Location: 4 Maes Building, Phone: (409)880-8558
Chair: Steve Zani
Chair E-mail: steven.zani@lamar.edu
Director of Writing: Jim Sanderson
Location: 03 Maes Building, Phone: (409)880-8555
Director of Writing Center: Melissa Hudler
Location: 1st Floor, John Gray Library, Phone: (409)880-8587
Director of Lamar Language Institute: Lisa Moseley
Location: Montagne 106A, Phone: (409) 880-8012
Degree Coordinators:
Spanish degree coordinator: Norma Zarzosa
French degree coordinator: Kenneth Rivers
The mission of the Department of English, Modern Languages and Philosophy is to provide superior teaching, research and service. The faculty seeks to develop student literary comprehension, creative and critical thinking, and writing and communicative abilities in a range of diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. The department is committed to fostering sound liberal arts academic experience and preparing graduates to meet the educational, professional and cultural needs of the region and beyond. The Department of English and Modern Languages emphasizes excellent teaching in a variety of languages and literatures. The Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees are available in English. Scholarly interests of members of the department include old and middle English, the Renaissance, Shakespeare, eighteenth century studies, English and American romanticism, the Victorian age, contemporary English and American literature, African American literature, West Indian literature and Rhetoric and Composition. In addition to the study of English and American literature through courses organized by genre, period, and individual author, the student may explore the history and structure of language and the crafts of both creative and technical writing. The Bachelor of Arts degree is available in both French and Spanish, enabling the student to acquire competence in conversation and composition in these languages as well as familiarity with their literature and culture. The department also offers courses in German and minors in philosophy, French, Spanish, Writing and English.
Majors frequently certify for secondary public school teaching in conjunction with earning the Bachelor of Arts degree in English, French or Spanish. However many others pursue the degree as part of their liberal arts educational goals and go on to careers in business or government service or to graduate study or law school. A degree in a foreign language is especially valuable for those anticipating foreign service employment in the public or private sector. The English writing concentration as well as modern languages and philosophy can combine with other majors to improve marketability.
The English program endeavors to advance the study and appreciation of the English language as a tool for scholarly analysis, criticism, creativity and communication. The program also seeks to help students understand literature as an expression of aesthetic and humanistic values.
Bachelor of Arts in English – 121 hours
Teacher Certification in English Language Arts and Reading 8-12
Minor in English – 27 hours, with at least 6 hours at the 4000 level
Minor in Writing – 24 hours, of which nine must be chosen from certain advanced level courses
Minor in Philosophy – 18 hours
Bachelor of Arts in French – 121 hours
Minor in French – 21 hours
Teacher Certification in French 8-12
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish – 121 hours
Teacher Certification in Spanish 8-12
Minor in Spanish – 21 hours
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in English combines general requirements, including the Core Curriculum, with its emphasis on ways of knowing, and the more specialized study within the major:
To become certified in Texas, students must complete an undergraduate degree, pass state exams in both a subject area and in pedagogy, and must comply with other state requirements. Students wishing to teach English in Texas must choose either the teacher certification program for English Language Arts/Reading Grades 4-8 or for English Language Arts/Reading Grades 8-12. The Grades 4-8 certification program is offered only in the College of Education and Human Development. The Grades 8-12 certification program is offered only in the Department of English and Modern Languages.
Students wishing Grades 8-12 certification should major in English and receive a Bachelor of Arts in English with certification. Along with completion of all university core curriculum requirements, English Language Arts/Reading Grades 8-12 certification students must complete 27 additional hours of English courses (see Specific Course Requirements below), 9 hours in academic electives, 18 hours in academic foundations, and all work required in profession pedagogy (including student teaching). These students must also comply with all current departmental/university state exam preparation/remediation policies in order to receive permission to take the English Language Arts/Reading Grades 8-12 state certification exam.
Course Requirements for Certification English Language Arts and Reading (8-12)
All students (including those in other fields) must be advised in the English department to ensure that they receive up-to-date information about English Language Arts/Reading 8-12 state exam content and test preparation.
Suggested Program of Study
Bachelor of Arts in English – Total Min. Hours: 121
No grade less than a “C”
A minor in English requires 18 hours above the 9-hour core composition and sophomore literature requirements, with at least 6 hours at the advanced 4000-level.
• may include 1 additional sophomore literature course
• must include 1 advanced 3000 or 4000-level British literature course
• must include 1 advanced 3000 or 4000-level American literature course
• must include 1 advanced 3000 or 4000-level Genre or World literature course
• must include 2 additional advanced 3000 or 4000-level literature and/or
linguistics courses
No grade less than “C”
A minor in writing requires 18 hours above 6-hour core curriculum composition requirement, of which 9 hours must be chosen from the following advanced level creative, technical, or critical writing courses:
• ENGL 3326 Advanced Expository Writing
• ENGL 3350 Creative Writing: Poetry
• ENGL 3350 Creative Writing: Fiction
• ENGL 4345 Writing Seminar: Poetry
• ENGL 4345 Writing Seminar: Fiction
• ENGL 3310 Technical Report Writing
• ENGL 4355 Editing Technical Communications
• ENGL 4361 Documentation Design
No grade less than “C”
Students who wish to minor in philosophy must complete 18 hours of course in philosophy while adhering to the following guidelines:
• PHIL 1370 or PHIL 1360 Philosophy of Knowledge (or approved transfer core curriculum equivalent)
• PHIL 2303 Logic
• PHIL 2306 Ethics
• Nine hours of advanced 3000- or 4000-level Philosophy course work
The modern languages program strives to promote the study of languages, literature and communication, to develop cultural awareness, and to encourage an appreciation of international values.
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in French combines general requirements, including the Core Curriculum with its emphasis on ways of knowing, and the more specialized study within the major (121 hours):
Students wishing to certify with French as the primary teaching field should major in the Department of English and Modern Languages and receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in French.
Those receiving the Bachelor of Arts in French with a certificate-secondary take the same core curriculum and departmental foundations outlined in Bachelor of Arts-French and similar “major” studies.
In addition, these students must complete all required courses in professional pedagogy, including student teaching, must comply with all current departmental/university state preparation/remediation policies, and must pass appropriate local and state qualifying examinations.
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Spanish combines general requirements, including the Core Curriculum with its emphasis on ways of knowing, and the more specialized study within the major (121 hours):
Students wishing to certify with Spanish as the primary teaching field should major in the Department of English and Modern Languages and receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish.
Those receiving the Bachelor of Arts-Spanish with provisional certificate-secondary take the same core curriculum and academic foundation requirements outlined in Bachelor of Arts-Spanish; and the same major requirements (see above), plus the following required course: SPAN 4370: Special Topics: Issues in Spanish Language and Literature.
In addition, these students must complete all required courses in professional pedagogy, including student teaching, must comply with all current departmental/university ExCET preparation/remediation policies, and must pass appropriate local and state qualifying examinations.
For requirements for elementary teacher certification with Spanish specialization, consult the College of Education and Human Development.
The improvement of basic composition skills as required by the state’s Success Initiative Plan. The course is a prerequisite to ENGL 1301 for all students who do not pass the writing component of the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) exam; students must enroll in developmental writing until they pass the course with a grade of C or better or pass their retake of the writing component of the THEA exam. The course neither satisfies general degree requirements for freshman English nor counts toward graduation hours. However, a student’s final grade in the course is both computed into the student’s GPA and recorded on the student’s official transcript.
The graduate program of the Department of English and Modern Languages offers opportunity for intensive study of language and literature. Scholarly interests of members of the department include old and middle English, the Renaissance, Shakespeare, eighteenth century studies, English and American romanticism, the Victorian age, modern English and American literature, African American and Carribean literatures, and comparative literature. In addition to the study of literature through courses organized by genre, period and individual author, the student may explore the history and structure of language and language acquisition and the crafts of both creative and technical writing.
Degree Requirements
The degree of Master of Arts in English requires the completion of 30 semester hours of graduate work: 24 in English (or 18 with an approved six-hour minor), and six in thesis. In general, students are encouraged to emphasize graduate seminars (courses numbered 5000 or above) in their graduate coursework. In the non-thesis alternative, 12 semester hours of coursework may be substituted for the thesis. The creative thesis, as well as the traditional critical thesis, is an option.
All students must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5/4.0 overall or on the last 60 hours of undergraduate courses. In addition, international students must score at least 550 on the TOEFL before admission. Students interested in pursuing an M.A. degree in English whose undergraduate major was not English should consult the English department chair.
Depending on the student’s undergraduate course work, the graduate program in English will ordinarily include English 5330, 5385, and two courses from 5350, 5360, 5370, 5380 or 5311.