• The instructor will assemble a group of texts that will allow students to meet the objectives and specifications of the course. No specific texts are required.

• A tightly focused examination of a select aspect of language studies and/or rhetoric.  The topic for this course varies.  Course may be repeated for credit as topic varies.
• A further specific description pertaining to this section of the course may be added.

Graduate Course Goals

Students will, depending upon the seminar topic,

• demonstrate an understanding of structural, historical, cultural, and/or ideological issues that characterize studies of the English language; and/or
• demonstrate an understanding of how language operates in Western classical, modern, and/or contemporary rhetorics, as well as an awareness of the historical and cultural contexts that engendered such distinct epochs; and/or
• demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics that distinguish non-Western rhetorics and comparative language studies, as well as an awareness of the historical and cultural contexts that foster them; and/or
• understand and appreciate the significance of a particular language theorist's/language theory's unique contributions within the context of language studies; and/or
• understand and appreciate the significance of a rhetor's unique contribution to rhetorical theory and/or practice, as well as comprehend the relationship of such contributions to rhetorical traditions; and/or
• understand and appreciate the connections, influences, and interdependence of language studies and rhetorical theories; and/or
• be capable of critically analyzing select specific discourses in terms of the linguistic, historical, cultural, and/or ideological contexts that generated them; and/or
• understand structural, historical, cultural, ideological, and/or pedagogical issues in composition studies.

In addition,

• Students will understand language and rhetoric as distinctively contextual, ever-changing ways of knowing through an appreciation of their traditions and their diversity.
• Students will demonstrate fluency in the metadiscourse of language studies and/or rhetoric in analyses of a variety of texts.
• Students will recognize the implications and applications of the ideas and methods of the seminar and will reveal their understanding by demonstrating both oral and written facility in applying the seminar material to the critical analysis of literary and cultural texts.
• Students will be capable of conducting independent and meaningful course-related research and synthesizing it in the form of a correctly documented research paper prepared according to current professional standards.

Graduate Program Goals

• This course prepares students to complete successfully the comprehensive oral examination that is required for all M.A. degree candidates.
• This course provides students with literary, historical, and critical contexts related to texts on the department's required reading list.
• Oral presentations in the course strengthen students' presentation skills and prepare them further for the oral comprehensive examination which is required for the M.A. degree.
• Gaining further knowledge of texts in this area strengthens students' content area knowledge, prepares them for taking nationally recognized standardized examinations (such as the advanced GRE subject examination in English), and further prepares them for careers in teaching, writing, and business or advanced graduate-level study.

• To be determined by instructor.

• To be determined by instructor.

• Departmental plagiarism policies
• Other policy statements specific to this class should be included on the syllabus.
• A detailed calendar of readings and assignments should be made available to the class at the first class meeting. A copy should be posted electronically and kept on file in the English department office.
• Students should be expected to come to class, prepared and able to participate.
• MLA style should be emphasized and required on out-of-class essays.