Sep 30, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Department of English


Lynda Hall, Ph.D., Chair

Professors: Axelrod, Barnard, Bausch, Kozameh, Leahy, Lehnhof, Nakell, Paterno, Ruppel, Zoellner;
Associate Professors: Hall, Levin, Magosaki, Osborn;
Instructional Associate Professors: Glaser, Van Meter;
Assistant Professors: Goodman, Ho, Hudson, Matzke, Rivera;
Instructional Assistant Professors: Dressel, Lewis, Read-Davidson.

The Department of English at Chapman University encourages students to read widely and deeply, to write boldly and thoughtfully, and to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship and creative activity. Coursework ranges across literature, rhetoric, and cultural studies; creative writing; journalism; digital humanities; and creative and cultural industries. Our English students and faculty explore and create the stories that shape our worlds.

Undergraduate students may pursue a BFA in Creative Writing or a BA in English with an area of study in either literature, rhetoric, and cultural studies, or journalism. Minors in English, journalism, rhetoric and composition, and visual journalism are also available to students majoring in fields across the university.

Our graduate students pursue an MA in English, an MFA in Creative Writing, or a unique “Dual-Degree” program that combines the two. Students in the MFA can focus on fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or screenwriting and are encouraged to work in more than one genre. All our graduate students take courses in and across specialized areas that include literature, theory, rhetoric and composition and digital humanities.

The Department of English also offers an integrated undergraduate/graduate program. This program enables Chapman students to begin taking graduate coursework during the senior year of their B.A. program and to complete the M.A. the following year.

English is particularly useful as a double major or minor in combination with areas such as graphic design, media and digital arts, business, social work, government, pre-law, and pre-med. English alumni employ their highly sought-after reasoning, analysis, creative, and communication skills as editors, social media coordinators, community organizers, marketing and advertising executives, fundraisers, grant writers, public relations specialists, software developers, reporters, technical writers, librarians, teachers, and professors.

Additional Opportunities
In addition to an outstanding, agile curriculum, the major in English at Chapman offers students many co- and extra-curricular opportunities, including the following:

·         Sigma Tau Delta, National English Honors Society.

·         Summer courses taught abroad.

·         Experience tutoring in the Writing Center.

·         Internships in schools, news organizations, and corporations.

·         Events, readings, and talks with visiting authors.

·         “The Panther” student newspaper.

·         “ChapBook”: Chapman’s only student-run quarterly magazine.

·         Collegiate News Service, in partnership with ”Voice of OC,”

·         “Calliope,” Chapman’s student-run literary journal.

·         “Ouroboros Magazine,” a student-run journal dedicated to speculative fiction.

·         Annual Pub(lishing) Crawl.

·         John Fowles Center for Creative Writing and the Literary Arts Reading Series.

·         “MANTISSA”: The Literary Journal of the John Fowles Center

·         Tabula Poetica: The Center for Poetry at Chapman University and the visiting poets series.

·         “Tab Journal,” an international journal of poetry and poetics.


Creative Writing, M.F.A.

The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. The M.F.A. is a terminal degree and qualifies the holder to teach at the college and university level. (See the Graduate catalog for more details.)

 

English, M.A.

The Master of Arts in English program provides quality instruction and personal guidance from experienced, nationally-known scholars and creative writers. The master’s degree offers the academic credentials necessary for community college teaching and preparation for doctoral study as well as a rich background for teachers and professionals at all levels.

Students in the MA and MFA program have the opportunity to apply to become a Graduate Student Instructor.  (See the Graduate catalog for more details.)

 

Departmental Honors

The department faculty awards departmental honors to students who have demonstrated outstanding work in their area. Requirements for consideration are nomination by a faculty member and a GPA in the top 25% of students in the major.

Degrees

    Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Fine ArtsMinorIntegrated Program

    Courses

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