ENGL3885W: Capstone Seminar in English

This course is devoted to the writing of the senior paper in English. To graduate with a BA in English, students must write a 13-17 page (4,000-5,500 word) senior paper that contains substantive and original analytical insights. In this rigorous and intensive seminar, students receive instruction on writing this paper from tenured and tenure-track faculty in English. Students learn how to choose a topic and formulate a research question, conduct primary and secondary research, and produce a written document that incorporates research and analysis. Faculty teach students to produce an extended, scholarly essay though discussions of method, research, and development; instruction in specific writing techniques; workshopping and revising drafts; solving problems; and creating a coherent and elegant final product. While the subjects about which students write vary depending on student interest and faculty expertise, at least 50% of the course grade is determined by students’ writing performance. Most students fulfill the senior paper requirement with a traditional seminar paper, but students sometimes complete alternative projects, such as blogs, analytic projects that incorporate creative or personal elements, collaborative projects, or projects that involve the creation of a podcast, video, web site, or some other means of documenting student learning and writing skills. The senior seminar also functions as a capstone experience that fulfills many of the Student Learning Outcomes for the English major. Prerequisites for Admission: Admission to ENGL 3885W requires English major status and completion of a Critical Theories and Methods course (ENGL 3001W, ENGL 3002, ENGL 4003) or approved transfer course with a minimum grade of C-minus. Priority will be given to students with senior status who have completed the majority of the major requirements, as well as to students who plan to graduate in the term they are requesting to take the senior seminar.

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