Page 107 of Boston College 2006-2007 University Catalog by Boston College University

A major examination is broader in scope, and consists of a twohour oral examination usually on a period or genre. A dissertation field exam, two and one half hours long, explores a topical area in which the dissertation is likely to take place. All examinations are graded according to the University scale for graduate examinations. The Chairperson of the examining board submits the grade immediately and prepares, as soon as possible, a written evaluation of the examination for the student and the Departmental records. Other members of the board may also submit individual reports. Prospectus and Dissertation After completing the dissertation field exam, the student will write a prospectus in consultation with his or her Dissertation Director describing the thesis topic and including a working bibliography. This prospectus will be then submitted to two additional faculty members who will also approve the dissertation. All dissertation boards will have at least three faculty readers. Submission of the dissertation will culminate in an oral defense. Students are responsible for acquainting themselves with all University requirements, fees, and deadlines pertinent to thesis submission and graduation. This information can be obtained from the English Department office or from the Graduate Arts and Sciences Deans office. Teaching As part of their program, Ph.D. students engage in a carefully organized sequence of teaching experiences. In the second year, students will spend one semester assisting in a course taught by a faculty member. In the third and fourth years, students teach four independently taught courses: at least one semester of Freshman English, a course in the students major field or subject area, and two more courses selected to provide the best range of teaching experience for each individual student. Faculty mentoring is a part of every phase of this program. Graduate Colloquium A student committee composed of M.A. and Ph.D. candidates organizes and schedules graduate colloquia, at which faculty members, outside speakers, or students lead discussions on literary topics. Graduate students and faculty are invited. Good Standing Candidates for the degree are expected to remain in good standing in accordance with Department guidelines set out for the timely completion of the degree. Continued financial support and participation in the program depends on maintaining good standing. Undergraduate Course Offerings Note: Future course offerings and courses offered on a periodic basis are listed on the World Wide Web at http://www.bc.edu/courses/. EN 010 First Year Writing Seminar (Fall/Spring: 3) A 15-student course designed to engage students with writing as a source of learning and a form of communication. Designed as a workshop in which each student develops a portfolio of personal and academic writing, the seminar follows a semester-long process. Students write and rewrite essays continuously, discuss their works-in-progress in class, and receive feedback during individual and small group conferences with the instructor. Students read a wide range of texts, including various forms of non-fiction prose. In addition to regular conferences, the class meets two hours per week to discuss the writing process, the relationship between reading and writing, conventional and innovative ways of doing research, and evolving drafts of class members. The Department EN 080 Literary Forms (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies Literature Core Requirement Courses listed under this title are meant to increase awareness of form and genre as significant factors in the experience of reading literature. They address formal genres like the novel, lyric poetry, and drama, or multi-genre forms like tragedy, comedy, romance, or other ideas of form. They include examples of forms from different literary periods to study their variety and development. The Department EN 081 Literary Themes (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies Literature Core Requirement These courses follow a particular theme through several genres and historical periods or cultures, focusing especially on elements in the theme which persist and seem to address what is enduring in human experience, but addressing also elements of the theme which change with the literary genre or the historical period and culture. The Department EN 082 Literature and Society (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies Literature Core Requirement Courses listed under this title treat literature as an integral part of a larger cultural experience. They examine the relationship between literary works and specific social issues as the relationship develops in particular cultures across time. These courses may use several kinds of cultural and historical documents both to link literature to culture and to raise the question of how and whether to distinguish some of them as literature. The Department EN 083 Literature: Traditions and Countertraditions (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies Literature Core Requirement These courses put two traditions of literature in English into dialogue with one another. They attempt to define the concept of a literary tradition, and to explore the ways it may develop in relation, opposition, or parallel with other traditions. Most courses will treat traditions built around national and/or ethnic experience, but traditions and countertraditions built around gender, religion, or class are also possible. The Department EN 084 Literatures of the World (Fall/Spring: 3) Cross Listed with CL 084, GM 063, RL 393 Satisfies Literature Core Requirement These courses introduce students to literatures around the globe. Within this context, a variety of explorations based on thematic, formal, social and philosophical questions will emerge. A given course may focus on Classical epic and lyric poetry, modern European drama, literature of exploration, confrontation of the self and other, and so on. All these courses will help students discover and assess the shape of their own language and thought by exploring literatures of other places and time. The Department EN 093 Introduction to Modern Irish I (Fall: 3) This course continues in second semester as SL 028/EN 094. This is course for beginners in standard modern Irish, with attention to regional variants. The course is intended to develop both conversational and compositional skills and the ability to read Irish prose. Joseph Nugent EN 094 Introduction to Modern Irish II (Spring: 3) Prerequisite: SL 027/EN 093 or equivalent Memoirs and autobiographical prose permit the individual to make sense of his relationship to larger historical forces. For the writer ARTS AND SCIENCES The Boston College Catalog 2006-2007 107

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