Areas of Emphasis Overview

What are the Areas of Emphasis, and how do they work?

An Area of Emphasis is a group of four or more related courses within a major or coherent field of study. The English department introduced Areas of Emphasis to the Major in the Spring of 2009. Our current Areas of Emphasis are: Advanced Studies in English, American Literature, Creative Writing, Eighteenth-Century Literature, English Language Studies, Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies, Humanities Computing, Medieval Literature, Multicultural American Literature, Poetics, Rhetoric and Composition, and Studies in the Novel.

We advise you to use the areas as suggestions for concentration in a particular genre or field of English Studies. Do you really love Medieval Literature or Creative Writing? By declaring an Area of Emphasis within your English Major, you can now map out the best way to satisfy all your Major Requirements while still focusing closely on the fields you find most interesting. Each Area has a set of required courses as well as a selection of "Emphasis Elective" courses from which students may choose.

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Advanced Studies in English

This concentration prepares you for continuing your Studies at the Graduate and Professional levels, whether in Law, Business, Medical school or other programs. The track helps specifically with preparation for the GRE subject test in English, emphasizing literary theory, advanced writing, and historical coverage. Contact: Dr. Richard Menke 

• ENGL 4820: Literary Theory 
• A third Pre-1800 class 
• A second Theory or Genre class 
• An Advanced Writing Class from the following list: ENGL 4830W: Advanced Studies in Writing or ENGL 4831W: Advanced Studies in Writing (The Critical Essay) or ENGL 4832W: Writing for the World Wide Web or ENGL 4995W: Senior Seminar

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American Literature

Extensive study of American literature from its colonial origins to the present, including writers of all races, religions, and nationalities. Contact: Dr. Cody Marrs

• One course in American or Multicultural Literature from the following list: ENGL 4620: African American Poetry or ENGL 4630: African American Fiction or ENGL 4642/6642-4642L/6642L: Films About the American South or ENGL 4700: People of Paradox: American Colonial Voices or ENGL 4710: Emancipated Imagination: American Renaissance or ENGL 4712: Poe or ENGL 4720: American Realism and Naturalism or ENGL 4721: Twain or ENGL 4723: Melville or ENGL 4730: American Novel to 1900 or ENGL 4740: Southern Literature or ENGL 4750: American Modernism or ENGL 4760: Contemporary American Literature or ENGL 4770: 20th-Century American Poetry or ENGL 4780: 20th-Century American Novel or  ENGL 4790: Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4791: American Autobiography or ENGL 4795: Faulkner or ENGL 4860: Multicultural Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4874: Literature and the Civil War or ENGL 4880: Topics in African American Literature or ENGL 4882W: Black Film Matters or 4883W: From Be-Bop to Hip-Hop or ENGL 4884: Contemporary African-American Writing
• Four more American classes from the following list: ENGL 4642/6642-4642L/6642L: Films About the American South or ENGL 4700: People of Paradox: American Colonial Voices or ENGL 4710: Emancipated Imagination: American Renaissance or ENGL 4712: Poe or  ENGL 4720: American Realism and Naturalism or ENGL 4721: Twain or ENGL 4723: Melville or ENGL 4730: American Novel to 1900 or ENGL 4740: Southern Literature or ENGL 4750: American Modernism or ENGL 4760: Contemporary American Literature or ENGL 4770: 20th-Century American Poetry or ENGL 4780: 20th-Century American Novel or ENGL 4790: Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4791: American Autobiography or ENGL 4795: Faulkner or ENGL 4860: Multicultural Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4874: Literature and the Civil War or ENGL 4880: Topics in African-American Literature or ENGL 4882W: Black Film Matters or ENGL 4883W: From Be-Bop to Hip-Hop or ENGL 4884: Contemporary African-American Writing

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Creative Writing

Intense focus on Creative Writing classes as well as the study  of classic and contemporary examples of creative literature. Contact: Professor Aruni Kashyap

• ENGL 3800W: Introduction to Creative Writing
• Two of the following: ENGL 4800W, ENGL 4801W, ENGL 4802W, ENGL 4803W, ENGL 4804W
• One Contemporary Literature or Genre class from the following list: ENGL 4660: 20th-Century British Poetry or  ENGL 4670: 20th-Century British Novel or ENGL 4675: Twenty-First Century British Fiction or ENGL 4680: Modern Irish Literature or ENGL 4690: Topics in 20th-Century British Literature or ENGL 4760: Contemporary American Literature or ENGL 4770: 20th-Century American Poetry or ENGL 4780: 20th-Century American Novel or ENGL 4790: Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4821: Poetics or ENGL 4860: Multicultural Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4864: History and Theory of the Novel or ENGL 4865: Topics in the Novel before 1900 or ENGL 4866: Topics in the Novel after 1900 or ENGL (AFAM) 4884: Contemporary African-American Writing

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Eighteenth-Century Literature

An area of emphasis in eighteenth-century British literature provides students a grounding in literary studies that can be applied to versatile fields, including law, literary studies, and business. The age witnessed the creation of the novel as a literary genre, the honing of ethics as a philosophical practice, the emergence of feminist discourse, and the rise of commercial culture and capitalism. The courses in this area will introduce you to the modern age (the age in which we still live) at its inception. 

• Choose four courses from the following list: ENGL 4333E/6333E: Shakespeare in the 18th Century or ENGL 4400/6400: Restoration and 18-Century English Drama or ENGL 4420/6420: Early 18th-Century Prose and Poetry or ENGL 4430: The 18th-Century English Novel or ENGL 4440: The Age of Johnson or ENGL 4450: The Global 18th Century or ENGL 4460: Women in the 18th Century or ENGL 4460E: Women of the Eighteenth Century online or ENGL 4480/6480: Scottish Literature of the Eighteenth Century or ENGL 4490: Topics in 18th-Century Literature or ENGL 4491/4491L: The 18th Century on Film or ENGL 4700: People of Paradox: American Colonial Voices

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English Language Studies

A sister-concentration to Linguistics. In this track, you will examine how English as a language functions and the interplay between language and literature. Contact: Dr. William Kretzschmar

• ENGL 4005: History of the English Language 
• Three classes from the following list: ENGL 3030: World Englishes: Language, Literature, and Pegagogy or LING 3150: Generative Syntax or ENGL 4010: American English or ENGL 4040: Language Use in the African American Community or ENGL 4050: Structure of African American English or ENGL 4060: Old English or ENGL 4100: Lexicography or ENGL 4110: English Grammar or ENGL 4170: Second Language Acquisition or ENGL 4190: Topics in English Language or ENGL 4886: Text and Corpus Analysis

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Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies

This Area of Emphasis will bring out your latent English nerd. If you love all things Renaissance -- history or the languages or even the fashions -- this cross-departmental concentration provides the ultimate foundation in Renaissance (or Early Modern) Studies. Contact: Dr. Sujata Iyengar 

• Four Renaissance classes, including either one Medieval class and one class from outside the department with a bearing on Renaissance Studies or two classes from outside the department with a bearing on Renaissance Studies

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Humanities Computing

This Area of Emphasis examines how English Studies work in new media and the digital age. 

• Any four Humanities Computing classes from the following list: ENGL 3410: Literature and Media or ENGL 3590W: Technical and Professional Communication or  ENGL 4832W: Writing for the World Wide Web or  ENGL 4837W: Digital Storytelling or ENGL(LING) 4886: Text and Corpus Analysis or  ENGL 4885: Intro to Humanities Computing or  ENGL 4888: Humanities Computing I or  ENGL 4889: Humanities Computing II

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Medieval Literature

Focuses on early literatures and languages from the British Isles, including work in Old English and Middle Welsh. Contact: Dr. Jonathan Evans.

• ENGL(LING) 4060:  Old English 
• Three more Old or Medieval English Literature Classes from the following list: ENGL 4197: Middle Welsh or ENGL 4210: Old English Literature or ENGL 4220: Beowulf or ENGL 4225: Age of Cathedrals: Literary Culture in the High Middle Ages or ENGL 4230: Medieval Literature or ENGL 4240: Chaucer or ENGL 4270: Medieval Romance or ENGL 4290: Topics in Medieval Literature or ENGL 4296: Literature of Medieval Wales

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Multicultural American Literature

Combines work in a variety of disciplines and examines the literary and artistic productions of peoples historically under-represented in English curricula. Contact: Dr. Carmen Comeaux

• ENGL 2400: Multicultural Literature in America or ENGL 3230: Development of African American Literature
• Choose three of the following courses, reflecting at least two ethnic groups, from the following list:ENGL 3880S: The Modern Civil Rights Movement in Literature and Culture or ENGL 4620: African American Poetry or ENGL 4630: African American Fiction or ENGL 4685: Postcolonial Literature or ENGL 4695: Topics in Postcolonial Literature or ENGL 4860: Multicultural Topics in American Literature or ENGL 4880: Topics in African American Literature or ENGL 4882W: Black Film Matters or ENGL 4883W: From Be-Bop to Hip-Hop or ENGL 4884: Topics in African American Literature
• One more class, this one from outside the English department. After consultation with your faculty mentor, choose one class with a Multicultural or Postcolonial focus in HIST, CMLT, RELI, Education, WMST, or POLS.

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Poetics

Poetry in theory and in practice from its ancient roots to the present day. Contact: Dr. Susan Rosenbaum

• ENGL 4821: Poetics or ENGL 4823: 20th-Century Poetics or ENGL 4824: Special Topics in Poetics
• One class in poetry before 1800 from the following list: ENGL 4060: Old English or ENGL 4210: Old English Literature or ENGL 4220: Beowulf or ENGL 4230/4230W: Medieval Literature or ENGL 4240/4240W: Chaucer or ENGL 4270: Medieval Romance or ENGL 4296: Literature of Medieval Wales or ENGL 4300/4300W: Elizabethan Poetry or ENGL 4320/4320W: Shakespeare I or  ENGL 4330/4330W/4330E/4330S: Shakespeare II or ENGL 4340: Renaissance Drama or  ENGL 4350: 17th-Century Poetry or ENGL 4370: Milton or a topics course with a focus on poetry before 1800
• One class in poetry after 1800 from the following list: ENGL 4500: Romantic Literature or ENGL 4501: Romantic Circles (when appropriate) or  ENGL 4540: Victorian Poetry or ENGL/AFAM 4620: African American Poetry or ENGL 4660: 20th-Century British Poetry or ENGL 4770: 20th-Century American Poetry or a topics course with a focus on poetry after 1800 
• One additional English class centered on poetry or poetics. For instance, a class from the lists above or ENGL 3050: Intro to Poetry or ENGL 4800W: Advanced Creative Writing with a specified poetry or poetics focus or any ENGL topics class with a poetry or poetics focus

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Rhetoric and Composition

This Area of Emphasis looks at what writing is and means. In this concentration you will examine how the way a thing is stated or formed affects/reflects meaning within the composition itself and the cultural circumstances that produced it as well. 

• Three courses from the following list: ENGL 3590: Technical and Professional Communication or ENGL 3600W: Advanced Composition or ENGL 3850S: Writing and Community or ENGL 3860W: Science Writing for General Audiences or  ENGL 4830W: Advanced Studies in Writing or ENGL 4831: Advanced Studies in Writing: the Critical Essay or ENGL 4832: Writing for the World Wide Web or ENGL 4833: Composition Theory and Pedagogy or ENGL 4836: Writing About Health and Medicine or ENGL 4837: Digital Storytelling
• The fourth class may also come from the following list: ENGL/LING 4170: Second Language Acquisition or ENGL 4810: Literary Magazine Editing and Publishing or ENGL 4820: Literary Theory or ENGL 4822: Texts, Sex, and Gender or ENGL 4825: Topics in Literary Theory or  ENGL 4840: Internship in Literary Media (requires prior approval from the Undergraduate Office) or ENGL 4888: Humanities Computing or LLED 4450: Language and Literacy Education or COMM 4200: Introduction to Rhetorical Theory or COMM 4220: Argumentation

Students are encouraged to take a 5th course from the following list: ELAN 4450: Teaching Writing in the Secondary School or JOUR 3410: New Writing and Reporting or JOUR 3410H: News Writing and Reporting

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Studies in the Novel

This Area of Emphasis examines what makes "the novel" unique within English Studies, studying examples of the novel from the inception of the genre through contemporary explorations of what the medium can do. Contact: Dr. Richard Menke

• ENGL 4864: History and Theory of the Novel (offered every Fall)
• One Class in the Novel Before 1900: ENGL 4430: 18th-Century English Novel or ENGL 4520: 19th-Century British Novel or ENGL 4730: American Novel to 1900 or ENGL 4505: Jane Austen or ENGL 4525W: Dickens or ENGL 4721: Mark Twain or ENGL 4723: Melville or ENGL 4865: Topics in the Novel before 1900
• One Class in the Novel After 1900: ENGL 4670: 20th-Century British Novel or ENGL 4675: 21st-Century British Fiction or ENGL 4685: Postcolonial Literature or ENGL 4690: Topics in Twentieth-century British Literature or ENGL 4698: James Joyce or ENGL 4760: Contemporary American Literature or ENGL 4780: 20th-Century American Novel or ENGL 4795: William Faulkner or ENGL 4866: Topics in the Novel after 1900
• One additional English class in the Novel, includes all of the above plus any of the following: ENGL 4630: African American Fiction or ENGL 4640 Film as Literature (when appropriate per topic) or  ENGL 4720: American Realism and Naturalism or ENGL 4876 Fantasy Literature)

Areas of Emphasis are primarily intended as a student's self-advisement tools, ways of planning and tracking progress of study within the English Major as a whole. As such, please note that because of budgetary and staffing constraints, we cannot guarantee that students who have declared an area of emphasis will be able to complete it in any given year. Any student wishing to pursue an Area of Emphasis should see either the Undergraduate Coordinator or Administrative Coordinator for advisement at the start of the third year of study.

Please note the following: courses outside the English major may have lower division prerequisites. Check the University Bulletin to find out what prerequisites you may need in order to enroll in courses outside of the English Major.

Also note: while many Graduate Level Courses are accepted for various Areas of Emphasis, only 3 Graduate Level Courses in total may be applied toward an Undergraduate Degree at the University of Georgia.

For all Areas of Emphasis, if students feel that a course they have taken for the English Major should apply towards an Area of Emphasis, they may petition the Undergraduate Committee and appropriate area faculty for the course's inclusion within their Area of Emphasis work.