Language and Literature

Return to: Academic Programs by Department

Undergraduate

Steven T. Moore, Chair
ACU Box 28252
Abilene, Texas 79699-8252
Hardin Administration Building, Suite 220C

Phone: 325-674-2263
Fax: 325-674-2408
Email: steven.moore@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/language-literature
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LangLitACU/; https://www.facebook.com/acuworldlanguages/

Carolina Archer, Director of World Languages
ACU Box 28252
Abilene, Texas 79699-8252
Hardin Administration Building Suite 220B

Phone: 325-674-2263
Email: cga06a@acu.edu

Debbie Williams, Director of Composition
ACU Box 28252
Abilene, Texas 79699-8252
Hardin Administration Building Suite 220E

Phone: 325-674-2263
Email: wlmsdeb@acu.edu

Faculty

Carolina Archer, Instructor
B. Cole Bennett, Professor
Laura Carroll, Professor
William M. Carroll, Associate Professor
Karen Cukrowski, College Associate Professor
Mikee Delony, Professor
Kyle Dickson, Professor
Jeremy Elliott, Associate Professor
Carol Evans, Instructor
William Horn, College Associate Professor
Steven T. Moore, Professor
Sharon Rankin, Assistant Professor
Leslie Reed, Instructor
Paul Roggendorff, College Assistant Professor
Shelly Sanders, Professor
Joseph F. Stephenson, Professor
Beatriz Walker, Professor
Debbie Williams, Professor
Todd Womble, Associate Professor

The Department of Language and Literature offers the Master of Arts in English, the Bachelor of Arts in English, the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, the Bachelor of Arts in English for Teacher Certification, and the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish for Teacher Certification. A minor in English, Professional Writing, German, Spanish, or Film may be added to other majors.

Introduction

The Department of Language and Literature cultivates the effective use of language– through extensive reading and writing in English and mastery in other languages–as a powerful tool for communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking in Christian service and leadership throughout the world.

The Bachelor of Arts in English prepares students for graduate work in English Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Creative, Business, and Technical writing, as well as Law School, Library Science, and other related advanced degrees. The English degree also provides preparatory education for fields that require critical thinking, broad reading, self-expression, empathy and an understanding of human nature, and the ability to analyze and organize information. These fields include professions such as education, professional or creative writing, public relations, library science, business, management, non-profits, government work, and many others. Since this degree allows a considerable number of elective hours, students majoring in English can often secure a major in a second field or a minor, thus enhancing their career options.

The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish prepares students for graduate work in Spanish Literature and Linguistics as well as Hispanic and Romance Languages; for careers as college Spanish teachers; or for careers in translation and interpretation. It also provides preparatory education for fields that require critical thinking, broad reading, the ability to analyze and organize information, and multilingual and multicultural communication skills such as law school, healthcare professions, international public relations, library science, personnel work, management, government work, and others. Since this degree allows a considerable number of elective hours, students majoring in Spanish can often secure a major in a second field or a minor, thus enhancing their career options.

The Bachelor of Arts in English for Teacher Certification prepares students who wish to teach in middle or high school with English as a single teaching field.

The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish for Teaching Certification prepares students who wish to teach in high school with Spanish as a single teaching field.

Admission Requirements

Before being admitted to a program, a student must satisfy the requirements listed in the ACT/SAT Placement Information  section of this catalog.

General Information

WebCAPE Placement Exam

WebCAPE French, German, or Spanish Test – strongly recommended for all students wishing to register for their first foreign language class at ACU (and for whom transfer, CLEP, or AP work). FREN 111 Beginning French I, GER 111 Beginning German I, and SPAN 111 Beginning Spanish I are strictly designed and reserved for students with no previous knowledge of the target language.

Language Placement Credit

Students who take the WebCAPE and whose first foreign language class at ACU is beyond the first semester level may earn additional language credit as follows:

• If the first foreign language class is at the second semester level (FREN 112, GER 112, or SPAN 112) and a grade of B- or higher is earned, three semester hours credit will also be awarded for the first semester course in the same language.
• If the first foreign language class is at the third semester level (FREN 221, GER 221, or SPAN 221) and a grade of B- or higher is earned, six semester hours credits will also be awarded for the first and second semester courses in the same language.
• If the first foreign language class is at the fourth semester level FREN 222, GER 222, or SPAN 222) and a grade of B- or higher is earned, nine semester hours credit will also be awarded for the first through third semester courses in the same language.
• If the first foreign language class is an advanced course (FREN 30+, GER 3+, or SPAN 3+) and a grade of B- or higher is earned, twelve semester hour credit will also be awarded for the first through fourth semester courses in the same language.

English Placement Exam

Students may challenge ACT or SAT placements by taking the English Placement Exam. Placement tests may be attempted twice but should be completed before the semester starts. Placement exam results expire after two years. Students are not eligible for placement after beginning any ENGL course.

Study Abroad Expectations

All students are encouraged to participate in ACU’s Study Abroad program. Classes offered at Study Abroad sites vary depending on the site. Spanish Majors and Minors are strongly encouraged to participate in our Immersion Semester in Uruguay (Montevideo) or another immersion program. Students should consult with their advisor as soon as possible. German minors are encouraged to participate in our study abroad program in Leipzig or another immersion program.

Foreign Language for Native Speakers of Other Languages - Bachelor of Arts Degree

For all Bachelor of Arts degree programs having a requirement for “foreign language – sophomore level – 6 hours,” that requirement will be satisfied upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts requirement for English – composition: ENGL 112 (3) and a second Literature course (3) for students who qualify as non-native speakers of English. Students seeking to fulfill the foreign language requirements by alternative means must (if requested to do so) be able to demonstrate to the chair of the Department of Language and Literature native (L1) proficiency in a language other than English (not a dialect of English). The student’s native language need not be one of those offered by the Department of Language and Literature.

Under this special provision, college credit will be granted for the English courses, but not for any ESL (English as a Second Language) course. Students will still need to complete the prescribed number of hours for particular degree programs (usually this will mean that a Bachelor of Arts degree student will need an additional 12 hours of electives to replace the 12 hours of foreign language that were satisfied by the alternative means outlined above).

Graduate

English

Steven T. Moore, Chair

Todd Womble, Director of Graduate Studies
ACU Box 28252
Abilene, Texas 79699-8252
Hardin Administration Building Suite 220A

Phone: 325-674-2083
Email: mtw04b@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/grad

Faculty

B. Cole Bennett, Professor
Laura Carroll, Professor
William Carroll, Associate Professor
Mikee Delony, Professor
Kyle Dickson, Professor
Jeremy Elliot, Associate Professor
Steven T. Moore, Professor
Shelly Sanders, Professor
Joseph F. Stephenson, Professor
Debbie Williams, Professor
Todd Womble, Associate Professor

Introduction

Graduate courses in English at ACU are aimed at preparing students for entry in PhD programs, terminal MFA programs, law programs, or for seeking employment in a field for which an advanced degree in English is of direct benefit. As one of a very few religiously-based institutions to offer an MA in English, ACU is uniquely situated to prepare Christian scholars for service and leadership throughout the world.

The Department of Language and Literature offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English. This MA is a generalist degree in English with an intentional selection of courses that will prepare students for the professional trajectories mentioned previously. Each student takes a mix of literature and composition/rhetoric courses with an option for select creative writing classes. Almost all MA programs in English are generalist by nature, and ACU’s program in no way limits what a student can do afterward in academia or other fields.

Graduate students begin their study with core courses that emphasize intersections of faith and English studies, teacher training and pedagogical exploration, and scholarly production.

Our literature courses ask students to explore the critical and theoretical approaches to texts written in the various literary periods and exposes students to writers from across the literary spectrum.

Composition and rhetoric courses offer students advanced training in current pedagogical rhetorical theory, and are designed primarily for those interested in teaching composition.

Students have the opportunity to take one or two writing courses, which emphasize creative writing or technical and professional writing. All of our courses emphasize student research, writing, and presentation.

The MA degree involves 36 hours of course work (18 of which must be conducted at the 600-level) with a 3-hour course, ENGL 600, focused specifically on preparation for comprehensive exams. Students have the option for up to 6 hours dedicated to thesis writing (if he or she chooses this route instead of comprehensive exams) and another 6 hours available for courses in a support field offered by another department or program.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the MA in English are:

1. A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee.
2. An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended.
   1. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent.
   2. The transcript should reflect 12 hours of upper-division English courses.
   3. The transcript should reflect a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Two letters of recommendation.
4. Purpose statement identifying the applicant’s reason for pursuing graduate study and future goals; and
5. A writing sample in either:
   1. A sample critical essay (maximum of 15 pages) that demonstrates the applicant’s capacity for interpretation and literary analysis, or
   2. A sample creative writing in prose or poetry (maximum of 20 pages) if the student intends to pursue the writing emphasis track. Writing samples will not be returned unless a self-addressed, stamped envelope is provided.

Applicants who fail to meet one or more admission requirements may be admitted conditionally. A letter to the student will specify the procedures and deadlines for satisfying the entrance requirements.

Deficiencies ordinarily must be satisfied during the first semester of study.

Programs

• English, MA (ENGL)

• English for Teacher Certification, BA (ENGT)
• English, BA (ENGL)
• Spanish for Teacher Certification, BA (SPNT)
• Spanish, BA (SPAN)

• English Minor (ENGL)
• Film Minor (FILM)
• German Minor (GER)
• Professional Writing Minor (ENGW)
• Spanish Minor (SPAN)

Courses

• ENGL 003 - Academic Literacies
• ENGL 004 - Academic Literacies Workshop
• ENGL 006 - Academic Composition Workshop
• ENGL 007 - Rhetoric and Persuasion Workshop
• ENGL 106 - Academic Composition
• ENGL 107 - Rhetoric and Persuasion
• ENGL 111 - Composition and Rhetoric
• ENGL 112 - Composition and Researched Writing
• ENGL 221 - Major British Writers I
• ENGL 222 - Major British Writers II
• ENGL 228 - Contemporary British Literature
• ENGL 231 - World Literature I
• ENGL 232 - World Literature II
• ENGL 235 - German Literature in Translation after 1800
• ENGL 262 - American Literature Before 1900
• ENGL 263 - American Literature After 1900
• ENGL 271 - Latino American Literature
• ENGL 273 - African American Literature
• ENGL 275 - Magical Realist Literature
• ENGL 285 - Environmental Literature
• ENGL 301 - Introduction to English Studies
• ENGL 311 - Literary Theory and Criticism
• ENGL 320 - Creative Nonfiction Workshop
• ENGL 321 - Screenwriting
• ENGL 322 - Fiction Workshop
• ENGL 323 - Poetry Workshop
• ENGL 324 - Play Writing Workshop
• ENGL 325 - Advanced Composition
• ENGL 326 - Business and Professional Writing
• ENGL 327 - Scientific and Technical Writing
• ENGL 328 - Social Justice: A Rhetoric
• ENGL 329 - Rhetoric as Written Discourse
• ENGL 330 - Advanced English Grammar
• ENGL 331 - Narrative for Film and New Media
• ENGL 332 - Introduction to Film Studies
• ENGL 333 - Studies in World Cinema
• ENGL 351 - Literature for Young Adults
• ENGL 362 - American Literature Before 1860
• ENGL 363 - American Literature After 1860
• ENGL 373 - African American Literature
• ENGL 376 - Fiction
• ENGL 377 - Drama
• ENGL 378 - Poetry
• ENGL 380 - Interactive Narratives
• ENGL 401 - Guided Study: Literary Criticism
• ENGL 402 - Guided Study: Writing
• ENGL 406 - Guided Study: American Literature
• ENGL 407 - Guided Study: General Literature
• ENGL 409 - Guided Study: British Literature After 1700
• ENGL 410 - Language and Literature Internship
• ENGL 432 - Introduction to Linguistics
• ENGL 441 - Topics in Literary Criticism and Bibliography
• ENGL 442 - Topics in Writing
• ENGL 443 - Topics in the English Language
• ENGL 445 - Topics in Teaching English and Reading
• ENGL 446 - Topics in American Literature
• ENGL 447 - Topics in General Literature
• ENGL 448 - Topics in British Literature Before 1700
• ENGL 449 - Topics in British Literature After 1700
• ENGL 459 - English for Secondary Teachers
• ENGL 461 - Archival Research for English Studies
• ENGL 464 - American Novel
• ENGL 470 - Multicultural Literature
• ENGL 471 - Literature and Belief
• ENGL 472 - Film and Belief
• ENGL 473 - Rhetoric and Belief
• ENGL 481 - Medieval British Literature
• ENGL 483 - Shakespeare
• ENGL 484 - Seventeenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 495 - Eighteenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 496 - Nineteenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 497 - Twentieth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 498 - 21st Century British Literature
• ENGL 499 - Studies in World Literature
• ENGL 520 - Creative Nonfiction Workshop
• ENGL 522 - Fiction Workshop
• ENGL 523 - Poetry Workshop
• ENGL 525 - Advanced Composition
• ENGL 526 - Business and Professional Writing
• ENGL 529 - Rhetoric as Written Discourse
• ENGL 530 - Advanced English Grammar
• ENGL 532 - Introduction to Linguistics
• ENGL 551 - Literature for Young Adults
• ENGL 558 - Teaching English as a Second Language
• ENGL 561 - Archival Research for English Studies
• ENGL 562 - American Literature Before 1860
• ENGL 563 - American Literature After 1860
• ENGL 564 - American Novel
• ENGL 570 - Multicultural Literature
• ENGL 571 - Literature and Belief
• ENGL 572 - Film and Belief
• ENGL 576 - Fiction
• ENGL 577 - Drama
• ENGL 578 - Poetry
• ENGL 581 - Medieval British Literature
• ENGL 583 - Shakespeare
• ENGL 584 - Seventeenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 595 - Eighteenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 596 - Nineteenth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 597 - Twentieth-Century British Literature
• ENGL 610 - Studies in American Literature

Return to: Academic Programs by Department