English

Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences  

The Department of English offers a broad range of courses in English, American and Anglophone literature of all periods and genres, and in related areas such as creative and expository writing, literature and visual arts, ethnic literature and cultural studies, history of the English language and of literary criticism, and literary and cultural theory. Instructors assign extensive reading and writing in order to help students become perceptive readers, critical thinkers and strong writers. Class sizes are kept at 19 to enable full discussion in literature classes and at 12 in creative writing workshops.

Taper Hall of Humanities 404
(213) 740-2808
Email: english@dornsife.usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/engl

Chair: David St. John, MFA

Faculty

University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature and Professor of English and Art History: Leo Braudy, PhD* (English)

University Professor and Aerol Arnold Chair of English and Professor of English, American Studies & Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature: Viet Thanh Nguyen, PhD*

University Professor and Professor of English and Comparative Literature: David St. John, MFA

Distinguished Professors of English: Aimee Bender, MFA; Percival Everett, MA

USC Associates Chair in Humanities and Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature: John Carlos Rowe, PhD

Provost Professor of Art History and English: Kate Flint, PhD (Art History)

Provost Professor of Humanities and Arts: Enrique T. Martinez Celaya, MFA

Dean’s Professor of English and Professor of English and Theatre: Bruce Smith, PhD

Gender Studies Professor in Media and Gender and Professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Gender Studies: Joseph A. Boone, PhD

Writers in Residence: Geoffrey Dyer, BA; Robin Coste Lewis, PhD

Professors: Emily Anderson, PhD*; PhD; Mark Irwin, PhD; Rebecca Lemon, PhD; Susan McCabe, PhD; Edwin McCann, PhD* (Philosophy); Heather James, PhD*; Dana Johnson, MFA; Maggie Nelson, PhD; David Rollo, PhD*; David Román, PhD*; Margaret E. Russett, PhD; Hilary M. Schor, PhD; Andrew Stott, PhD; Daniel Tiffany, PhD; Karen L. Tongson, PhD; David Treuer, PhD

Associate Professors: Marjorie Becker, PhD (History); Ashley Cohen, PhD; Alice Gambrell, PhD*; Devin Griffiths, PhD; Thomas Gustafson, PhD*; William R. Handley, PhD; Zakiyyah Iman Jackson, PhD; Anna Journey, PhD; Anthony Kemp, PhD; Melissa Daniels-Rauterkus, PhD; Danzy Senna, MFA; Elda María Román, PhD

Assistant Professors: Corrine Collins, PhD, Sarah Kessler, PhD; Jonathan James Leal, PhD  

Professors of the Practice: Andrew Chater, MA; Brighde Mullins, MFA; David Ulin, BA

Professors (Teaching): Mary A. Bendall, MA; Christopher Freeman, PhD; Susan Segal, MFA; Thea Tomaini, PhD

Associate Professor of the Practice: M.G. Lord, MFA

Associate Professor (Teaching): Richard Berg, PhD

Assistant Professor (Teaching): Kerry Brian Ingram, MFA

Assistant Professor (Teaching): Beatrice Sanford Russell, PhD

Adjunct Professors of the Practice: Richard Fliegel, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor of the Practice: Hiram Sims, MPW

Lecturers: Neelanjana Banerjee; MFA; Sara Sligar, PhD; Erika Wrght, PhD

Emeritus: Paul K. Alkon, PhD; Charles B. Berryman, PhD; T. Coraghessan Boyle, PhD; Joseph Dane, PhD; William H. Brown, PhD; David Eggenschwiler, PhD; Donald C. Freeman, PhD; Lawrence Green, PhD; James R. Kincaid, PhD; Jay Martin, PhD; Tania Modleski, PhD; Stephen C. Moore, PhD; Marjorie Perloff, PhD; Max F. Schulz, PhD; Virginia J. Tufte, PhD*

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Undergraduate Degrees

Advisement

During the mandatory advisement period, all students must meet with a faculty mentors before registering for courses each semester. With the support of faculty, undergraduate studies coordinators help students shape their majors according to their evolving interests, the requirements of the majors, and the requirements of the university. Students should consult the undergraduate studies coordinators about departmental clearances and course substitutions.

Double Majors

The department strongly encourages majoring in both English and in another department in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences or in another school of the university.

English Honors Program

Candidates for the BA in English can receive a designation on their transcripts of departmental honors by successfully completing a senior honors thesis while enrolled in ENGL 496 , and having a 3.5 final GPA. ENGL 491 Senior Seminar in Literary Studies  is a prerequisite for ENGL 496 . Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.5 in English courses can apply for ENGL 496 ; application is due at the start of fall semester of senior year. For additional information, contact a departmental adviser or the director of undergraduate studies.

Graduate Degrees

Admission Requirements

Requirements for admission to study in the department of English include: evidence of competence in writing English and interpreting English literature, as demonstrated by two samples of written work by the applicant on literary subjects; a satisfactory written statement by the applicant of aims and interests in graduate work; letters of recommendation from at least three college instructors (English instructors preferred); and grades satisfactory to the department earned by the applicant at other institutions.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to The Graduate School  section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Common Requirements

Transfer of Credit

A Transfer Credit Statement is prepared by the Degree Progress Department for students admitted to full graduate standing. The application of any available transfer credit is contingent on successful completion of the screening procedure and is determined by the director of graduate studies no later than the end of the second year according to the following guidelines: credit will only be allowed for courses (1) from accredited graduate schools; (2) of grade B (3.0 on a four-point scale) or better; (3) constituting a fair and reasonable equivalent to current USC course work at the graduate level and fitting into the program for the degree; and (4) approved by the Graduate School. Graduate transfer credit will not be granted for life experience, credit by examination, non-credit extension courses, correspondence courses or thesis course supervision.

The maximum number of transfer credits that may be applied toward the Master of Arts degree is 4 units. The maximum number of transfer credits that may be applied toward the PhD degree is 12 units. The Graduate School stipulates that transfer units must have been completed within 10 years of admission for the doctoral program to be applied toward the degree.

Experience in Teaching

This requirement may be fulfilled by one or more years’ service as an assistant lecturer in the Writing Program or equivalent experience as determined by the director of the Graduate Studies Program.

Graduate Activity and Support

The English Department is committed to the development of its graduate students as professionals. To this end, the department provides a number of opportunities for professional activity. In addition, the Association of English Graduate Students (AEGS) hosts a variety of lectures, discussions and forums throughout the year. To support the student’s professional activities outside of USC, the department also provides some funding for travel to conferences and professional meetings, along with a full range of placement, advising and support activities. Graduate creative writing students will host lectures, discussions and forums in poetry and fiction studies.

Programs

Bachelor’s Degree

• •  English (BA)
• •  Narrative Studies (BA)

Minor

• •  Cultural Studies Minor
• •  Early Modern Studies Interdisciplinary Minor
• •  English Minor

Interdisciplinary Minors

• •  Narrative Structure Interdisciplinary Minor

Master’s Degree

• •  English (MA)
• •  Literary Editing and Publishing (MA)

Doctoral Degree

• •  English and American Literature (PhD)
• •  Literature and Creative Writing (PhD)

Courses

English

• •  ENGL 507 Rhetoric and Language
• •  ENGL 508 History, Theories and Practice of Cultural Studies
• •  ENGL 510 Medieval English Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 520 Renaissance English Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 530 Restoration and 18th Century British Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 535 Literatures and Cultures of the Romantic Period
• •  ENGL 536 Literatures and Cultures of the Victorian Period
• •  ENGL 540 19th Century British Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 550 20th Century British Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 560 Early American Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 563 Poetry and Prose Into Drama
• •  ENGL 570 18th Century American Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 580 19th Century American Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 590 Directed Research
• •  ENGL 591 20th Century American Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 592 Contemporary British and American Literatures and Cultures
• •  ENGL 593 Practicum in Teaching English and Narrative Studies
• •  ENGL 595 Literary Studies Across Cultures
• •  ENGL 596 Internship for Curricular Practical Training
• •  ENGL 599 Special Topics
• •  ENGL 600 Publication in Humanities Journals
• •  ENGL 601 Introduction to Literary Editing and Publishing
• •  ENGL 602 Writers in the World: Text and Context
• •  ENGL 603 The Editorial Experience: The Craft of Publication
• •  ENGL 604 The Nonfiction Experience: A Literary-Editorial Focus
• •  ENGL 605 The History of Rhetoric
• •  ENGL 606a The Literary Landscape: Digital Toolkit
• •  ENGL 606b The Literary Landscape: Digital Toolkit
• •  ENGL 607 Digital Publishing and Literary Writing for New Media
• •  ENGL 608 Publishing on Both Sides of the Transom
• •  ENGL 609a Internship in Editing and Publishing: Eloquence and Ethics
• •  ENGL 609b Internship in Editing and Publishing: Eloquence and Ethics
• •  ENGL 610 Theory and Criticism
• •  ENGL 612 History of the Book and Material Bibliography
• •  ENGL 620 Literature and Interdisciplinary Studies
• •  ENGL 630 Studies in Gender
• •  ENGL 640 Individual Writers
• •  ENGL 650 Multicultural Literary Studies
• •  ENGL 660 Studies in Genre
• •  ENGL 678 Seminar in Film Theory and Medium Specificity
• •  ENGL 679 Seminar in Genre and/or Narrative Theory
• •  ENGL 693 Graduate Nonfiction Form and Theory
• •  ENGL 694 Graduate Nonfiction Writing Workshop
• •  ENGL 695 Graduate Fiction Form and Theory
• •  ENGL 696 Graduate Poetry Writing Workshop
• •  ENGL 697 Graduate Fiction Writing Workshop
• •  ENGL 698 Graduate Poetry Form and Theory
• •  ENGL 700x Theories and Practices of Professional Development I
• •  ENGL 701x Theories and Practices of Professional Development II
• •  ENGL 790 Research
• •  ENGL 794a Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ENGL 794b Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ENGL 794c Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ENGL 794d Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ENGL 794z Doctoral Dissertation