CRES COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

UA's Graduate Catalog website contains a complete listing of current 500 and 600 level English courses. CRES course listings begin with EN 512: Computers and Writing and are scattered throughout this list. Many, but not all, of the 600 level CRES seminars occur in the 651 to 659 range. Below are catalog descriptions for all current courses CRES along with any general English graduate level courses required for either the M.A. or Ph.D. specialization. For extended course descriptions of classes being offered each semester, check the English Department home page.

500 level

• EN 512 Computers and Writing. Three hours.
  A survey of how computers can be used to help students improve their writing and to help teachers improve their writing instruction.
• EN 532 Approaches to Teaching Composition. Three hours.
  A study of the basic pedagogical approaches to teaching expository writing in secondary and higher education, along with examination of traditional conventions as well as innovative pedagogical approaches used in such instruction. Work with course goals, objectives, and writing outcomes, syllabus and writing assignment construction, training in assessing student writing. Required of all graduate assistants in English.
• EN 533 Practicum in Teaching College English 101. One hour.
  Fall semester only. Required of all graduate assistants teaching EN 101 for the first time. Training in reaching EN 101 course goals and writing outcomes. Please note: EN 533 begins with a required one-week orientation session immediately prior to the start of the fall semester. Orientation attendance is mandatory for retaining a graduate assistantship.
• EN 534 Practicum in Teaching College English 102. One hour.
  Spring semester only. Required of all graduate assistants teaching EN 102 for the first time. Training in reaching EN 102 course goals and writing outcomes. Further instruction in teaching formal argumentation and advanced research techniques.
• EN 537 Introduction to Graduate Studies. Three hours.
  Topics to be proposed by faculty each semester. Typical topics include literacy theory, theoretical perspectives on basic writers, and computers and literacy.
• EN 538 Research and Critical Prose Workshop. Three hours.
  A writing workshop normally taken after 18 hours, this course is designed to encourage the student to draft and revise a substantial critical paper with the benefit of peer critiques.
• EN 599 Thesis Research (M.A.). Variable credit.



600 level

• EN 638 History of Rhetoric and Composition I: Ancient Greece to the Renaissance. Three hours.
  This seminar covers rhetorical texts from ancient Greece to the Renaissance, particularly texts having influence on today's field of composition.
• EN 639 Seminar in Special Topics in Rhetoric and Composition. Three hours.
  Topics to be proposed by faculty each semester. Typical topics include literacy theory, theoretical perspectives on basic writers, and computers and literacy. Recent topics include Community Literacy, Rhetoric and the Public Sphere, and Teaching Basic and Developmental Writing.
• EN 651 Politics and Writing Pedagogy. Three hours.
  An introduction to the theories and practices of pedagogical politics as they impact teaching, learning, and power relations in the composition classroom.
• EN 652 Theories of Teaching Composition. Three hours.
  A survey of major theories in composition studies, exploring philosophical underpinnings and major issues in the field.
• EN 653 Composition/Rhetoric Research Methodology. Three hours.
  The study of empirical research methods as well as practice using methodological frameworks employed in composition/rhetoric research reports and designs.
• EN 654 Seminar in Visual and Digital Rhetoric. Three hours.
  This seminar focuses on understanding what rhetoric is and how to identify it in visual and digital "texts." It explores how to use rhetoric as a pedagogical tool for incorporating visual elements into composition classes.
• EN 658 History of Rhetoric and Composition II: The Renaissance to the Postmodern Era. Three hours.
  This seminar covers rhetorical texts from the Renaissance to the Postmodern era, particularly texts having influence on today's field of composition.
• EN 659 Writing Program Administration. Three hours.
  Introduction to the intellectual work of Writing Program Administration, including methodologies, rhetorical strategies, and analytic tools used in running a Writing Program.
• EN 698 Research Not Related to Dissertation (M.F.A./Ph.D.). Variable credit.
• EN 699 Dissertation Research (M.F.A./Ph.D.). Variable credit.
  (Three-hour minimum enrollment required for Ph.D. students.)