
CRW-300 Advanced Playwriting
6. One of the following:
RHE-215 Introduction to Journalism
RHE-225 Journalism Workshop
RHE-255 The Essay
RHE-265 Professional Writing
RHE-285 Technical Writing
RHE-325 Advanced Journalism Workshop
RHE-335 Writers Colony
RHE-345 Nature Writing
RHE-845 Directed Studies in Writing
7. One elective course chosen from Creative Writing (CRW), or English (ENG),
or from the list of Rhetoric (RHE) courses in #6 above
8. CRW-635 Seminar in Creative Writing, including completion of Creative Writing Portfolio or ThesisCreative Writing Minor
1. One course in literature (ENG-__)
2. CRW-105 Topics in Creative Writing
3. One Workshop (CRW-280 Poetry, CRW-290 Fiction, or CRW-200 Playwriting)
4. One Advanced Workshop (CRW-285 Advanced Poetry, CRW-295 Advanced Fiction, or CRW-300 Advanced Playwriting)
5. One elective from Creative Writing (CRW), or from English (ENG), or from the following list:
RHE-215 Introduction to Journalism
RHE-225 Journalism Workshop
RHE-255 The Essay
RHE-265 Professional Writing
RHE-285 Technical Writing
RHE-325 Advanced Journalism Workshop
RHE-335 Writers Colony
RHE-345 Nature Writing
RHE-845 Directed Studies in Writing
6. CRW-635 Seminar in Creative Writing
See your advisor and the Coe catalog for more details.
Organization of Course Offerings
[ Topics ]1. Introductory courses without prerequisites.
These include a variety of courses appropriate for students who have not previously taken a college level literature course. These include courses in international literatures, American and English literatures, and popular literature.2. Middle level courses with one college literature course as a prerequisite.
These are the traditional core courses of an English Major, covering topics and periods in English and American Literature.3. Advanced courses for upperclass majors and minors.
If you want to take one of these and are not an English major or minor, you should visit with the professor about it before registering. These include: Literary Analysis, Directed Studies in English, Part-time Internships, and Seminars in Literature.
Special Study Opportunities
[ Topics ]Student Designed Courses & Seminars.
"I want to take a course in _______, but it is never offered."
"Both times Ancient Mythology was offered, a required course in my other major met at the same time!"
In a small college, these kinds of problems are bound to turn up occasionally. The English Department offers several avenues for getting out of such difficulties, and we offer other special study opportunities as well.
If a course you want does not exist or comes at the wrong time, you may try these alternatives:
A. Talk with the professor about taking the hard-to-get course on an arranged basis.
B. Work with your advisor on designing a Directed Study or English Tutorial. (see descriptions below).
C. Talk with your favorite professor about upcoming seminars and topics courses, to see if one might provide what you are looking for. If members of the department know your interests, they may even be able to plan future courses with you in mind.Directed Studies in English
If you have a special interest in an author or group of books, or if you would like to work with a professor on a major writing project, you can arrange a directed study. Talk with a professor about what you are interested in for help in setting it up. This course can be taken more than once, with permission from the Department.
English Tutorial
This course is much like a Directed Study except that you may take it for less than a whole credit and, because it is more elementary, it does not normally count toward a major or minor.
Seminars in Literature
The Department offers at least four seminars each year. Topics usually are decided during Winter or Spring term for the following year, and professors usually can make details available by pre-registration. Recent seminar subjects have included: John Keats, Wole Soyinka, Afro-American Drama, James Baldwin, Percy Shelley, the Brontë Sisters, D. H. Lawrence, Marianne Moore, Jane Austen, and John Milton, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Contemporary Irish Poetry, Film Adaptations of American Drama.
Seminars almost always include reading literary criticism and writing one or more longer essays in a research paper format.
Off-Campus Study Opportunities for English Students
[ Topics ]The Newberry Library Programs
These programs offer opportunities to work at a major research library while living on Chicago's near north side. You may spend as little as a month or as long as a year taking courses and seminars at the Newberry. This is excellent preparation for students planning graduate study and for those planning professional library or museum careers. Current College rules make applying for this program quite difficult; you need to plan almost 2 full years in advance. If you are interested in this program, you should speak with you advisor before October of your sophomore year.
The New York Term, Washington Term, and Chicago Arts Program
These popular semester-long programs in major American cultural centers are an excellent complement to study in English or Writing. It is usually possible to arrange to earn some credit toward your major or minor while away from campus on such terms.
London, London/Florence, and other overseas programs.
Study abroad is invaluable to a good liberal arts degree. Every student should make an effort to learn a second language and to spend a semester or more in a foreign country. Credit toward a major or minor can almost always be arranged as part of such study. Extra financial aid may be available if you need it. However, there is considerable competition for aid to study overseas. You need to apply for such programs early in the fall term of the year before you intend to go overseas. If you would like to study overseas, visit with your advisor at the earliest possible moment.
Members of the English and Foreign Language departments offer courses in Europe with some regularity. Check with your advisor to learn what is coming up.Internships
English students have participated in many kinds of off-campus internships, Examples of places where students have had internships include: law offices, convention bureaus, public relations firms, ministry, publications departments, newspapers, advertising firms, broadcasting stations, and museums, such as the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. The Director of Internships at Career Services should be your first stop if you are interested in an internship.
How should you plan your major?
[ Topics ]A Basic Major - Planning to Teach? - Creative Writing? - Graduate School?
Planning a Basic English Major
Talking over your plans with your advisor is the best way to put together the most common kind of program, a general set of courses and activities.
The English major and minor are designed to encourage you to look at different kinds of literature at various levels of difficulty.
For most students, choosing electives is mainly a matter of common sense and following your interests. If you are studying English with a particular kind of work in mind, you may try to choose courses that seem likely to prepare you well for that. In most cases, you will want to introduce yourself to several kinds of writing, not only by taking Writing Emphasis courses in several departments, but also by trying Journalism, Creative Writing, and Public Speaking courses. You will also want to plan an internship or two in your junior and senior years that will help you learn about the areas of work that interest you.
If you are working toward elementary or secondary certification for teaching, then you will want to structure your program with the goal of teaching in mind. Since the certification programs include professional training in teaching, you will want to concentrate on developing your acquaintance with literary works and your writing and communication skills.
Both elementary and secondary teachers will want several broad surveys of literary works, such as Western Masterworks and History of English Literature and History of United States Literature. You also should gain experience in minority and international literatures (in English translation). You would want to take writing courses, such as creative writing, and Rhetoric/Speech course such as Rhetorical Theory & Practice and Interpersonal Communications. Also helpful and important would be courses in Theatre.
Collateral Writing Majors & Minor for Professional Writers, Journalists, and Language Arts Teachers
The English Department works with the Rhetoric Department to offer two writing majors and two minors in writing. The English and Rhetoric faculty are nearly all published writers. Part-time on campus internships in journalism, public relations, and editing the Cosmos may support these programs, as may various off-campus internships.
People who plan to be professional writers usually seek graduate training in journalism or public relations or in a Writer's Workshop such as the world famous University of Iowa Writer's Workshop founded by Coe graduate, Paul Engle, '31. Writing study is excellent preparation for such programs, whatever major you choose in addition.
A Writing Minor is also a good choice for public school teachers who expect to teach language arts. By working as a consultant at the Writing Center and taking courses in teaching and writing theory, you can gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience for helping people improve their writing.
If you plan to go to graduate school in English
A master's degree is becoming an increasingly important qualification for employment and promotion in public education, which is one reason why the Teacher Education Department offers an MAT degree. An M.A. is usually the minimum requirement for teaching in junior college and part-time in a college. For a permanent teaching position in a college or university, a Ph.D. is usually the minimum requirement. However, it is not uncommon for people to take graduate courses simply to advance their skills and continue their studies in literature.
If you plan to seek a graduate degree and want to be able to choose from the best graduate programs, you need to prepare carefully during your undergraduate years.
In general, you should:
1. plan to take more than the minimum number of courses for the English major;
2. work closely with your advisor in choosing a good, broad selection of courses outside the department;
3. complete at least the second year of one foreign language (Essential for Ph.D.);
4. write a senior thesis (Essential for Ph.D.)A solid preparation for graduate record exams and graduate school would probably include as many as possible of the following English courses, included in or in addition to the specific required courses:
1. Western Masterworks
2. At least one of the Shakespeare courses
3. At least one course in American Literature.
4. Ancient Mythology
5. African American Literature
6. An extra seminar or a directed study
7. Senior ThesisOutside of English, very important courses would include: Cultural Anthropology, Old and New Testament, Eastern and Western Religions, Introductions to all Social Sciences, History of Philosophy, Western Civilization I and II, Foreign Language, some art history, and selected introductory courses in the sciences.
See below for more details on preparing for graduate study.
What is senior thesis? Should you write one?
[ Topics ]Why do it? - Requirements - Should you?
|
|
|
|
To receive Departmental Honors, one must complete a thesis in English. An English thesis usually takes one of two forms.
1. A detailed examination of a question or problem about a literary work, an author, a theme, or a technique.
2. A major creative work, such as a volume of poems or stories, a novel, or a script.Why write a thesis? Some reasons to consider
1. To get into an interesting subject.
2. To develop and demonstrate to future employers independent research, study, writing, and library skills that will be useful in such areas of employment as law and paralegal work, business and public relations, teaching, government, and public service.
3. To prepare for the kinds of essays written in graduate seminars, and for graduate theses and dissertations.
4. For the fun and the sense of accomplishment that come from working on and completing a large, interesting, and important project.
Departmental Calendar of Requirements for the Senior Thesis
The English Department's calendar for completing a thesis differs from those of some other departments. We have found that English students who do not complete their theses during the fall semester usually have great difficulty completing them during their final terms. Most do, but at considerable personal cost. Therefore, we require students to plan their projects and we direct their work in ways designed to have a second draft of the thesis completed by the end of the fall semester.First Term of Third Year
- You are required to attend two Senior Thesis Colloquia held during the fall term.
You will hear current thesis students making presentations on their work.- Plan to take a Seminar in Literature in one semester of your third year.
- Visit with one or more of your English professors about your ideas and questions.
- Be sure to discuss your plans with your advisor when you plan your next registration.
Remember that students planning a creative writing thesis should have a least semesters (1.5 credis) in Creative Writing Workshops.- By the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, complete and turn in the form, "Intent to Write a Senior Thesis."
Second Term of Third Year
- If your intent form is accepted by the English Department, you will be assigned to an English advisor to help you complete your formal proposal, which is due the Wednesday before Spring Break.
This proposal must be developed carefully in consultation with your advisor.
Both the advisor and the Department chair must approve it before you can continue your work.- If your proposal is accepted by the English Department, you will be allowed to register for an Independent Study in English for the fall semester.
- by April 15 - Thesis student and advisor agree upon a list of primary readings or a writing project to be completed over the summer.
Primary readings are the texts most directly relevant to the thesis study. For theses in creative writing, a writing project may include reading and also drafting an agreed-upon quantity of materials: poems, stories, chapters, etc. Students and advisors may wish to correspond about this work during the summer.First Term of Fourth Year
- By the week before classes begin in Fall Term - Review of summer work with your advisor.
This may be done by e-mail or other means; your advisor needs to be able to report knowledgeably to the English Department about your progress in your summer work. The Department will meet to discuss your progress.
If the English Department determines that you are not ready to begin the next stage of your work, the Department may require you to change your fall registration from Independent Study to a Seminar or alternate course.- By the middle of the semester, you should complete a FIRST DRAFT of your thesis.
On a project of this size, completing a first draft typically means you are about half done. Students are repeatedly surprised by how much there is left to complete after the first draft.Thesis Colloquia
During the fall semester, you are required to make two public presentations on your thesis work.
- Around the middle of the term, you will explain your project and progress.
- Near the end of the term, you will present the main ideas of your thesis and a sample of your writing.- by the last class day of Fall Semester
Submit a complete revised draft to your thesis advisor. The English Department will meet during exam week to determine whether your draft is complete enough for you to proceed to the next step.
If the draft is not complete enough, your work on the thesis will end at this point. You will receive credit for your independent study, but you will not continue to pursue honors.Second Term of Fourth Year
- by February 1 - Presentation of copies of your completed thesis to your defense committee.
- before Spring Break -- Defense of the Thesis
A meeting that includes your thesis advisor, two other members of the English Department and one faculty member from another department. You will be questioned about your work.
The committee typically asks students to make more revisions.
And then there are several administrative hoops to leap through before the project is complete. Your advisor will help you through these.Public Presentations in Spring Term
Creative Writers are expected to give a public reading from their theses in the Spring Semester, either at the Spring Research Symposium or at a separate event sponsored by the English Department.
Other thesis students also are encouraged to make presentations at the Spring Research Symposium. In both cases, the goal is to increase the awareness of your accomplishments within the College as a whole.
Should you write a senior thesis?
The key question to ask yourself - if you are trying to decide whether to write a thesis - is, "Am I reasonably sure I can complete such a long independent project?"
Probably those who have the most difficulty completing a thesis are procrastinators, those who are in the habit of rushing through writing assignments at the last minute. The senior thesis is too large a project to complete in this way. It is really important to complete a first draft by the middle of the fall term.
Procrastinators who are still drafting in spring semester nearly always suffer a lot. While their fellow seniors are enjoying the pleasures and pains of "senioritis," procrastinators are slaving away at their computers, turning what they've been putting off into something respectable, probably while trying to keep up at "crunch time" with four other courses, - and perhaps not succeeding. Such students often end up throwing together something they're not very proud of. And they miss out on a lot of the fun of the project and of their last term.Some people prove unable to finish, and students invariably find it very difficult, sometimes downright painful, to abandon a project in which they've invested a great deal of time and enormous intellectual and emotional resources. However, the world does not end if you do not complete your thesis. If you decide to stop or if the Department stops you, you may have to change your registration plans for your last term to meet graduation requirements, though in most circumstances, you still will receive credit for your independent study. And you will not be able to graduate with Departmental Honors.
The process of writing a thesis requires considerable self-discipline and commitment; therefore, it makes sense to consider one's plans for the whole senior year when making this decision. It shows admirable self-knowledge and maturity to recognize that a thesis may not be an appropriate undertaking. By talking with your advisor, you should be able to gauge your interest and readiness and to determine how this project fits into your plans for your degree and for your last year.
Thesis Forms Intent to Write - 5th Semester Creative Writing Proposal Literary Study Proposal
How can you get into a good graduate school program?
[ Topics ]Grim - Hurdles & Hoops - GRE - GRE Literature
Finding & Applying - ResourcesGraduate study in English - A Grim Situation
At this time, the prospects are grim for students who wish to complete a Ph.D. in English in the hope of becoming college teachers. While the Department will do everything possible to help students who wish to follow this dream, current economic and employment conditions make the odds of success extremely low, even for the most talented and hard-working literature students. Students who choose this alternative must remain aware that the obstacles are formidable and the demands upon them in terms of commitment, self-discipline, time and energy will be great. And planning must begin as soon as possible.
If you are interested in becoming a college teacher, you should visit with your advisor at least by the first term of your junior year - earlier if possible. You should be prepared to talk frankly about your abilities and your work and about what you would have to do to be a viable candidate for a top graduate program and an eventual teaching position.
If you are not interested in college teaching and still would like to do graduate study in English, your prospects are better. It probably will be easier to find and successfully apply to an appropriate graduate program.
Graduate study in Creative Writing
If you dream of a writing career, a graduate creative writing program can be helpful. You can learn about the many fine graduate writing programs in the reference materials listed below.
Graduate study in areas other than English
English majors often go on to post-graduate work in a variety of fields. All of these can be interesting and exciting, but students should realize that only some of these lead directly to employment in the area of study. Your advisor and Career Services can help you make a good decision about whether to pursue graduate study and what sort of program to choose.
Hurdles & Hoops
If you decide to prepare yourself for graduate school, here are the main hurdles between you and a good graduate program.1. Getting an excellent liberal arts education with a strong English major.
2. Getting the highest possible grades in the process.
3. Scoring as high as you can on the Graduate Record Exams.
4. Finding and successfully applying to programs you find satisfactory.
5. Getting financial aid.Following the recommendations for planning your major and always doing your best work will take you over hurdles 1-3, though 3 does present some special problems.
The Graduate Record Exams (GRE)
The GRE tests the levels of verbal, analytical, and mathematical skill and knowledge you have achieved. The exam takes a good deal of time, half to a full day, depending on what parts you take. It is quite expensive, so it is best to plan well and to avoid having to retake it. Most good graduate programs tend to rely upon the GRE scores in initial screening of the applicants. English and other humanities students are not expected to be especially strong in mathematics, but the verbal and analytical scores are very important.
If your scores are not above a graduate program's acceptance level, the admissions committee may never read the rest of your application to learn what wonderful things you have done and what a special person you are, for they almost certainly will have plenty of candidates to choose from above that level. Therefore, it is quite important that you get the very best score you can.
To do well on this exam, you must begin preparing for it at the earliest point in your college education. You need to assess your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the exam, and you may need to take special courses and initiatives to improve your chances of doing well. Career Services can help you in this assessment.
All students can benefit by taking the initiative to develop their vocabularies by extensive reading, dictionary use, and with software programs. They must work hard in a wide variety of liberal arts courses to develop their analytical skills, and they must read as widely as possible outside their class work in the materials recommended in their various courses.
For help in preparing for the exam, you should visit Career Services as soon as you begin to consider the possibility of going to graduate school. The purpose of this visit is to assess your academic strengths and weaknesses. You should then take this information to your advisor and work out a plan to foster the strengths and remedy the weaknesses. At least a year before taking the exam, you should look over some materials on how the examination is structured and on developing strategies for taking it.
The Stewart Memorial Library Reference Department will give you an up-to-date tipsheet on helpful preparation materials.
One of the most important things students can do to prepare directly for the exam is to practice it. Career Services can help you with practice exams in various forms. It is important to recognize that English courses rarely include multiple answer tests; it can be easy to get out of practice with this sort of test. As with all tests, practicing the test, getting familiar with its procedures, and planning a test-taking strategy can significantly improve your performance.
The Department's most important advice is to take the test seriously. It is costly and requires a lot of time to complete. And you need to take into account the physical and mental energy that go into such an ordeal. You will want to do your best the first time.Visit with your friends who take the GRE before you to learn what it is like this year.
Try to take the test during a vacation period or Winter Term, when you believe you will not have so much on your mind as you usually do in the second half of a semester.
Try to be as healthy and as well-rested as possible on the day of the test.The GRE Literature in English Exam
Many competitive English Ph.D. programs require that applicants take this special exam in addition to the main portions of the GRE. This is a very difficult test; few undergraduate English majors can score well on it simply by taking the required courses for a major, or even by taking a number of extra courses. In fact, the key to doing well on this examination is to read, read, read. The exam assumes wide-ranging reading in mainly English and American literature, far beyond what is covered in typical college majors.
English majors who want to do well on the GRE literature exam and to succeed in graduate school need to read as much literature as possible. We recommend that you start now reading through the Norton Anthologies of English and American Literature and through the list of recommended novels that appears later in this booklet (Part 7). At least a year before taking the exam, consult the reading list in The Best Preparation for the GRE (cited below) and read as many as possible of the works you have not yet read.
Most helpful is The Best Test Preparation for the GRE, Literature in English (Research and Education Association), which our library has (Ref. PR87 .G64 1995); this volume has 6 full length tests, answer keys, and a list of suggested literary works to read prior to taking the test. Also very helpful is Practicing to Take the GRE, Literature in English Test (Warner Books, Educational Testing Service). You can buy most of these books at the Coe Bookstore and elsewhere in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
Some experienced students recommend taking this exam at a later test date, after the main tests of the GRE.
Finding and successfully applying to asatisfactory program and getting financial aid:
Application Calendar
1. To be considered for the best financial aid possibilities, you must meet the first application deadline, which usually falls between January 1 and February 15.
2. You may be notified of acceptance or rejection at any time after application.
3. If you are to receive a financial aid offer, you should get notice of this between 1 and 15 April. You usually have about 2 weeks to make a decision, though you can request more time by phone or letter.Financial aid is usually either a fellowship or an assistantship.
A fellowship is an outright grant.
An assistantship provides education and living expenses in exchange for working at the university, usually as a part-time teacher or as a research assistant to a graduate faculty member.4. It is important to visit the campuses of the programs in which you are most interested as soon as you know you have a good chance of going there. In such visits, you want to talk with several students currently in the program to get a sense of the atmosphere, to see whether it fits you and your interests.
Finding good programs
The Reference Department of the Stewart Memorial Library can give you a "tip-sheet" of sources for the most recent information on graduate programs.
Finding a good, suitable program usually takes a lot of time. There are many graduate programs in English, and choosing the right ones to consider seriously is a complex process.
A good way to begin is to visit with your advisor about your goals and ambitions, what special areas if any you would like to study, what parts of the country you would be willing to move to, what financial resources you hope to have.
When you've thought about these issues, then you can turn to the resources in the Coe Library, local bookstores, and other libraries.
Resources you will find helpful:
Peterson's Graduate and Professional Programs: An Overview (REF L901.P46, v. 1.) This resource provides descriptions of universities offering graduate programs, information about financial aid, required tests, and application procedures.
Peterson's Graduate Programs in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (REF L901.P46, v. 2). This resource provides descriptions of individual graduate programs in English and related fields, entrance and degree requirements, more specific cost and financial aid information, special strengths and interests of departments, and information about faculty, including addresses and phone numbers.
See Web site to search graduate school database for current information: http://www.petersons.comThe Gourman Report (REF LA228.5.G68 1987). Though the information in this report has been challenged on several grounds, it still may provide some useful ideas about the strengths and reputations of programs that interest you. This report rates universities and specific programs.
College Blue Book: Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants & Loans (REF LA226.C685, v. 5). This book contains a great deal of information about sources of financial aid for graduate students as well as for undergraduates.
Web site for scholarship information:http://www.finaid.org/finaid.htmlThe library also has microfiche copies of the catalogs of most American colleges and universities and some international catalogs as well. When you have narrowed your list down to ten or fewer, you would do well to look up their catalogs and see how they present themselves.
Applying successfully.
The application process can be confusing. It is a good idea, after you have chosen a group of programs and secured application forms, to visit with your advisor about application strategy. You want:
1. to give special attention to any essays or writing samples that are part of the application. These often are crucial in admission and financial aid decisions, and your advisor's help can make a difference.
2. to have the best possible letters of recommendation;
3. to fill out each application correctly.
The Novel List
[ Topics ]The English Department has developed a list of novels that we recommend to our majors. Many of these are taught in our courses, but no student takes all of our courses. Students who plan to take the GRE exam in Literature should do their best to read all of these before taking the exam. Others are encouraged to make this the starting point for their life-time novel-reading list.
English
18th century
Burney, Evelina
Defoe, Moll Flanders, Robinson Crusoe
Fielding, Joseph Andrews
Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield
Richardson, Pamela
Sterne, Tristram Shandy
Swift, Gulliver's Travels
Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion19th century
C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, Villette
E. Brontë, Wuthering Heights
Dickens, Bleak House, David Copperfield, Hard Times
Eliot, Middlemarch, Mill on the Floss, Daniel Deronda
Gaskell, Mary Barton
Gissing, New Grub Street
Hardy, Jude the Obscure, Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Schreiner, Story of An African Farm
Scott, Ivanhoe
Shelley, Frankenstein
Thackeray, Vanity Fair
Trollope, The Warden, The Eustace Diamonds20th century
Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Ford, The Good Soldier
Forster, Howard's End, A Passage to India
Greene, The Power and the Glory
Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kipling, Kim
Lawrence, Women In Love
Lessing, The Golden Notebook
Lowry, Under the Volcano
Waugh, A Handful of Dust
Wells, Tono-Bungay
Wilde, Portrait of Dorian Gray
Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, A Room of One's OwnAmerican
19th century
Chopin, The Awakening
Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, The Red Badge of Courage
Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables
Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham
James, The Turn of the Screw
Melville, Moby-Dick, Billy Budd
Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn20th century
Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio
Cather, My Ántonia
Dreiser, Sister Carrie
Ellison, Invisible Man
Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom, As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
James, The Ambassadors
Morrison, Beloved
Sinclair, The Jungle
Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Walker, The Color Purple
Welty, The Golden Apples
Wharton, Ethan Frome
Wright, Native SonNovels in Translation
Cervantes, Don Quixote
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
Flaubert, Madame Bovary
Stendhal, The Red and the Black
Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych
English StudentActivities and English Department Prizes
[ Topics ]
English Activities
The Coe Review
This annual publication of literature by Coe students and faculty and by selected off-campus writers is edited and designed each year by a group of Coe students. If you are interested in becoming involved, see Professor Charles Aukema.
Literary Readings
Each year, the English Department with help from the Marquis Public Events Committee and the English Club sponsors readings by distinguished writers such as T. C. Boyle, Jane Smiley, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Dana, Ray Young Bear, Jorie Graham, and Mark Strand.
Alpha Nu Literary Society
Alpha Nu plans activities and events throughout the year. Contact a professor in English or Rhetoric to learn how to join.
Other Student Publications
English majors and minors as well as students from across the campus contribute to and produce The Pearl, an essay magazine, and Colere, a magazine that focuses on intercultural understanding, and the Cosmos, the college student newspaper. Contact a professor in English or Rhetoric to learn how to get involved.
English Department PrizesList of Prizes
Details about the Prizes
Entering the Paul Engle Creative Writing Competition
A List of the Winners
The English Department awards some of these prizes each spring semester. For the first four, members of the English Department nominate students for the awards. Nominations are discussed and decisions are made by the department staff. In some years, the department may decide not to award one or more of the prizes.
The Signi Falk Prize for Distinguished Work in Literary Analysis
The Grail for the graduating English Major with the most impressive achievements
The Skandera Prize for distinguished work in American Literature
Distinguished Achievement in EnglishThe Paul Engle Creative Writing Prize differs from the others in that students are asked to enter. The deadline usually is near the end of March. See below for details on entering.
Details about the PrizesThe Signi Falk Prize for Distinguished Work in Literary Analysis
In honor of Signi Falk, scholar and teacher at Coe College, this prize is awarded to the student or students who do the most impressive work in Literary Analysis. Signi Falk was a beloved member of the Coe faculty in the English Department for many years and was a constant inspiration to students. After her retirement in 1971, she became a tireless activist and volunteer.
The Grail
Professors in the Department of English nominate graduating seniors who in their estimation are the most academically talented and who have demonstrated this talent in all of their course work. The department chooses a senior English major who has demonstrated the ability to take on independent research, such as an honors project or seminar paper. The student also must have actively fostered a challenging intellectual environment at Coe. The prize was established in the spring of 1983 by alumni Sharon E. Wood ('80), an English major, and Audrey Anderson ('79).
The Skandera Prize
Given by former Coe Academic Dean and Mark Twain scholar, Laura Skandera-Trombly to honor her parents, this prize goes to a student who has done distinguished work in American Literature during the current academic year.
Distinguished Achievement in English
The Department usually gives one or more of these awards to seniors who have made an outstanding contribution to the English program at Coe, either through excellent academic work of some kind or through service to the Department or through outstanding work in extra curricular activities of special interest to the Department, such as the English Club, The Pearl, or The Coe Review.
The Paul Engle Creative Writing Prize - How to Enter
The Paul Engle Memorial Prize for Creative Writing is awarded each Spring to the junior or senior student who, in the estimate of the Department of English, has demonstrated the highest levels of skill and imagination in a portfolio.
This portfolio should be substantial, consisting of a collection of poems, or stories, or essays; or a novel or a major portion of a novel; or a film or drama script; or a selection from among several of these kinds of writing. Juniors and seniors wishing to be considered for this prize should consult with a member of the English Department before preparing the portfolio.
Paul Engle, Coe '31, a Rhodes Scholar, was a poet, founder of the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop, and co-founder of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program. The submission deadline is usually late in March.
This page is maintained by Terry Heller. If you have questions about it, comments, or corrections, please direct them to him.Revised: January 2007.