2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin

English, Bachelor of Arts

English majors read, discuss, and write about literature, film, popular culture and the law from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, they build skills in critical reading and analysis, verbal presentation, argumentation, and persuasive writing. In John Jay’s unique English curriculum, students acquire a comprehensive and varied foundation in literary study, and then choose either an optional concentration in Literature and the Law or pursue the field of Literature in greater depth. The major prepares students for a variety of careers and graduate work in law, public policy, business, education, writing, and government.

Credits required. 36

Prerequisites. ENG 201, and one general education Literature course: ISP 235, ISP 236, ISP 273, LIT 230, LIT 231, LIT 232, LIT 233, LIT 236, LIT 237

Coordinator. Professor John Staines (646.557.4555, jstaines@jjay.cuny.edu)

Advising resources. Department of English webpage - information for students. Sample Four-year Plan of Study.

Honors option. To receive Honors in Literature, a student must take both the Literature Seminar and an Independent Study that includes a research project, maintaining a GPA of 3.5 within the major. To receive Honors in Literature and the Law, a student must take both the Literature and the Law Seminar and an Independent Study that includes a research project, maintaining a GPA of 3.5 within the major.

Part One. Critical Skills

Required

LIT 260Introduction to Literary Study

3

Total Credit Hours: 3

Part Two. Historical Perspectives

Choose four

LIT 370Topics in Ancient Literature

3

LIT 371Topics in Medieval Literature

3

LIT 372Topics in Early Modern Literature

3

LIT 373Topics in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-century Literature

3

LIT 374Topics in Nineteenth-century Literature

3

LIT 375Topics in Twentieth-century Literature

3

LIT 379Selected Historical Topics in Literature

3

Total Credit Hours: 12

Part Three. Critical Methods

Required

LIT 300Text and Context

3

Total Credit Hours: 3

Part Four. Literature and the Law

Required

LIT 305Foundations of Literature and Law

3

Total Credit Hours: 3

Part Five. Electives

Choose any four courses from the list below; if concentrating in “Literature and the Law”, choose at least two of the courses identified in the bottom note. One 200-level general education literature or writing course (with the exception of ENG 201) can be used to satisfy an elective.

ENG 215Poetry Writing and Reading

3

ENG 216Fiction Writing

3

ENG 218The Writing Workshop

3

ENG 221Screenwriting for Film, Television, and Internet

3

ENG 228/ANT 228Introduction to Language

3

ENG 230Journalism in the 21st Century

3

ENG 233News Reporting and Writing

4

ENG 235Writing for Management, Business and Public Administration

3

ENG 242Contemporary Media in Everyday Life

3

ENG 245Creative Nonfiction

3

ENG 250Writing for Legal Studies

3

ENG 255Argument Writing

3

ENG 260Grammar, Syntax, and Style: Writing for All Disciplines

3

ENG 313Advanced Fiction Writing

3

ENG 316Advanced Argument Writing and Response: Theory and Practice

3

ENG 328/ANT 328Forensic Linguistics: Language as Evidence in the Courts

3

ENG 334Intermediate News Reporting and Writing

4

ENG 336Digital Journalism

4

ENG 350Advanced Legal Writing: Advocacy and Oral Argument

3

ISP 321Moral, Legal and Ethical Dilemmas that Shape the U.S.A.

3

ISP 322Making Waves: Troublemakers, Gadflies and Whistleblowers

3

LIT 203New York City in Literature

3

LIT 212Literature of the African World

3

LIT 219The Word as Weapon

3

LIT 223/AFR 223African-American Literature

3

LIT 265Foundations of U.S. Latino/a Literature

3

LIT 270Reading and Writing Children's Literature

3

LIT 275The Language of Film

3

LIT 283New York City in Film

3

LIT 284Film and Society

3

LIT 285The Rebel in Film

3

LIT 286The Horror Film

3

LIT 287Selected Topics in Literature

3

LIT 287Selected Topics in Literature

3

LIT 309Contemporary Fiction

3

LIT 311Literature and Ethics

3

LIT 313Shakespeare

3

LIT 314Shakespeare and Justice

3

LIT 315American Literature and the Law

3

LIT 316Gender and Identity in Literary Traditions

3

LIT 319Law and Justice in European Medieval Literature

3

LIT 323The Crime Film

3

LIT 324Road Movies

3

LIT 325Science Fiction Film

3

LIT 326Crime, Punishment and Justice in the U.S. Literature

3

LIT 327Crime, Punishment and Justice in World Literature

3

LIT 328Film Criticism

3

LIT 329Documentary Film and Media

3

LIT 330Alfred Hitchcock

3

LIT 331Steven Spielberg

3

LIT 332Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee

3

LIT 340/AFR 340The African-American Experience in America: Comparative Racial Perspectives

3

LIT 342Perspectives on Literature and Human Rights

3

LIT 344Caribbean Literature and Culture

3

LIT 346Cultures in Conflict

3

LIT 352New Fiction

3

LIT 353Comic Books and Graphic Novels: Investigating a Literary Medium

3

LIT 357Violence of Language: U.S. Latino/a Street Literature

3

LIT 360Mythology in Literature

3

LIT 362The Bible as Literature

3

LIT 366Writing Nature: Literature and Ecology

3

LIT 380Advanced Selected Topics in Literature

3

LIT 383Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Latino/a Literature

3

LIT 401Special Topics

3

LIT 409Seminar in U.S. Latino/a Literature

3

LLS 362Entangled Tongues: Bilingualism in U.S. Latino/a Literature

3

LLS 363Il-Legal Subjects: U.S. Latino/a Lit & the Law

3

LLS 364Ethical Strains in U.S. Latino/a Literature

3

ENG 250, ENG 328/ANT 328, ENG 350, ISP 321, ISP 322, LIT 219, LIT 311, LIT 314, LIT 315, LIT 319, LIT 323, LIT 326, LIT 327, LIT 342, LLS 363: Courses that can be counted toward the LIT and the LAW concentration. Students should consult the current course schedule for offerings.

Two hundred level General Education literature and writing courses

Students can use only one general education literature courses from the section below to satisfy an elective.

LIT 230Expressions of the Living Past: Reading Ancient Worlds (was Classical Literature)

3

LIT 232Reading the Modern World (was Modern Literature)

3

LIT 233American Stories (was American Literature)

3

LIT 236Literary Perspectives on Culture & Globalization

3

LIT 237Literature as Witness

3

ISP 235Apples & Oranges: Form & Meaning in the Arts

3

ISP 236Truth & Creativity: How We Make Meaning

3

ISP 273The Stories We Tell

3

Total Credit Hours: 12

Part Six. Major Seminar

Choose one

(If concentrating in Literature and the Law, choose Literature and the Law Seminar)

LIT 400Senior Seminar in Literature

3

LIT 405Senior Seminar in Literature and Law

3

Total Credit Hours: 3

Total Credit Hours: 36