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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2010-11 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

English

In this section:

Bachelor of Arts in English

Minor in English or in Creative Writing

Master of Arts in English

Doctor of Philosophy in English

Overseas Studies Courses in English

Up one level:

School of Humanities and Sciences

Emeriti: (Professors) George H. Brown, W. B. Carnochan, John Felstiner, Charles N. Fifer, Albert J. Gelpi, Barbara C. Gelpi, David Halliburton, Shirley Heath, John L'Heureux, Herbert Lindenberger, John Loftis, Thomas C. Moser, Nancy H. Packer, Marjorie G. Perloff, Robert M. Polhemus, Arnold Rampersad, Ronald A. Rebholz, David R. Riggs, Lawrence V. Ryan, Wilfred H. Stone, Elizabeth C. Traugott, Wesley Trimpi; (Associate Professor) Sandra Drake; (Professor, Teaching) Larry Friedlander; (Senior Lecturer) Helen B. Brooks

Chair: Jennifer Summit

Director of Creative Writing Program: Eavan Boland

Director of Program in Writing and Rhetoric: Nicholas Jenkins

Professors: John B. Bender (English, Comparative Literature), Eavan Boland, Terry Castle, W. S. Di Piero (on leave Autumn), J. Martin Evans, Kenneth W. Fields, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Denise Gigante (on leave Autumn), Roland Greene (English, Comparative Literature), Ursula Heise, Gavin Jones (on leave), Andrea A. Lunsford, Franco Moretti (English, Comparative Literature), Stephen Orgel, Patricia A. Parker (English, Comparative Literature), Peggy Phelan (English, Drama), Nancy Ruttenburg, Ramón Saldívar (English, Comparative Literature), Jennifer Summit, Elizabeth Tallent, Tobias Wolff

Associate Professors: Michele Elam, Blair Hoxby, Nicholas Jenkins, Adam Johnson, Paula Moya, Blakey Vermeule (on leave), Alex Woloch (on leave)

Assistant Professors: Claire Jarvis, Michelle Karnes, Saikat Majumdar, G. Vaughn Rasberry, Stephen Sohn, Hannah Sullivan

Senior Lecturers: Judith Richardson, Christopher Rovee

Courtesy Professors: David Palumbo-Liu, Bryan Wolf

Courtesy Associate Professor: Joshua Landy

Lecturers: Molly Antopol-Johnson, Harriet Clark, Marvin Diogenes, Keith Ekiss, John Evans, Sarah Frisch, Andrew Goldstone, Danielle Heard, Skip Horack, Maria Hummel, Scott Hutchins, Matthew Jockers, Tom Kealey, Ammi Keller, Peter Kline, David MacDonald, Sarah Michas-Martin, Hilton Obenzinger, Stephanie Soileau, Justin St. Germain, Alice Staveley, Shimon Tanaka, Karen Zumhagen-Yekplé

Consulting Professors: Valerie Miner, Carol Shloss

Visiting Professors: Charles Baxter, Stephen Dobyns, Nicholas Halmi

Department Offices: Building 460, Room 201

Mail Code: 94305-2087

Phone: (650) 723-2635

Web Site: http://english.stanford.edu

Courses offered by the Department of English are listed under the subject code ENGLISH on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

The world is saturated with the written word. The English Department studies the culture of the word in its most sophisticated form, literature, with a focus on literary traditions in English across a range of media. The department's courses emphasize interpretive thinking and creative writing, examining the dynamics of literary and cultural history, the structures of literary form and genre, and the practices of reading, writing, and critical analysis. The undergraduate English major provides an excellent background for many professional fields, including law, education, writing, publishing, medicine, and technology. The graduate program features rigorous training in the research and analysis of British, American, and Anglophone literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance, and to teach literature at the highest levels.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:

  1. an understanding of major theories, methods, and concepts of literary study and critical analysis.
  2. an awareness of how authors and texts develop in relation to their historical contexts.
  3. a comprehension of the formal qualities of key literary genres, forms, and styles. Alternatively, students pursuing the creative writing emphasis can offer a writing sample that develops particular literary genres or forms.
  4. a critical ability to evaluate and appreciate the aesthetic and cultural achievement of literary texts.
  5. an effective style of writing and a powerful use of language.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH

In the undergraduate program, students explore the traditions of literature in English. Courses emphasize interpretive thinking and creative writing, examining the dynamics of literary and cultural history, the structures of literary form and genre, and the practices of reading, writing, and critical analysis.

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH

The graduate program features rigorous training in the research and analysis of British, American and Anglophone literary histories and texts, preparing students to produce scholarship of originality and importance, and to teach literature at advanced levels.

OTHER PROGRAMS IN ENGLISH

Ph.D. in English and Humanities—The department participated in the Graduate Program in Humanities leading to a Ph.D. degree in English and Humanities. At this time, the option is available only to students already enrolled in the Graduate Program in Humanities; no new students are being accepted. The University remains committed to a broad-based graduate education in the humanities; the courses, colloquium, and symposium continue to be offered, and the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages provides advising for students already enrolled who may contact DLCL Student Affairs at 650-724-1333 or dlcl@stanford.edu for further information. Courses are listed under the subject code HUMNTIES and may be viewed on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature—Stanford also offers a Ph.D. degree in Modern Thought and Literature. Under this program, students devote approximately half of their time to a modern literature from the Enlightenment to the present, and the other half to interdisciplinary studies. Interested students should see the "Modern Thought and Literature" section of this bulletin and consult the director of the program.

Creative Writing Fellowships—The Creative Writing Program each year offers five two-year fellowships in poetry and five two-year fellowships in fiction. These are not degree-granting fellowships. Information is available in the Creative Writing office, (650) 725-1208.

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