English

Introduction & Overview 

The curriculum of the English Department includes courses in all periods of American, British, and international literature in English, as well as courses in Creative and Professional Writing and in Film Studies.

English courses explore literary themes and genres from a variety of viewpoints, equipping students with an understanding of historical and cultural trends, developing students’ proficiency in the analytical reading of and critical writing about literature, and fostering students’ expertise in verbal expression, logical argumentation, and close analysis of language. Training in clear, effective writing is fundamental to all three Concentrations within the department.

In the Literature and Film Studies Concentrations, a progressive sequence of courses develops students’ fundamental skills in writing and critical analysis, including approaching literary and cinematic texts in social and historical contexts and in light of theory and criticism; a senior research thesis caps these two Concentrations.

Creative writers hone their craft in a sequence of workshop courses, complemented by literature courses; a senior writing portfolio caps this Concentration. 

An accelerated BA/MFA with Concentration in Creative and Professional Writing is also offered; see the Dual Degrees section of the catalog for details.

In small, participatory classes, English majors develop the ability to analyze and interpret literary works and film in context. Creative writers hone their craft in workshop courses and contribute to the campus literary magazine, Graffiti; the newspaper, Touchstone; and the department’s annual Writing Awards.

Degree

Bachelor of Arts with concentration in Literature, Creative and Professional Writing, or Film Studies

Students may also apply in their junior year for the 5-year BA/MFA Program in Creative Writing.

Career Ideas

Advertising Executive, Attorney, Book Editor, Broadcast News Analyst, Copy Writer, Digital Media Specialist, Professor, Film Producer, Fund Raiser, Legal Assistant, Librarian, Lobbyist, Newspaper Editor, Novelist, Poet, Public Relations Specialist, Journalist, Screenwriter, Speech Writer, Teacher, Television Producer

Program Director

Nada Halloway, Program Chair, (914) 323-5107, Nada.Halloway@mville.edu

Faculty and Staff

Full-Time Faculty

Jeff Bens

Caralyn Bialo

Meghan Freeman

Nada Halloway

Van Hartmann

David Lugowski

Mark Nowak

Patrick Redding

Adjunct Faculty

Sally Bilumis-Dunn

Joseph Fasano

Paul Levitz

General Requirements and Opportunities

Minimum grade for major or minor requirements: Only courses in which the student receives a grade of “C” or better may be used to satisfy major or minor requirements.

Early literature requirement: Each English Literature major must complete two courses in literature written before 1800. For the Creative Writing and Film concentrations, the requirement is one course in literature before 1800.

Non-western/post colonial literature requirement: Each concentration within the major require one course in non-western or postcolonial literature or film.

Students may opt to major in one concentration and minor in another as long as no courses are double-counted.

Credit towards the major or minor for courses taken outside the department and for on-line classes is determined by the department chair. The Department generally accepts no more than two outside courses. Students who have received a grade of B or better in Composition and Literature 102 at a Community College and students who have passed the Advanced Placement English Literature Exam with a score of 5 are exempt from one 1000-level literature class.

ENC (English composition) courses and courses with the ENE designation are not accepted towards any English major or minor.

Independent studies (ENG 4495 and ENW 4495 ) are permitted only with full-time members of the department.

Internships related to the major (ENG 4497 and ENW 4497 ) must be supervised by a full-time member of the department and should be arranged through the Center for Career Development Office.

On-campus publications that welcome submissions from and involvement of students include the campus newspaper, Touchstone, and the undergraduate literary magazine, Graffiti. Internships are also available with The Manhattanville Review, Manhattanville’s national journal of fiction and poetry.

English Department Writing Awards: Each spring, the English Department invites all undergraduates to submit pieces of critical and creative writing for consideration for the Eileen O’Gorman Undergraduate Prize in Fiction, the Robert O’Clair Undergraduate Prize in Poetry, the Sr. Margaret Williams Prize for Literary Criticism, the Dan Masterson Prize for Screenwriting, and the William K. Everson Prize for Writing on Film.

Honors in the English major is granted to students with exceptional (A level) performance throughout their course of study in English.