English

Chair: Christopher M. Dowd, Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Director of Writing Center: Lauren Boasso, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University

Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator: Jenna Pack Sheffield, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Professors Emeriti: Srilekha Bell, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; Paul Marx, Ph.D., New York University; Douglas Robillard, Ph.D., Wayne State University; David E. E. Sloane, Ph.D., Duke University; Brenda R. Williams, Ph.D., Washington University

Professors: Randall Horton, Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany; Christopher M. Dowd, Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Associate Professors: Mary Isbell, Ph.D., University of Connecticut; Jenna Pack Sheffield, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Assistant Professor: Margaret F. Savilonis, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Lecturers: Jeffrey Foster, Ph.D., University of Rhode Island; Diane C. Russo, Ph.D., University of South Carolina; Edward Geisweidt, Ph.D., University of Alabama.

The English Department embraces diversity and innovation in our curriculum and offers students opportunities to study foundational literary classics, ethnic and world literatures, and modern texts from contemporary and popular culture. Our students also study the crafts of creative and professional writing and hone their abilities to produce work that realizes their artistic ambitions and career goals. Our students become adept readers, thinkers, and writers, as comfortable interpreting a play by Shakespeare as they are a graphic novel by Spiegelman, and as capable of composing a technical report as they are a poem or story.

An English major may choose the concentration in either literature or writing. Students in the literature concentration develop their analytic skills and critical abilities by reading widely varied works in the English language and exploring the cultural context of these works. Students explore both classic works of literature and texts that have been overlooked, and along the way discover the literary dynamism that animates a variety of cultures, time-periods, and genres.

In the writing concentration, students get experience with a variety of written language compositions from the expository essay to business and technological applications to more creative forms. Writing students also explore the impact of digital innovations on writing and the challenges associated with writing for situations that require going beyond the traditional printed page.

The English major is one of the most versatile choices for students and prepares them for a wide variety of careers and graduate school opportunities. English students develop fundamental skills that enable success along many paths. Employers and graduate schools greatly value the ability of English majors to deal with complex problems in creative and comprehensive ways, and they also value the abilities of English majors to think critically and empathically, research thoroughly, and communicate effectively in writing. Due to this, many English majors pursue graduate degrees and professional training in law, medicine, political science, psychology, journalism, business, advertising, marketing, public relations, public administration, education, literature, writing, and publishing. English majors find success in careers across the board due to the desirability of the unique skillset they developed in their English studies. This versatility of the English degree and its desirability among employers has made it one of the most popular degrees for students considering a double major.

Sigma Tau Delta

The Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society is an organization that fosters scholarly engagement in the study of English literature and language among undergraduates and graduates. The UNH chapter, established in 2011, is Alpha Sigma Theta. To be eligible for membership, students must have completed at least three semesters of college work and a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond the usual requirements of first-year composition courses. Students must also have a minimum of a B or equivalent grade point average in English and rank at least in the highest 35th percent of their class.

Transfer Credit for Writing Courses

The English Department awards credit for freshman writing courses taken at an accredited American college or university if the courses are essentially the same as ENGL 1112 or ENGL 1113 and if the student received at least a "C." If the courses were taken at a foreign college, the student must demonstrate proficiency in writing before credit is awarded. In the latter case, the student should make an appointment with the secretary of the English Department for the writing of a one-hour composition.

The Co-op Program

The Department participates in the cooperative education program (co-op), which enables students to combine their education with practical, paid work experience in their career field. For further details see the "Office of Internships and Employer Relations" earlier in the catalog, or contact the co-op coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.