English

Faculty:
Watson - Chair, Barry Brown, Joey Brown, Faulstick, Gates, Gray, Howarth, Kumbier, McSpadden, Modlin, Mouser, Rodgers & Toliver
Kuhn Hall • 417-625-9377

Mission

The mission of the Department of English and Philosophy is to cultivate reading and writing skills, critical thinking, and an appreciation of literature–thereby preparing students to succeed professionally, to participate locally and globally as productive citizens, and to live reflective, joyful lives.

The department supports the University’s commitment to a strong liberal arts education by offering courses in composition, literature, and philosophy that fulfill the General Education Requirements for all Missouri Southern students. For English majors, the department offers tracks that lead to a Bachelor of Science in Education degree or to a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition, the department supports the University’s goal of preparing global citizens by offering relevant international curricula and experiences for its students, including international study opportunities.

The Bachelor of Arts in English provides an excellent preparation for graduates who plan to enter business and industry, who plan to pursue graduate studies in English and who plan to enter professional schools such as law and medicine. Graduates of this program are employed in such widely diverse occupations as human resources, advertising, publishing, sales management, law, mass communications and college teaching. English majors develop strong skills in writing organization and creativity and they develop a perception of and appreciation for the human values that grow out of the study of literature. Such skills equip English majors for success in the many different fields of employment described above and more.

The Bachelor of Arts English major at Missouri Southern comprises two major tracks. The literary studies emphasis focuses on the traditional study of literature, preparing the student for advanced study of English in graduate school, for law school and for a variety of careers in which understanding of human nature, critical thinking and oral and written communication skills are valued.

The professional/ technical writing emphasis prepares the student for more specialized careers involving writing in the workplace, such as public relations, copy writing and editing, technical writing and desktop publishing. Both tracks require a senior capstone experience: a Senior Seminar (ENG 0495 ) in the literary studies track or one or two internships (ENG 0491 ) in the writing emphasis. These internships furnish the students with practical experience using writing and research skills in a workplace environment.

The Bachelor of Science in Education English degree prepares students who wish to teach English/Language Arts at the secondary level (grades 9-12). The English BSE program is accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), following the guidelines for teacher preparation of both of these organizations. Taking a prescribed set of courses in Teacher Education and in English, candidates for this degree may choose to certify to teach English as a single field (Plan B) or English plus another field (Plan A). Students who wish to certify to teach English/Language Arts in the middle school should consult the Teacher Education Program information .

The English and Philosophy Department also offers an English minor with a choice of three emphases. A minor in English with an emphasis in literature is a traditional English minor that allows students to deepen their knowledge of literature and writing. Both the minor in English with a writing emphasis and the minor in English with a creative writing emphasis are designed to develop students’ writing skills and to provide them with a way to present their accomplishments to prospective employers and graduate schools. Students who wish to minor in English will arrange a coherent sequence of courses in consultation with the departmental advisor for minors. Students should choose courses on the basis of their backgrounds, their major programs and, above all, their interests.

The department offers its majors and other students opportunities to use their talents and pursue their interests through Sigma Tau Delta, our department’s chapter of the national honors society, or through bordertown, our student-run annual magazine dedicated to publishing the creative writing of MSSU students.

General Education Requirements in Humanities and Fine Arts can be met with the courses listed under Area F . ENG 0101 is a prerequisite to all English courses except ENG 0080 and ENG 0111 . ENG 0102 or ENG 0111 is a prerequisite to all 300-400 level English courses and to all writing-intensive courses in the university. The department urges all students to complete ENG 0101 and ENG 0102 in their first two semesters.

For additional information contact:
Department of English & Philosophy
Kuhn Hall 203
417-625-9377

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

English