2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Academic Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Theology

  
  • TH 336 - Catholic Intellectual Life in the United States: Two Hundred Years of American Catholic Opinion

    (3.00 cr.)

    The thoughts and opinions of John and Charles Carroll, John England, Orestes Bronson, Isaac Hecker, John Lancaster Spalding, John Courtney Murray, Thomas Merton and other American Catholic intellectuals on major questions affecting the country, the world, and the Church. A study of topics such as Enlightenment Christianity; separation of church and state; the principles behind lay/clerical controversies; Catholicism and Republicanism; the Age of Romanticism and the Return of the Medieval Ideal: Ultramontanism and Americanism; antidemocratic theories; American messianism; religious liberty, academic freedom, and the possibility of religious experience.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IU
  
  • TH 338 - The Theology of Thomas Aquinas

    (3.00 cr.)

    Thomas Aquinas was a major medieval theologian who remains as controversial in the twentieth century as he was in the thirteenth century. Studies Aquinas' life and social context, his exegesis of Scripture, and selections from his major theological works. Focuses on how Aquinas might be a resource for responding to contemporary theological, philosophical, and political questions.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IM
  
  • TH 340 - Biblical Hebrew I

    (3.00 cr.)

    An enriched beginning course emphasizing grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Intended for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Same course as CL 340 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 341 - Biblical Hebrew II

    (3.00 cr.)

    A continuation of TH 340 .

    Prerequisite: TH 340 .
  
  • TH 342 - Biblical Hebrew III

    (3.00 cr.)

    A continuation of TH 341 . Same course as CL 342 .

    Prerequisite: TH 340 , TH 341 .
  
  • TH 343 - Biblical Hebrew IV

    (3.00 cr.)

    A continuation of TH 342 . Same course as CL 343 .

    Prerequisite: TH 342 .
  
  • TH 344 - Biblical Hebrew Exegesis: Special Topics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Exegesis of various biblical texts, both narrative and poetry, in Hebrew. Topic announced each time the course is offered.

    Prerequisite: TH 343 .
    Sessions Typically Offered: Spring
    Years Typically Offered: Odd Years

  
  • TH 345 - Psalms

    (3.00 cr.)

    Provides a close examination of the book of Psalms. Students focus on reading individual psalms with attention to historical context, cultic significance and genre, key images, and theological themes. Additional issues include the compilation and structure of the Psalter, the relationship between the psalms and other biblical traditions including the use of psalms in the New Testament, and the use and significance of the psalms in Judeo-Christian faith and worship.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 346 - Disputing the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Examines a selection of arguments from the first through the twentieth centuries about how to interpret the Bible. Same course as CL 346 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 347 - Jesus and the Gospels

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students examine a variety of issues surrounding the portrayal of Jesus in the Gospels of the New Testament and in other early Christian writings. Same course as CL 347 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 350 - Prophets and Peacemakers

    (3.00 cr.)

    The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) contains stories about prophets as well as texts attributed to these prophets. This course examines both. In addition, students study prophetic activity from a sociological/cross-cultural perspective, examine New Testament reinterpretations of prophetic texts, and explore the possibility of modern prophets and modern applications of ancient prophetic texts.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IPJ
  
  • TH 351 - New Testament Survey

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students are introduced to the text of the New Testament, as well as a variety of historical concerns related to Second Temple Judaism and the Greco-Roman worlds in which the story of the New Testament is set and from which its text emerges.

    Prerequisite: TH 201  and one additional TH 200-level course.
    Restrictions: Restricted to junior or senior theology majors.

    Sessions Typically Offered: Spring
    Years Typically Offered: Odd Years

  
  • TH 352 - Old Testament Survey

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students are introduced to the content of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament (the Torah, prophets, writings, and Deuterocanonical books) and to the history of its interpretation, including scholarly approaches since the rise of historical criticism. Also includes study of the history of ancient Israel.

    Prerequisite: TH 201  and one additional TH 200-level course.
    Restrictions: Restricted to junior or senior theology majors.

    Sessions Typically Offered: Fall
    Years Typically Offered: Even Years

  
  • TH 354 - Male and Female in the Kingdom of God: Contemporary Gender Perspectives on the Bible

    (3.00 cr.)

    Examines the presentation of gender in the Bible, as well as contemporary readings of biblical texts informed by modern gender studies perspectives. While taking seriously the Church's claim to the Bible as scripture, students explore how the cultural milieu in which its texts were written has shaped them. Explores competing claims that the Bible is largely male-centered and used to support oppressive structures, or that it offers a life-giving message of liberation in spite of its cultural and historical background, in light of the complexities of communal practices and hermeneutical approaches.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IG
  
  • TH 355 - Saint Paul and His Writings

    (3.00 cr.)

    Explores the writings and theology of Paul the apostle. Topics include selected readings from Paul's writings, study of Paul's life and times, and an engagement with secondary literature. Same course as CL 355 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 356 - Genesis: Exploring the Bible's First Book

    (3.00 cr.)

    Genesis: the first and most famous book of the Bible, containing its earthiest and its most famous stories. Sex, sibling rivalry, love and heartbreak, folklore, and folk magic-it is all there, even Joseph and his "amazing technicolor dreamcoat." The course takes students through Genesis slowly and carefully, along with history's memorable interpretations. Same course as CL 356 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 360 - The Biblical Imagination: From Eden to the Apocalypse

    (3.00 cr.)

    Examines biblical narratives, interpretations of those narratives from a range of historical periods and perspectives, and literary works that engage those narratives in various ways. Deepens students' knowledge of the Bible, and of theological inquiry and its methods.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 361 - Philosophical and Theological Metaphysics

    (3.00 cr.)

    Explores the history of and contemporary disputes over metaphysics in philosophy and theology. What is the nature and task of metaphysics?  Why do some philosophers and theologians think metaphysics is essential to doing good philosophy and theology? Why do others disagree?  What do these questions have to do with the rest of life, and God? Same course as PL 374 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 362 - Hope, Death, and the End of the World

    (3.00 cr.)

    This seminar studies the partly overlapping and partly opposed claims about the endtime among Catholics and Protestants, Christians and Jews, members of other religions, and unbelievers. Will everyone be saved, or will some go to heaven and some to hell? What do Christians mean when they confess that Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead or that they look forward to the resurrection of the body and eternal life? Why have Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants disagreed over purgatory and prayers for the dead? What end does God intend for the world, and how can this end justify hope in a world so deeply wounded by our own indifference and despair, wars, and deaths? Traditional and contemporary books on these issues are read; students, as individuals and a group, develop their own answers to these questions as they learn the answers of others.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 363 - Sacraments and the Christian Life

    (3.00 cr.)

    Examines how Christian worship, especially the sacramental worship of Catholics, shapes and is shaped by commitments regarding the ethical and political action of Christians.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 364 - God and Radical Evils

    (3.00 cr.)

    Addresses the general question, "How does God deal with evil?" and primarily the more specific question, "How does the triune God of Jesus Christ deal with radical (non-trivial) evils?" The diverse and conflicting responses to such difficult questions bear, directly and indirectly, on how Christians and others should deal with radical evils in their lives and those of their neighbors. Students read responses in the Biblical and Christian tradition, as well as contemporary literary, philosophical, and theological responses. Students develop their own responses in conversation with these readings. Same course as CL 364 .

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 365 - Theology and Art

    (3.00 cr.)

    What is beauty? What does it mean to be a beautiful person? Can there be an image of a beautiful God? What does the vision of the crucified Christ mean for our conceptions of what beauty is? These and other questions are examined through study of both written discussions of beauty and art and artistic objects in the Christian tradition. Texts include writings on beauty from Saint Augustine and medieval authors; writings from the iconoclastic controversy; writings concerning the Christian appropriation of non-Christian images; and John Paul II's Letter to Artists. Includes museum visits.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IM
  
  • TH 366 - Catholic Theology in Modernity

    (3.00 cr.)

    For the past two centuries Catholic theology had engaged in a debate over the relationship between traditional Catholic and specifically modern practices and teachings. The goal of this course is to study this debate, learning to assess the positions of its major participants. Readings center on the First and Second Vatican Councils, as well as the writings of significant Catholic theologians from the twentieth century.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 367 - Vatican II and the Postconciliar World

    (3.00 cr.)

    The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was a meeting of Catholic bishops and theologians to reform and renew the Catholic Church, including the Church's relationship to the modern world, other Christians, and other religions. This course examines the Council's documents and their impact on Catholics and others today.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 368 - The Church

    (3.00 cr.)

    This course provides an introduction to ecclesiology, primarily from a Catholic perspective, by examining the different ways theology has studied and defined the community of faith. Specifically, the course outlines how the community of faith has understood and organized itself, beginning with the ministry of Jesus and ending with the contemporary Church, giving special attention to the impact of Vatican II. In addition, the Church's marks, its mission, and the theological implications of its more salient contemporary challenges are examined.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 369 - Faith and Reason

    (3.00 cr.)

    An investigation of the ways faith has reasoned about itself in relation to challenges in the ancient, medieval, modern, and postmodern worlds. The course eventually focuses on select problems in contemporary theology such as the nature and tests of truth; theology and scientific reasoning; reasoning about Scripture and tradition; God's own reason or logos; the truth of traditional claims about creation, incarnation, resurrection, and so forth.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 370 - Liberation Theology: Roots, Branches, and Critiques

    (3.00 cr.)

    Liberation theology emerged as one of the most important theological movements of the twentieth century. From its beginning, this movement has focused especially on explicating what it means to follow Jesus in a world marked by staggering poverty and structural injustice. Students examine the social and ecclesial contexts out of which liberation theology was born; consider closely several seminal liberationist texts; analyze various critiques of liberation theology; and consider the present and future of the movement.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: GT/IC/IL/IPJ
  
  • TH 371 - The Resurrection

    (3.00 cr.)

    The Resurrection of Christ is central to the message of the Gospel. But what does the Resurrection of Christ mean for us? How do Christians understand what God has done for the world in and through this pivotal moment in history? What type of claims does the Resurrection make on followers of Christ with regard to how they should live their lives? This course explores these questions through engagements with the biblical accounts of the Resurrection and the thought of some of the most noteworthy Catholic theologians of the contemporary era.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 381 - Faith and Film: The Apostle's Creed in the American Cinema

    (3.00 cr.)

    Frank Capra, one of the truly great directors of cinema's first century, left us this testimony from the artist's viewpoint to the consequences of film's power: "Only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow men for two hours in the dark. And only the artistically incorrupt will earn and keep the people's trust." The twofold purpose of this course is to analyze the meaning of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith and to explore the American cinema's capacity to convey those truths.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IF/IU
  
  • TH 382 - The Theology of Dante's Divine Comedy

    (3.00 cr.)

    Dante's Divine Comedy is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary works in the Western canon. But it is also a remarkable contribution to Catholic theology. This course surveys the Comedy's theology by attending to Dante's understanding of the nature of humanity and human language, sin and salvation, the relationship between justice and politics, and the possibility of knowledge of God. Special attention is given to some of the classical and medieval sources of Dante's theology.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IM
  
  • TH 383 - Encounters between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

    (3.00 cr.)

    Discusses some of the most important theological topics in the encounters between adherents of the three "Abrahamic" religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with particular attention to how Jewish theology views the Christian and Islamic claims to Abrahamic parentage. Encounters examined include those in the Medieval and contemporary periods. Topics include dialogues and polemics about the nature and the properties of God; creation; the status and role of human beings; revelation and the Word of God; role and function of prophets; and the limits of human language about God.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 
  
  • TH 384 - Christianity and Islam

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students explore the nature, shape, and prospects of dialogue between Christianity and Islam.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 385 - The Theological and the Religious in International Cinema

    (3.00 cr.)

    Going beyond a narrow evaluation of the morality of films or the mere recognition of their explicit religious subject matter, this course considers specifically religious or theological issues raised in non-American cinema. It also explores the theological implications of some international films that do not deal explicitly with religious issues, events, or even symbols. Finally, recurring theological and religious references are investigated, such as cinematic analogues of both redemption and damnation and figures of Christ and Satan.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC/IF
  
  • TH 386 - Fundamental Questions of Morality

    (3.00 cr.)

    An analysis of contemporary, ethical theories with primary focus on a theory of basic human goods. Considers how norms for moral living are derived according to the principle of integral human fulfillment in those goods and discusses how that principle bears on issues of human life and sexuality. Also examines the relation of faith to morality, particularly the moral implications of hope for fulfillment in Christ.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: FO/IC/IFS
  
  • TH 387 - International Catholic Literature in the Twentieth Century

    (3.00 cr.)

    As the twentieth century comes to a close, perceptive readers of world literature are confronted with an amazing, some might even say bewildering, reality: a sizeable amount of this "secular" century's most significant and compelling literary works have been penned by confessing Catholic authors. Far from ignoring or even masking their beliefs, these writers go to great lengths to portray and dramatize them, frequently over or against the prevailing cultural and ethical theories, philosophies, and ideologies of the day. Stellar examples of such authors are Georges Bernanos, Paul Claudel, Shusaku Endo, Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, and Evelyn Waugh. Students examine outstanding literary attempts by these writers, and other less well-known Catholics, that deal with a wide variety of encounters between Catholic religious life and thought and contemporary culture.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 390 - What is Patience?

    (3.00 cr.)

    This course doubts if patience is only waiting, watching, and worrying about time going by. Rather, as the Greeks proposed, patience has many connotations, uses, and requirements. Starting with the biblical books of Job and James, students consider why patience is fundamental to the Western tradition. Adding on Cyprian, Shakespeare, and Churchill, students progress through a series of readings about the conditions and causes that make our pursuit of patience a sign post of industry, a symbol of resistance, and a contract with ourselves and society.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 392 - Globalization, Inculturation, and Justice

    (3.00 cr.)

    Examines the various dimensions of globalization-political, economic, technological, and cultural-and the debate they have engendered. The main focus is on the cultural aspect and how that complicates our understanding of culture and the Christian project of inculturation. Christian ethical responses to the increasing inequality and injustice that globalization generates are also considered. Weekly reading and brief written papers required.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 393 - Theological Foundations of Social Justice

    (3.00 cr.)

    Explores theological, philosophical, and ethical foundations for social justice with particular attention to Catholic social teachings and Catholic social ethics. Students learn the ethical and theological imperatives for justice, such as those found in the Gospels, and apply them toward the development of their personal, faith-based theo-ethic of justice.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Sessions Typically Offered: Spring
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 395 - Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation: A Christian Theological Inquiry

    (3.00 cr.)

    Explores the ways in which justice, peace, and the integrity of creation are interrelated, and examines the challenges that this poses for ethical action. Students examine the political ecology of the contemporary global context; explore sources of Christian revelation that can help to judge this context; and begin to consider how they might more fully commit their lives to social and environmental justice.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: GT/IES/IPJ
  
  • TH 396 - Christianity and Global Justice

    (3.00 cr.)

    Do we have an obligation to those who live beyond our borders? Are the needs of strangers a matter of justice or charity? What institutional form should our responses take? This course draws upon resources within the Christian ethical tradition to address these questions. Topics include humanitarian aid, military intervention, international criminal justice, development, and others.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IPJ
  
  • TH 397 - Ethics after God

    (3.00 cr.)

    Ethics can be "after God" in two senses-by proceeding as if God's nonexistence is irrelevant or by following, in obedience, after God. This seminar explores both of these approaches and their relation by examining topics of interest to both: what it means to live well; love, freedom, and identity; and the concepts of holiness, virtue, the sacred, the horrendous, and divine commands.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
  
  • TH 398 - Euthanasia and the Problem of Suffering

    (3.00 cr.)

    How can a good, all-powerful God allow the innocent to suffer? Is it licit to end suffering by intentionally ending the life of the suffering person? This course addresses the age old problem of evil and suffering from the perspective of both Christianity and unbelief. The question of whether human suffering can be meaningful is considered by taking up the issue of euthanasia. The related issues of what constitutes "ordinary" (and thus morally required) and "extraordinary" (and thus not morally required) care is discussed in light of a consideration of whether human life is intrinsically valuable and inviolable no matter what its condition.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 399 - Contemporary Catholic Intellectual Life

    (3.00 cr.)

    A team-taught course exploring the wide spectrum of contemporary Catholic intellectual life, focusing on the areas of theology, philosophy, politics, and literature. Students seek to understand not only debates within those areas but also attempt to explore lines of continuity stretching across the different genres of thought. For instance, how are the debates in philosophy related to different approaches to literature? Or, how do different theological methods affect how one approaches politics? Examples of thinkers studied include Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Elizabeth Johnson, and David Tracy in theology; Edith Stein, Charles Taylor, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Jean-Luc Marion in philosophy; Dorothy Day, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Richard John Neuhaus in politics; as well as Shusaku Endo, Flannery O'Connor, Mary Gordon, and Graham Greene in literature. The intersection of all four disciplines in the writing of Pope John Paul II is also considered.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • TH 400 - Senior Seminar

    (3.00 cr.)

    Senior theology majors are introduced to contemporary debates in various areas of theology.

    Prerequisite: TH 201 .
    Restrictions: Restricted to majors or minors.

  
  • TH 401 - Peace and Justice Studies Capstone

    (3.00 cr.)

    Designed to integrate students' experiences in the Peace and Justice Studies minor, this course consists of a senior capstone project and other work selected by the instructor. Both the course and the capstone project seek to foster reflection, integration, and action. Required for peace and justice studies minors.

    Restrictions: Restricted to senior peace and justice studies minors.

    Sessions Typically Offered: Spring
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IPJ

Writing

  
  • WR 100 - Effective Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Introduces students to the discipline of writing in the university through the critical and creative study of the contemporary essay within a rhetorical framework. Students learn to conceive an original idea, develop implications of thought, use language effectively, and conduct inquiry (including basic library research). Students develop a full writing process-planning, drafting, revising based on critical feedback from peers and instructor, and editing. Provides a foundation for both faculty and students to build upon as students move across the curriculum. Required of all students.

  
  • WR 200 - Introduction to Creative Nonfiction

    (3.00 cr.)

    A foundational course designed for students who wish to explore writing nonfiction. Students read and analyze a range of conventional and experimental texts and practice techniques of writing various forms of nonfiction. Students produce several works of nonfiction while cultivating skills that can be useful in literary, academic, and professional settings. Ideal elective for students who want to extend their ability to write well.

  
  • WR 220 - Introduction to Rhetoric

    (3.00 cr.)

    Through close analysis and production of nonfiction prose, students develop an understanding and appreciation of how historical and contemporary writers employ various rhetorical strategies-first articulated by classical rhetoricians-to persuade a range of audiences. Special emphasis is given to the dynamic relationship between writer, audience, text, and social context. Ideal for students who wish to further develop skills essential in both academic, professional, and civic settings.

     

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 230 - Introduction to Poetry and Fiction

    (3.00 cr.)

    A foundational course designed for students who wish to pursue study in creative writing or those who simply wish to "try it out." Students read various examples of contemporary fiction and poetry to acquire a sense of context. They draft and revise original stories and poems in order to develop an appreciation of what it means to create literature in the modern world. A prerequisite for WR 300-level offerings in fiction, poetry, or playwriting.

  
  • WR 244 - Fundamentals of Film Studies

    (3.00 cr.)

    An introduction to film technology and techniques, coupled with a survey of film history from the silent era through contemporary cinema. Students learn to identify the specific roles of the artists who collaborate to create a film. They also learn film history through an introduction to major directors (e.g., Griffith, Eisenstein, Renoir, Welles, Hitchcock, Kurosawa) and movements (e.g., German Expressionism, Italian neorealism, film noir, the French New Wave).

    Interdisciplinary Studies: IF
  
  • WR 301 - Writing about Science

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students practice techniques of writing nonfiction for the general public and engage in rhetorical analysis of the representation of science in popular discourse. Students read contemporary popular nonfiction that draws upon science and learn how writers use the art of prose to contribute to scientific literacy. A background in science is not required.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IES/IFS
  
  • WR 302 - Wet Ink: Writing and Editing for Publication

    (3.00 cr.)

    A survey of the history and growth of publication from the Gutenberg Press to electronic books. Study involves hands-on work with all elements of publishing and editing from a writer's perspective. The course culminates with students editing and producing an original chapbook of writing from work they have solicited.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 303 - History of Genre

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students learn about the history of a selected genre, such as the essay, short story, novel, or poem. Writing assignments may include textual analyses and academic essays, as well as multimedia projects like presentations, videos, websites, and blogs. Topic announced each time course is offered. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 305 - Writing for the Web and Social Media

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students learn about the conventions, theories, and ethics of online discourse and write for the Web using industry-standard technology. Assignments include research and writing in the Web's major genres: reviews, how-to articles, website design, and blogs. Students also build a website and compose an online portfolio to showcase their work. At the end of the semester, students deliver a presentation to refine public speaking skills.

  
  • WR 311 - Style

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students learn how to recognize, discuss, and manipulate forms of discourse at the level of the word, the phrase, the clause, the sentence, the paragraph, and the whole text. In mastering a substantial vocabulary of classical stylistic devices, including figures of speech and tropes, students come to appreciate the link between linguistic form and audience effects. The stylistic skills that students acquire in this course can be adapted for a variety of public, creative, and professional situations.

    Prerequisite: WR 220  or written permission of the instructor.
  
  • WR 320 - Argumentation

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students study the structure, role, and use of argument in everyday contexts, from personal conversations to political controversies. Newspaper editorials, feature articles, policy memos, open letters, courtroom speeches, and election debates are just a few examples of the argumentative genres that students analyze or compose. Students learn to identify and employ a range of argument types and to spot and respond to fallacies. Ideal for students interested in law, public service, and business.

    Prerequisite: WR 100  and one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 322 - Gendered Rhetoric

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study of the differences between historically privileged masculine and traditionally devalued feminine methods of communicating. Focuses on the effects of gender on language use in our culture. Students develop their abilities to recognize and then assume the stance most appropriate to subject and audience. Proceeds under the assumption that to become "bilingual" is to become more sophisticated as writers and more knowledgeable about issues of writing.

    Prerequisite: WR 220  or written permission of the instructor.
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IG
  
  • WR 323 - Writing Center Practice and Theory

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prepares students to tutor in the Writing Center by addressing both practical and theoretical issues of one-to-one peer tutoring, such as consulting strategies, the role of grammar instruction, the role of computers, and record keeping. Students read current literature in the field, develop a sense of themselves as writers, role-play tutoring scenarios, observe tutors in the Writing Center, and tutor students (under supervision). By invitation only.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 
    Sessions Typically Offered: Fall/Spring
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IPJ
  
  • WR 324 - Speech Writing and Delivery

    (3.00 cr.)

    Informed by classical rhetoric, students become skilled in the Jesuit tradition of eloquentia perfecta: clear thought delivered eloquently. Students, transforming theory into practice, have ample opportunity to practice speaking to inform, persuade, or commemorate. Subjects for speeches are drawn from political and social issues; the course also offers a business segment devoted to interviewing and communicating in the workplace. The class improves the chance of success in other courses that require oral presentations; it builds a confidence and ability to speak in groups and to a public audience that is a lifetime asset.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 325 - Professional Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Prepares students interested in business, the humanities, and STEM fields for writing in the workplace. Using workplace technology, such as the Microsoft Office Suite, students produce memos, résumés, cover letters, reports, proposals, and presentations. These projects require students to consider the purpose, audience, and context of professional settings when writing on the job. Students also learn how to use text and visuals together in order to create clear and persuasive documents. For team projects, students collaborate with clients or community partners to develop experiential skills. At the end of the semester, students deliver a presentation to refine public speaking skills.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IFS
  
  • WR 326 - Technical Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Helps students interested in business, the humanities, and the STEM fields prepare for jobs that require technical writing. Using industry-standard technology, such as Adobe Creative Suite and social media, students produce standard workplace documents, as well as instructions and technical descriptions. Students learn about project management, workplace ethics, and basic research methods through usability testing and user experience (UX) projects. Students collaborate in teams with clients or community partners to develop high-impact, visually dynamic documents such as grant proposals, websites, and multimedia applications. At the end of the semester, students deliver a presentation to refine public speaking skills.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: FO/IFS
  
  • WR 327 - Civic Literacy

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students investigate the theoretical and experiential nature of literacy/literacies as a central form of civic action and social justice. Students collaborate with a local adult literacy program in Baltimore in a project-based service-learning model. By integrating theory (readings) and practice (service) through a variety of assignments such as essays, journals, advocacy pieces, and exams, this course challenges students to see literacy as multifaceted and to think critically about the links between literacy and choice, power, democracy, and freedom.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IPJ
  
  • WR 333 - Writing Fiction

    (3.00 cr.)

    Training in the art of the short story. Students write several short stories for the course, revising the best of them for their grades. Workshop discussions evaluate work in progress and completed stories. Readings from current writers.

    Prerequisite: WR 230 .
  
  • WR 334 - Forms of Fiction

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study in short fiction in its various forms, including ancient tales to nineteenth-century sketches and twenty-first-century microstories. Students gain the historical and critical context necessary for understanding such movements as realism, fabulism, and minimalism, examining the stories themselves to see how each genre is distinct. Writing activities afford students the opportunity to explore various stylistic elements of the short story.

    Prerequisite: WR 230 .
  
  • WR 335 - Advanced Fiction: The Short Story

    (3.00 cr.)

    A continuation of intermediate fiction writing, on an advanced and individual level. Students write and revise two or more short stories of publishable quality. May be repeated for credit.

    Prerequisite: WR 333  or WR 334 .
  
  • WR 340 - Writing Poetry

    (3.00 cr.)

    A workshop course in writing poetry, emphasizing a range of subjects and types. Contemporary readings.

    Prerequisite: WR 230 .
  
  • WR 341 - Poetic Forms

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study of the ways poems are put together through the science of prosody and the less exact methods of free verse. Each system has its distinctive history, vocabulary, and seminal texts; the thesis is that, whether imposed or discovered, form can always be analyzed. Students read and write about the scholarship of the science, perform extensive scansions and explications of poems, and write their own poems in received, concocted, and ad hoc forms.

    Prerequisite: WR 230 .
  
  • WR 342 - Advanced Poetry

    (3.00 cr.)

    A continuation of WR 340  or WR 341  on an advanced level. A workshop in writing poetry. Readings from current writers.

    Prerequisite: WR 340  or WR 341 .
  
  • WR 343 - Special Topics in Writing About Culture

    (3.00 cr.)

    Music, food, art, sports, and gaming are among the possible topics students study and explore as they write a wide variety of genres on a single cultural topic. Topic is announced each time course is offered.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 345 - Screenwriting for Film and Television

    (3.00 cr.)

    Means and methods of narrative screenplay writing for motion pictures and television are explored. Included are analysis of the structure and dialogue of selected screenplays, exercises in writing and evaluating screenplays, and an investigation of how screenplays are marketed in today's media. Final project: a completed screenplay.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IF
  
  • WR 347 - Writing with Images

    (3.00 cr.)

    Inspired by comics, graphic novels, advertisements, info-graphics, and more, students write a variety of image-enriched texts—from blog posts to posters—to learn how texts with images create powerful arguments.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 348 - Writing about Music and Culture

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students explore key genres in writing about popular music of the past century up to the present day. Readings include Greil Marcus on the American ballad tradition; Dorothy Marcic on gender issues in popular hits; Jim Cullen on Bruce Springsteen's relation to Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, and Woody Guthrie; and selections from annual volumes in the Best Music Writing series. Principal assignments include an extended essay/review, a cultural studies paper, and a memoir/essay connected to issues of music and culture; students choose the artist(s) or genre(s) that they focus on in their papers.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 350 - Art of Prose: Selected Authors

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study of the nonfiction prose of a single writer across multiple genres. Introduces students to the range and scope of a writer, as well as ways of analyzing a writer's style and the influence of sociocultural factors on a writer's career. Writing assignments may include analytical reading responses, imitations, original essays related to the writer's work, and written exams. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IU
  
  • WR 351 - Art of the Essay: Women Writers

    (3.00 cr.)

    What are American women essayists thinking and writing at this moment in history? This question is investigated through contemporary essays by writers who are women: writers whose work has been nourished and shaped by feminist theory and whose work crosses gender lines, age, and ethnicity; writers whose interests range beyond the domestic or personal sphere. The assigned reading provides models by which students may shape their own ideas and essays. Discussions explore how contemporary American women writers are creating a tradition of their own. The course offers a supportive environment for developing technique and exchanging ideas.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IG/IU
  
  • WR 352 - Biography and Autobiography

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study of the ways writers create a "self" and an "other" in language. Covers the range from private writing such as journals to more public forms of biography and autobiography and the imaginative use of those forms. Students read a broad sample of authors and types of writing and write three essays in which they experiment with those types.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 353 - The Contemporary Essay

    (3.00 cr.)

    The essay is explored as a medium for contemporary thought. Students read and analyze the writing and reflections on writing of such essayists as Ellen Goodman, Tom Wolfe, Alice Walker, Barbara Tuchman, and Calvin Trillin, as well as other work that appears in current magazines, newspapers, and essay collections. Students keep journals, do research, and conduct interviews to produce a portfolio of their own potentially publishable formal and informal essays on issues of their choice.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 354 - Writing about the Environment

    (3.00 cr.)

    To write about the environment is to cultivate an appreciation for one's place in regional, national, and global contexts. Students write in various genres as they learn what traditions inform contemporary environmental writing and explore the ways in which representations of nature influence the complex relationship between Americans and the environment. A background in science is not required.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IES/IPJ/IU
  
  • WR 355 - Travel Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students explore the prose genre of travel writing while living and studying abroad. They read in the canon of contemporary and traditional travel literature—newspaper and magazine articles, short pieces, literary essays, and nonfiction books. Inspired and informed by their adventures in the here and now of travel abroad, they write a weekly travel blog and two major essays. Concentrating on their host city, students also produce a research project ("My City Quest") that reflects on their experience and what it is like to live and study in another country, as well as on the culture, traditions, and people of their study abroad destination. Open to all majors as a general elective.

    Restrictions: Restricted to Loyola students studying abroad.

  
  • WR 356 - Writers in the Catholic Tradition: Selected Authors

    (3.00 cr.)

    A study of one or more writers whose work is shaped by the Catholic tradition. Examining work with this common foundation introduces students to the ways that Catholic belief or background may influence a writer's concerns, techniques, or viewpoint. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IC
  
  • WR 357 - Writing about Film

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students produce a series of critical essays about film after viewing and analyzing works representing various periods and styles, including films by such influential figures as Hitchcock, Fellini, and Truffaut. Familiarizes students with film concepts, terms, and recent trends in film criticism and theory. They will explore in their writing questions relating to such matters as genre, audience, theme, and censorship.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
    Interdisciplinary Studies: IF
  
  • WR 358 - Literary Reviewing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Writing reviews is often a good way to "break into" publishing. Students learn reviewing styles of a wide range of publications and write reviews of contemporary poetry and fiction appropriate to several of those journals.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 378 - Thinking about Crime Fiction

    (3.00 cr.)

    A team-taught, interdisciplinary course reflecting on a major cultural theme - the detective - closely tied to justice. Not only does the course help develop students' conceptual, writing, and rhetorical skills, but rather uniquely does so by focusing on a cultural object oftentimes exemplifying these very skills. Most fundamentally, the tight link between conceptual rigor and justice offered in the ideal of the detective is pondered. Same course as PL 378 .

    Prerequisite: WR 100  and one additional WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 385 - Special Topics in Creative Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    An in-depth study of an issue or emphasis within the general realms of fiction, poetry, or literary nonfiction. Topic announced each time course is offered. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 , one WR 200-level course.
  
  • WR 386 - Special Topics in Rhetoric

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students use rhetorical theory to consider a selected area of study, such as gender, ethnicity, religion, current events, or the environment. Writing assignments may include rhetorical textual analyses and academic essays, as well as presentations, videos, websites, and blogs. Topic announced each time course is offered. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 387 - Special Topics in Professional Writing

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students learn about and apply rhetorical theories to selected areas of study, such as grants and proposals, visual literacy, writing and technology, technical communication, usability research, and civic engagement. Writing assignments may include traditional genres, such as reports, letters, memorandums, job search documents, and presentations, but also multimedia presentations, videos, websites, and blogs. Topic announced each time course is offered. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

    Prerequisite: WR 100 .
  
  • WR 400 - Senior Seminar

    (3.00 cr.)

    A reading survey of contemporary writers and trends in contemporary writing. Texts are novels, books of poems, and nonfiction prose written within the last 10 years and chosen to provoke discussion of what it means to be a writer today. Requirements may include reading journals, oral reports, issue papers that arise out of class discussion, and a culminating nonfiction prose project that takes advantage of the seminar itself and years of deepening study in core and majors courses. Required of all writing majors and writing minors.

    Restrictions: Restricted to seniors.

  
  • WR 401 - Senior Portfolio

    (3.00 cr.)

    An independent study designed for students who have taken introductory and advanced courses in a sequence in a specific genre. Students select and revise their best work to date and add new work to create a portfolio appropriate for admission to graduate school. Extensive reading is also required. Students meet at least once a week with their faculty sponsor. By invitation only. A recommended course for writing majors and minors considering graduate school in writing. To be taken as an elective, preferably during the fall semester of the senior year.

  
  • WR 402 - Writing Internship

    (3.00 cr.)

    Students plan and apply for a supervised, semester-long internship in a professional workplace that involves writing, editing, teaching, publishing, copy editing, journalism, corporate communications, or other writing-intensive activities. Students are expected to work approximately 7-8 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. Emphasis on practical professional preparation and creation of a portfolio. Written or electronic permission of the internship coordinator or department chair. May be repeated once for degree credit. May not be used for core credit. Paid internships are usually ineligible for degree credit.

    Restrictions: Restricted to junior or senior writing majors, interdisciplinary writing majors, or writing minors.

    Sessions Typically Offered: Fall/Spring
  
  • WR 403 - Writing Internship

    (1.00 cr.)

    Students plan and apply for a supervised, semester-long internship in writing in a professional workplace that focuses on writing-related activities such as editing, teaching, publishing, copy editing, media writing, or corporate communications. Students must keep detailed records, complete online assignments, and meet with the internship coordinator while performing at least 50 hours of work at their chosen site. Emphasis on developing practical writing abilities including a portfolio. Written or electronic permission of the internship coordinator or department chair. Does not count toward the 120-credit graduation requirement. May be repeated for nondegree credit only. (Pass/Fail)

    Restrictions: Restricted to junior or senior writing majors, interdisciplinary writing majors, or writing minors.

  
  • WR 496 - Environmental Studies Experience

    (3.00 cr.)

    A capstone experience in the environmental and sustainability studies minor, in which a student arranges an internship, independent study, or research experience with a faculty sponsor to engage in an in-depth exploration of a topic associated with environmental or sustainability issues. Written or electronic permission of a sponsoring faculty member and the environmental and sustainability studies director. Generally completed during the senior year.

    Interdisciplinary Studies: IES
 

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