Introductory English Classes 
English 401
English 401 is designed to help students become better able to use writing for academic, professional, and personal goals. The course is part of a university-wide effort, lasting all four undergraduate years, which offers multiple opportunities for students to develop their writing skills. The Undergraduate Composition Program also shares with the wider university community a commitment to developing the habits of mind that constitute critical thinking. Specifically, the program encourages students to move beyond a passive view of learning, where knowledge is simply received, to one where students assume the intellectual and ethical responsibility to construct meaning—to frame interpretations, to explore multiple perspectives, to defend assertions, and to relate the new to the known.
English 401: First-Year Writing
Course Description
English 401 Mission Statement and Guidelines
Contact Person: Professor Thomas Carnicelli
Introductory Writing Courses beyond ENGL 401
English 501, 502, and 503 are all courses that are appropriate follow-up courses to English 401. Many programs on campus require that their students take a second semester of a writing course, and any of these courses would satisfy that requirement. English 501 trains students in various forms of creative nonfiction writing, and it is a pre-requisite for taking journalism and fiction writing classes (you must earn a B or better in order to advance to these classes). It is also a requirement for declaring the English/Journalism major (again, a B or better is required). English 502 explores the world of technical writing, which is appropriate for nearly all majors on campus since nearly all professions require some amount of related writing. English 503, Persuasive Writing, is particularly appropriate for students who wish to learn how to use language to make a clear and convincing argument--business students and any liberal arts major would find this particularly beneficial.
English 501: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
English 502: Technical Writing
English 503: Persuasive Writing
Course Descriptions
Contact Person: Professor Thomas Carnicelli
Introductory Literature Course
English 419 is a wonderful introduction to the scholarly study of literature, and the gateway course to English Department major declaration. It provides basic training in how to read and interpret literary texts, the essential groundwork students will need in order to be successful in upper-level literature courses. 419 is a pre-requisite for taking poetry writing classes and for declaring the English, English Literature, and English Teaching majors.