English

Online Bachelor of Arts in English (BA)

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About This Program

Build strong speech and writing skills with American Public University’s Bachelor of Arts in English.

In the BA in English, you explore a variety of different perspectives in World, British, and American Literature and practice ways to articulate them in composition and professional writing courses.

APU’s bachelor’s degree in English online program will prepare you for the workplace and help you build confidence in your ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. The program also covers essays, poetry, and other creative works as well as linguistics and literary theory.

You have the opportunity to learn from respected leaders in communication fields. Among the faculty are writers, editors, journalists, bloggers, social media influencers, podcast hosts, and TV producers.

What You Will Do

  1. Effectively express ideas and evidence in writing
  2. Analyze literary works and written materials, including how a piece could be interpreted by readers
  3. Discuss the history and characteristics of various literary periods and genres
  4. Show your knowledge of literature in the British and American canon and beyond and interpret works against your own cultural experience

View Program Outcome Assessment Results

Degree at a Glance

Number of Credits
120
Cost Per Credit
$360 | $250*
$324**
Courses Start Monthly
Online
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Program Requirements Printable Catalog Version

Students must choose a concentration for this degree program:

The General concentration allows you to choose your own focused area of study. You will select six (6) courses from among World, British, and American literatures and from a wide variety of offerings in professional and creative writing

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Attain a wide breadth of knowledge in analyzing and synthesizing texts.
  • Compose texts that incorporate diverse perspectives through critical analysis and evaluation.

Choose 18 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 5225

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Everyone has a story to tell. Our lives are filled with characters, are rich in texture, and have plots and storylines screaming to be told. Within each of us is a writer yearning to share that story. This course is designed to reach into you and pull that writer into the wonderful world of creative writing. You will learn how to build memorable characters, write incisive dialogue, and craft scenery that will make your readers want to buy a ticket to go there. If you have ever dreamt of being published or just want to flex your creative brain cells, this is the course for you. As one writer, Rodney White, so succinctly wrote: It takes nothing to dream and everything not to. Start your writing dreams today. Who knows where they might take you? (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2856

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ENGL220 introduces students to several different forms of technical writing while challenging them to engage regularly with the field at a scholarly level. Major concepts include collaboration, audience, document design, persuasion, the use of mobile technologies, and revision. In this course, readings are discovered by students in relevant technical writing journals in the AMU/APUS Trefry Library. As students hone their academic research skills, they are tasked with reporting back to their peers regarding the found articles that are relevant to that week’s writing objectives. Weekly class discussions are set up to simulate the technical writing work groups that are routinely found in companies and organizations, and should offer students a place to brainstorm and refine ideas for their larger assignments. Students will compose product proposals, instructions, labels, and a final web-based product manual. These assignments are designed to build on one another and culminate in the final project which can be included in a professional portfolio. (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4651

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Volcanoes. Biochemistry. Space studies. Whether pursuit of scientific knowledge is for personal interest or career progression, ENGL221 gives you the knowledge and skills to understand how and why scientific writing is different from other writing styles. As a launch pad to study rocket science or gather data to advocate for environmental protection policies, this course will provide the groundwork for presenting relevant data to all scientific disciplines. We will learn the basics and practice writing various sections of a scientific paper, including the abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. ENGL221 will explore the unique structure, style, process, and documentation found in scientific writing. (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5227

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In the modern workplace driven by technology, business is about relationships, and the written word connects us. This course teaches us how to build those relationships, efficiently and effectively, through composing common types of business messages. We will focus on writing emails, memos, and letters as well as social media content, presentations, and personal resumes and cover letters. Develop professional communication skills to articulate your ideas and purpose to a variety of different business audiences in clear, concise, correct, coherent, and credible ways. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5587

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This course offers students with a unique approach into the societies and cultures that we could progress toward in the future via the review of the science fiction genre. This course will review many aspects of technological questions that society will face in the future. Does the rise of technological advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics eventually bring us to a point where we must decide what is life and the right to self-determination as the Star Trek: TNG series covered in “The Measure of a Man”, laying out the rights of Commander Data. This is just one of many aspects of society and culture that will be examined throughout the course as students are made to think critically about what will the future look like.

Course ID: 2867

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Have you ever wondered where magazines, newspapers, websites, and blogs find the content they deliver? In our current age of information, there is an increasing reliance on freelance writers to take on articles of interest and to fill the gaps in both online and print publications. ENGL320 will teach you how to successfully pitch an article or idea via an industry-standard query letter, write hooks and ledes that will capture an editor’s attention, and execute a variety of non-fiction articles for unique audiences. Additional topics include performing market research to determine the best home for your article, how to handle rejection gracefully, and how to fine-tune and polish your writing for publication. In ENGL320, you will learn practical skills that can be immediately applied to help advance your non-fiction writing career, so whether you’re ready to find an audience for your work or you just want to see what freelance writing is all about, this is the course for you! (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4653

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Whether we realize it or not, we encounter unique characters, settings, circumstances, and situations nearly every day in almost every way we interact in the world. These encounters are filled with meaning that can only be unlocked through deep processing of the events and an evaluation of their effects on our lives. In ENGL322, we learn how to process our encounters and interactions. In order to become compelling first-person narrators, then, we will study what forms a personal essay can take. We will read a wide variety of essays that will act as models of good writing and choose from among them those that resonate with us. Then, we will write our own personal accounts, using the components of voice, setting, structure, theme, and style. In this way, we will develop a richer understanding of the world in which we interact. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 2875

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Writing is an expression of self. It is the process of putting yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, your deepest fantasies, and your greatest fears on paper. Nobody writes the way you do! And nobody can write what you choose to write in the same exact way! ENGL420 will focus on maximizing self-expression in writing; in other words, together, we will discover the voice inside longing to be heard, longing to sing out. We will hone your writing ability using tried and true techniques so that you can tell your stories in a way that is accessible to others. In ENGL420, we will explore fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting and screenwriting, and develop the tools and the methods necessary to know the differences among them. Bring your creative spirit, your imagination, and your willingness to risk to write the story of your life. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5246

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How does a young country develop a literature of its own? From explorers to frontiersmen, follow the search for freedom and new lands through early American literature, guided by the adventuresome spirit reflected in works from the Colonies to the advent of the Civil War. How do we rationalize reports from explorers and early settlers on indigenous populations? What impact did religion have on early colonial writing and why did the focus shift to reason? How did American writing reflect and shape thought about rebellion and war? How did American women carve out space for themselves as writers of merit? This course explores these questions and more through the writing of American history and the American character, deepening our understanding of a literature that came to be defined by courage, passion, idealism, and—yes—even objection and protest. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5247

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True to its revolutionary roots, America is not just the birthplace of democracy but it is also home to the major civil rights movements of the modern era. This course is a survey of American literature related to the major civil rights movements of the last 150 years, including Abolition (Pre-1865), the Suffragettes (1860-1920), Civil Rights (1920-Present), Women’s Rights (1920-present), and GLBT Liberation/ACT UP (1960-Present). LITR218 will take students on a journey through the social, political, and cultural changes that shape modern America and ask students to contemplate the connections between literature, politics, social change, and the American identity. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5248

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Join us on a journey through a thousand years of British history, beginning in an Anglo-Saxon mead hall with a couple of characters named Beowulf and Grendel and even a dragon. From there we'll go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury with the Good Wife of Bath, ride alongside Arthur's knights, sit at Queen Elizabeth’s feet, get up close and personal with Satan, ride a slave-ship to the new world, debate the state of Ireland, and hear some words of wisdom from Samuel Johnson. It will be quite a ride, so hang on tight. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5249

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Ready to explore the darkest places of the heart, the mind, the soul? Are you longing to “fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget” the modern world for a little while? Then, join us as we grapple with the tumultuous relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and consider Josef Conrad’s harsh criticism of imperialism in Heart of Darkness. LITR225 delves deep into the literary periods of the Romantics, Victorians, Imperialists and Modernists. Learn how society and historical events shaped our authors, and in turn, how our authors impacted society. Come prepared to debate, analyze and share your personal insights in forum conversations and written assignments. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5250

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Humans have theorized about great philosophical questions since the dawn of time. While the values and beliefs that guided the views of ancient cultures have undoubtedly changed, it is also clear that those views continue to influence modern lives. From the ancient world through the European Renaissance, LITR231 focuses on these monumental philosophical questions using great works of art, including the major genres of epic poetry, drama, lyric verse, religious texts, and prose fiction, drawn from Classical Greece, Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe, and the Americas. Students will travel through the musings of ancient authors from foreign lands to gain an understanding of cultural practices and values and investigate any connections between the modern-day world and those who lived and wrote before the modern era. Students will explore their ideas regarding leadership, conflict, heroism, friendship, love, politics, and religion to understand how they continue to impact humanity. They will consider what “world” literature means and why the struggles, concerns, and lives of those long dead are still important today. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5251

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How would you like to travel through time, witnessing historical global events, a variety of different cultures, and exciting scenery? In LITR233, Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt, you won't simply read a textbook. You will travel to different continents and time periods, observing life during significant moments in modern history. Through historic fictional works, you will become part of the action, experiencing war, changing belief systems, and cultures. Not only will you understand what life was like for those in power, you will also see the world from the lens of those who have been oppressed. Come join our journey through history! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5253

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We hit the ground running with the bloodthirsty monster, Grendel, who roams the Danish countryside and cheer on the noble Beowulf who jumps in to save the day. Next, we move on to one of Chaucer’s bawdy tales and read about the pitiful competition between two lovesick knights. In Shakespeare’s “As you like it,” we witness an Elizabethan Rom-Com of tortured lovers who roll their eyes and sigh deeply. After aggressive cannibals face off against Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, we take on Mary Shelley’s greatest creation: Frankenstein. And still there’s more! Jane Austen and George Eliot pull back the curtain on the petty machinations, weaknesses, and hypocrisy of the upper class in 19th century England while Yeats, Woolf, and Orwell ask probing questions about society, morality, and our fellow creatures. Join us in ENGL311 for a rollicking fun adventure! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5254

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Don’t miss LITR315! We play the classics from Shakespeare to Sting and everything in between. In an eight-week exploration of British verse, we’ll ask the important questions: Was Chaucer a feminist? Was Satan the hero in Milton’s work? Were the otherworldly visions of Blake for real? We’ll also take a look at the conspiracy theories that rocked the poetry world. Where did the conspiracy theory of Paul McCartney’s death come from? And who was the actual recipient of Shakespeare’s sonnets? These are just some of the showstoppers we discuss in British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles. With three projects and no quizzes, don’t let this one get away! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5256

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In Nightmare Creators from Lord Byron to Anne Rice, we will explore and assess a range of Gothic literary texts, covering numerous time periods, styles, and authors. The course begins by looking at the major influences of the Gothic tradition and then explores the major Gothic texts beginning in Victorian England and moving into present-day America. The readings will cover a variety of literary genres, including poetry, short stories, and the novel. Most importantly, this course will introduce students to a range of representative texts that reveal the interconnectedness of literature across time and place and show how the Gothic tradition has changed over time. This is a great class for students interested in learning about the origins of modern day horror and thriller stories, films, and TV shows. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5257

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Why did Louisa May Alcott feel the need to write her "blood and thunder tales" under a pseudonym? Why, in the nineteenth century, did Nathanael Hawthorne describe women writers as "a damned mob of scribbling women"? And how might we apply feminist theory to better understand the constructs and corresponding roles of gender and how that is reflected in both literature and lived experience? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we explore how women have established their voices and given authenticity to women’s writing and experience throughout the course of literary history. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5258

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Ogres, giants, elves, talking animals, brave heroes, magic, curses, prophecies, ghosts, otherworld adventures, quests, sex, taboo, tricksters, and monsters! What doesn’t folklore contain? Often considered tales suitable for bedtime or teaching lessons to young children, folklore allows us to contemplate the psyche, analyze cultural ideals, and make connections across vast societies. In this course, we’ll discover how folklore offers a safe space in which to examine our own personalities, provides a context through which to view social issues, and continues to inspire modern storytellers. Get ready to talk to animals about love, resist temptations set by lovers, and engage in a quest to better understand the world! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5443

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In this course featuring literature from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, students will be introduced to key writers of this genre. Starting with the first magical realism works in the 1920s and spanning a century of literary narrative, this course emphasizes the Latin American Boom writers of the 1960s and ‘70s, who transformed this literary style into a distinctly Latin American phenomenon. Students will be asked to consider magic and realism concepts in key literary works by Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Alejo Carpentier, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel García Marquez, Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel, and other literary giants. Students will also be challenged to think critically about prominent themes to better understand the evolving character and identity of Latin America.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5260

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Without realizing it, you have been exposed to Middle Eastern Literature for most of your life. One of the first important texts in history, The Epic of Gilgamesh, so influenced the ancient world that parts of it are found in the Bible and other major works from before the time of Christ. The Middle East is known as the “cradle of civilization,” and true to its history, the region today continues to capture the attention of the world. Stories adapted from thousand+ year old texts, like Aladdin, for example, have earned billions of dollars at the box office and introduced wider audiences to the stories of the Middle East. The literature that comes from the region, both then and now, is filled with passion and power and is a testament to the region’s relevance throughout history. Our course will begin with essential texts and continue through newer works that show the cultural challenges to be found in today’s complex environment. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5261

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American writers are credited with the creation of the short story and have defined the genre for the world. From Nathaniel Hawthorne's first published collection in 1837, America's short stories have explored topics such as witches and demon worship, mysterious murders and insanity, tall tales from the Wild West, love and loss, and the ethics that reflect the cultural identity of Americans. Through a variety of short stories, students will examine the components that embody this original and compressed art form and uncover the ingenuity behind this precise and difficult genre of fiction. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5262

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To the rich oral tradition of Native Americans, new European arrivals added their own lyrics and sense of morality in a Neoclassic style. Not long after, the Romantics rejected this rational view of the world and instead explored emotions: love, obsession, fear, patriotism, and more. Later, in a country torn apart by fighting, Realists voiced their despair in poetry as the nation attempted to recover from the Civil War, and not long after that, the Modernists struggled with finding an identity in a new world shaped by World War I, economic depression, and modernization. Finally, Postmodernists and contemporary poets rejected everything and nothing; to them, anything was possible, and an explosion of new voices, experiences, and ideas emerged. Explore all these American movements—and more—in American Poetry! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5263

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This course explores the emergence of a distinctly Black modernist and post-modernist literary discourse in fiction, poetry, drama, and criticism published from the middle of the twentieth century to the present, often in response to and in conversation with contemporaneous Anglo-American literary movements and trends. We will investigate African American writers’ engagement with the “Wright School of Social Protest”; the evolution of the Black Arts/Black Aesthetic Movements of the 1960s and 1970s; the emergence of Black feminist literature, criticism, and theory in the 1970s and 1980s; and the so-called “third renaissance” of the 1990s and 2000s. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)

Course ID: 4711

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“Writing is something that you can never do as well as it can be done,” said Ernest Hemingway, and he did it better than most. Through his adventurous life and authentic work, he became a larger-than-life cultural icon of his time and one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Through his work, this course examines the genesis and influences that made Hemingway the writer we know, the writer that was selected for the sort of quality and precision that defined his writing and earned the respect and recognition of the Nobel Committee for his “powerful, style-making mastery of the art of modern narration.” (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5290

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Mark Twain’s works are filled with danger and adventure, rollicking humor, biting satire, and memorable characters that wrestle with universal and timeless issues. In his writing, he asks us to consider what it means to be human, and in Mark Twain’s characters, we often see and hear parts of ourselves which helps us hone in on our own humanity. Through social satire and a wicked irreverent sense of humor, his works became timeless; while he lived, he was known as “the funniest man on earth.” But Mark Twain also used his distinct voice to expose the problems and issues that faced society often by highlighting the quirks of its members. LITR408 examines Twain’s literary genius and the man behind the genius who unflinchingly proclaimed, “I am not an American. I am the American.” (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

The Literature concentration focuses on developing analysis and synthesis skills. Through the examination of diverse viewpoints in the chosen literature, you will be exposed to the ideas of great thinkers, you will widen your perspective of the world in general, and you will develop the ability to defend spoken and written arguments using primary source. You should take at least one (1) course from each of the World, British, and American offerings, and it is strongly recommended that you take the three (3) remaining from either the World, British, or American offerings.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Explore the themes, multiple interpretations, and critical connections within American, British, and World literatures.
  • Critique literary texts using analysis and synthesis.
  • Formulate critical insights from texts and articulate them in speech and in writing.

Choose 18 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 5246

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How does a young country develop a literature of its own? From explorers to frontiersmen, follow the search for freedom and new lands through early American literature, guided by the adventuresome spirit reflected in works from the Colonies to the advent of the Civil War. How do we rationalize reports from explorers and early settlers on indigenous populations? What impact did religion have on early colonial writing and why did the focus shift to reason? How did American writing reflect and shape thought about rebellion and war? How did American women carve out space for themselves as writers of merit? This course explores these questions and more through the writing of American history and the American character, deepening our understanding of a literature that came to be defined by courage, passion, idealism, and—yes—even objection and protest. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5247

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True to its revolutionary roots, America is not just the birthplace of democracy but it is also home to the major civil rights movements of the modern era. This course is a survey of American literature related to the major civil rights movements of the last 150 years, including Abolition (Pre-1865), the Suffragettes (1860-1920), Civil Rights (1920-Present), Women’s Rights (1920-present), and GLBT Liberation/ACT UP (1960-Present). LITR218 will take students on a journey through the social, political, and cultural changes that shape modern America and ask students to contemplate the connections between literature, politics, social change, and the American identity. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5248

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Join us on a journey through a thousand years of British history, beginning in an Anglo-Saxon mead hall with a couple of characters named Beowulf and Grendel and even a dragon. From there we'll go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury with the Good Wife of Bath, ride alongside Arthur's knights, sit at Queen Elizabeth’s feet, get up close and personal with Satan, ride a slave-ship to the new world, debate the state of Ireland, and hear some words of wisdom from Samuel Johnson. It will be quite a ride, so hang on tight. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5249

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Ready to explore the darkest places of the heart, the mind, the soul? Are you longing to “fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget” the modern world for a little while? Then, join us as we grapple with the tumultuous relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and consider Josef Conrad’s harsh criticism of imperialism in Heart of Darkness. LITR225 delves deep into the literary periods of the Romantics, Victorians, Imperialists and Modernists. Learn how society and historical events shaped our authors, and in turn, how our authors impacted society. Come prepared to debate, analyze and share your personal insights in forum conversations and written assignments. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5250

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Humans have theorized about great philosophical questions since the dawn of time. While the values and beliefs that guided the views of ancient cultures have undoubtedly changed, it is also clear that those views continue to influence modern lives. From the ancient world through the European Renaissance, LITR231 focuses on these monumental philosophical questions using great works of art, including the major genres of epic poetry, drama, lyric verse, religious texts, and prose fiction, drawn from Classical Greece, Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe, and the Americas. Students will travel through the musings of ancient authors from foreign lands to gain an understanding of cultural practices and values and investigate any connections between the modern-day world and those who lived and wrote before the modern era. Students will explore their ideas regarding leadership, conflict, heroism, friendship, love, politics, and religion to understand how they continue to impact humanity. They will consider what “world” literature means and why the struggles, concerns, and lives of those long dead are still important today. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5251

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How would you like to travel through time, witnessing historical global events, a variety of different cultures, and exciting scenery? In LITR233, Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt, you won't simply read a textbook. You will travel to different continents and time periods, observing life during significant moments in modern history. Through historic fictional works, you will become part of the action, experiencing war, changing belief systems, and cultures. Not only will you understand what life was like for those in power, you will also see the world from the lens of those who have been oppressed. Come join our journey through history! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5253

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We hit the ground running with the bloodthirsty monster, Grendel, who roams the Danish countryside and cheer on the noble Beowulf who jumps in to save the day. Next, we move on to one of Chaucer’s bawdy tales and read about the pitiful competition between two lovesick knights. In Shakespeare’s “As you like it,” we witness an Elizabethan Rom-Com of tortured lovers who roll their eyes and sigh deeply. After aggressive cannibals face off against Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, we take on Mary Shelley’s greatest creation: Frankenstein. And still there’s more! Jane Austen and George Eliot pull back the curtain on the petty machinations, weaknesses, and hypocrisy of the upper class in 19th century England while Yeats, Woolf, and Orwell ask probing questions about society, morality, and our fellow creatures. Join us in ENGL311 for a rollicking fun adventure! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5254

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Don’t miss LITR315! We play the classics from Shakespeare to Sting and everything in between. In an eight-week exploration of British verse, we’ll ask the important questions: Was Chaucer a feminist? Was Satan the hero in Milton’s work? Were the otherworldly visions of Blake for real? We’ll also take a look at the conspiracy theories that rocked the poetry world. Where did the conspiracy theory of Paul McCartney’s death come from? And who was the actual recipient of Shakespeare’s sonnets? These are just some of the showstoppers we discuss in British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles. With three projects and no quizzes, don’t let this one get away! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5256

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In Nightmare Creators from Lord Byron to Anne Rice, we will explore and assess a range of Gothic literary texts, covering numerous time periods, styles, and authors. The course begins by looking at the major influences of the Gothic tradition and then explores the major Gothic texts beginning in Victorian England and moving into present-day America. The readings will cover a variety of literary genres, including poetry, short stories, and the novel. Most importantly, this course will introduce students to a range of representative texts that reveal the interconnectedness of literature across time and place and show how the Gothic tradition has changed over time. This is a great class for students interested in learning about the origins of modern day horror and thriller stories, films, and TV shows. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5257

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Why did Louisa May Alcott feel the need to write her "blood and thunder tales" under a pseudonym? Why, in the nineteenth century, did Nathanael Hawthorne describe women writers as "a damned mob of scribbling women"? And how might we apply feminist theory to better understand the constructs and corresponding roles of gender and how that is reflected in both literature and lived experience? Find out the answers to these questions and more as we explore how women have established their voices and given authenticity to women’s writing and experience throughout the course of literary history. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5258

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Ogres, giants, elves, talking animals, brave heroes, magic, curses, prophecies, ghosts, otherworld adventures, quests, sex, taboo, tricksters, and monsters! What doesn’t folklore contain? Often considered tales suitable for bedtime or teaching lessons to young children, folklore allows us to contemplate the psyche, analyze cultural ideals, and make connections across vast societies. In this course, we’ll discover how folklore offers a safe space in which to examine our own personalities, provides a context through which to view social issues, and continues to inspire modern storytellers. Get ready to talk to animals about love, resist temptations set by lovers, and engage in a quest to better understand the world! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5443

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In this course featuring literature from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, students will be introduced to key writers of this genre. Starting with the first magical realism works in the 1920s and spanning a century of literary narrative, this course emphasizes the Latin American Boom writers of the 1960s and ‘70s, who transformed this literary style into a distinctly Latin American phenomenon. Students will be asked to consider magic and realism concepts in key literary works by Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Alejo Carpentier, Juan Rulfo, Gabriel García Marquez, Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel, and other literary giants. Students will also be challenged to think critically about prominent themes to better understand the evolving character and identity of Latin America.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5260

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Without realizing it, you have been exposed to Middle Eastern Literature for most of your life. One of the first important texts in history, The Epic of Gilgamesh, so influenced the ancient world that parts of it are found in the Bible and other major works from before the time of Christ. The Middle East is known as the “cradle of civilization,” and true to its history, the region today continues to capture the attention of the world. Stories adapted from thousand+ year old texts, like Aladdin, for example, have earned billions of dollars at the box office and introduced wider audiences to the stories of the Middle East. The literature that comes from the region, both then and now, is filled with passion and power and is a testament to the region’s relevance throughout history. Our course will begin with essential texts and continue through newer works that show the cultural challenges to be found in today’s complex environment. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5261

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American writers are credited with the creation of the short story and have defined the genre for the world. From Nathaniel Hawthorne's first published collection in 1837, America's short stories have explored topics such as witches and demon worship, mysterious murders and insanity, tall tales from the Wild West, love and loss, and the ethics that reflect the cultural identity of Americans. Through a variety of short stories, students will examine the components that embody this original and compressed art form and uncover the ingenuity behind this precise and difficult genre of fiction. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5262

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To the rich oral tradition of Native Americans, new European arrivals added their own lyrics and sense of morality in a Neoclassic style. Not long after, the Romantics rejected this rational view of the world and instead explored emotions: love, obsession, fear, patriotism, and more. Later, in a country torn apart by fighting, Realists voiced their despair in poetry as the nation attempted to recover from the Civil War, and not long after that, the Modernists struggled with finding an identity in a new world shaped by World War I, economic depression, and modernization. Finally, Postmodernists and contemporary poets rejected everything and nothing; to them, anything was possible, and an explosion of new voices, experiences, and ideas emerged. Explore all these American movements—and more—in American Poetry! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5263

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This course explores the emergence of a distinctly Black modernist and post-modernist literary discourse in fiction, poetry, drama, and criticism published from the middle of the twentieth century to the present, often in response to and in conversation with contemporaneous Anglo-American literary movements and trends. We will investigate African American writers’ engagement with the “Wright School of Social Protest”; the evolution of the Black Arts/Black Aesthetic Movements of the 1960s and 1970s; the emergence of Black feminist literature, criticism, and theory in the 1970s and 1980s; and the so-called “third renaissance” of the 1990s and 2000s. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)

Course ID: 4711

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“Writing is something that you can never do as well as it can be done,” said Ernest Hemingway, and he did it better than most. Through his adventurous life and authentic work, he became a larger-than-life cultural icon of his time and one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Through his work, this course examines the genesis and influences that made Hemingway the writer we know, the writer that was selected for the sort of quality and precision that defined his writing and earned the respect and recognition of the Nobel Committee for his “powerful, style-making mastery of the art of modern narration.” (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5290

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Mark Twain’s works are filled with danger and adventure, rollicking humor, biting satire, and memorable characters that wrestle with universal and timeless issues. In his writing, he asks us to consider what it means to be human, and in Mark Twain’s characters, we often see and hear parts of ourselves which helps us hone in on our own humanity. Through social satire and a wicked irreverent sense of humor, his works became timeless; while he lived, he was known as “the funniest man on earth.” But Mark Twain also used his distinct voice to expose the problems and issues that faced society often by highlighting the quirks of its members. LITR408 examines Twain’s literary genius and the man behind the genius who unflinchingly proclaimed, “I am not an American. I am the American.” (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session

Course ID: 5176

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This course offers students with a unique approach into the societies and cultures that we could progress toward in the future via the review of the science fiction genre. This course will review many aspects of technological questions that society will face in the future. Does the rise of technological advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics eventually bring us to a point where we must decide what is life and the right to self-determination as the Star Trek: TNG series covered in “The Measure of a Man”, laying out the rights of Commander Data. This is just one of many aspects of society and culture that will be examined throughout the course as students are made to think critically about what will the future look like.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

The Writing and Communication concentration focuses on developing your articulation skills through practice of the writing process. This concentration gives you the opportunity to focus on five (5) professional and/or creative writing courses and one (1) course of literature that highlights writing-in-practice. You will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of practical and professional writing.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:

  • Examine effective and efficient written and oral communication across industries.
  • Interpret diverse viewpoints in written communication.
  • Create professional texts that conform to industry-specific expectations and facilitate communication.

Choose 18 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 5225

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Everyone has a story to tell. Our lives are filled with characters, are rich in texture, and have plots and storylines screaming to be told. Within each of us is a writer yearning to share that story. This course is designed to reach into you and pull that writer into the wonderful world of creative writing. You will learn how to build memorable characters, write incisive dialogue, and craft scenery that will make your readers want to buy a ticket to go there. If you have ever dreamt of being published or just want to flex your creative brain cells, this is the course for you. As one writer, Rodney White, so succinctly wrote: It takes nothing to dream and everything not to. Start your writing dreams today. Who knows where they might take you? (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2856

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ENGL220 introduces students to several different forms of technical writing while challenging them to engage regularly with the field at a scholarly level. Major concepts include collaboration, audience, document design, persuasion, the use of mobile technologies, and revision. In this course, readings are discovered by students in relevant technical writing journals in the AMU/APUS Trefry Library. As students hone their academic research skills, they are tasked with reporting back to their peers regarding the found articles that are relevant to that week’s writing objectives. Weekly class discussions are set up to simulate the technical writing work groups that are routinely found in companies and organizations, and should offer students a place to brainstorm and refine ideas for their larger assignments. Students will compose product proposals, instructions, labels, and a final web-based product manual. These assignments are designed to build on one another and culminate in the final project which can be included in a professional portfolio. (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 4651

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Volcanoes. Biochemistry. Space studies. Whether pursuit of scientific knowledge is for personal interest or career progression, ENGL221 gives you the knowledge and skills to understand how and why scientific writing is different from other writing styles. As a launch pad to study rocket science or gather data to advocate for environmental protection policies, this course will provide the groundwork for presenting relevant data to all scientific disciplines. We will learn the basics and practice writing various sections of a scientific paper, including the abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. ENGL221 will explore the unique structure, style, process, and documentation found in scientific writing. (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5227

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In the modern workplace driven by technology, business is about relationships, and the written word connects us. This course teaches us how to build those relationships, efficiently and effectively, through composing common types of business messages. We will focus on writing emails, memos, and letters as well as social media content, presentations, and personal resumes and cover letters. Develop professional communication skills to articulate your ideas and purpose to a variety of different business audiences in clear, concise, correct, coherent, and credible ways. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2867

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Have you ever wondered where magazines, newspapers, websites, and blogs find the content they deliver? In our current age of information, there is an increasing reliance on freelance writers to take on articles of interest and to fill the gaps in both online and print publications. ENGL320 will teach you how to successfully pitch an article or idea via an industry-standard query letter, write hooks and ledes that will capture an editor’s attention, and execute a variety of non-fiction articles for unique audiences. Additional topics include performing market research to determine the best home for your article, how to handle rejection gracefully, and how to fine-tune and polish your writing for publication. In ENGL320, you will learn practical skills that can be immediately applied to help advance your non-fiction writing career, so whether you’re ready to find an audience for your work or you just want to see what freelance writing is all about, this is the course for you! (Prerequisites: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4653

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Whether we realize it or not, we encounter unique characters, settings, circumstances, and situations nearly every day in almost every way we interact in the world. These encounters are filled with meaning that can only be unlocked through deep processing of the events and an evaluation of their effects on our lives. In ENGL322, we learn how to process our encounters and interactions. In order to become compelling first-person narrators, then, we will study what forms a personal essay can take. We will read a wide variety of essays that will act as models of good writing and choose from among them those that resonate with us. Then, we will write our own personal accounts, using the components of voice, setting, structure, theme, and style. In this way, we will develop a richer understanding of the world in which we interact. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 2875

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Writing is an expression of self. It is the process of putting yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, your deepest fantasies, and your greatest fears on paper. Nobody writes the way you do! And nobody can write what you choose to write in the same exact way! ENGL420 will focus on maximizing self-expression in writing; in other words, together, we will discover the voice inside longing to be heard, longing to sing out. We will hone your writing ability using tried and true techniques so that you can tell your stories in a way that is accessible to others. In ENGL420, we will explore fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting and screenwriting, and develop the tools and the methods necessary to know the differences among them. Bring your creative spirit, your imagination, and your willingness to risk to write the story of your life. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Must take the following in this Section:

Course ID: 5037

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Information and Digital Literacy is designed to provide students with sustainable and usable skills essential to success in both academic and professional settings. Students will learn best practices to locate and evaluate sources, and effectively communicate using digital literacy to become proficient 21st century learners.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 2852

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Playing third base doesn’t come naturally to most folks; instead, it requires dedication to become good at it. In the same way, learning how to cook or developing a new app takes a lot of time and commitment. As with any new skill, perseverance and consistent daily practice lead to success. And so it is with writing. It’s not the mystery most people make it out to be; in fact, when you get right down to it, writing is pretty formulaic. It’s a series of skills that, once learned, require a commitment to practicing them. In other words, no one is born a great writer; instead, writers learn their craft through hard work. ENGL101 identifies the basic building blocks of writing, and as each new skill is learned, it is practiced in a safe and supportive environment. Come take the mystery out of writing in ENGL101: Proficiency in Writing.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 4951

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Martin Luther King, Jr, said, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to KEEP MOVING.” Making Writing Relevant is a composition course that will definitely keep you moving. It is not merely a required course; it is the type of course you will want to take because it moves you onto the path to success. Over eight-weeks, we will help you learn the most important components of a successful writer-communicator. We will teach you how to research properly, knowing you will need this skill in every course you take here at APUS and also in interactions in your professional and personal life. We will teach you the formatting style you will use in your field. We will provide a supportive community to strengthen and encourage you, and by the end of this nearly-all-you-need-to-know-about-writing course, you will be able to fly.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 5224

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Presidents winning elections, countries declaring war, spouses saving a marriage, students earning scholarships—all of these have something in common: argumentation. Mountains have been moved by masters of this craft. Just think of what such people as Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln achieved with the power of their words. There is, as Horace says, harmony in discord. We will explore that harmony and why Fredrick Douglass said there can be no progress without struggle. In this class, we will examine argument strategies and structures, interrogate assumptions, explore moral arguments with complex empirical questions, and analyze a variety of texts—popular culture, websites, advertisements, etc. Be prepared to work with a variety of evidence and opinions, cultures, counterclaims, evidentiary quality, and more, as we study and practice the art of argumentation. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5226

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Do you enjoy horror, romantic, adventure, or science fiction stories? Do you find song lyrics poetic? Have you ever fancied yourself a director, debater, or film critic? Many APUS students have been enthralled with ENGL210 – a special course that gives students access to many worlds, plots, themes, and voices. You will enter the deep catacombs of Italy, feel the thrill of detective work, relish in the beauty of lyrical poetry, and experience historical events through a first-person perspective. Also, in ENGL210, you will feel what it is like to be a critic, director, author, and audience member. Come join an entertaining way to gain insight into the human experience!
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5228

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The only constant in a person’s life, whether awake or in a dream state, is language; in fact, it is everything, everywhere, all at once. The process of acquiring language begins even before birth, and by mid-childhood, most have developed a first language without having to work at it. It is natural; humans are hard-wired to acquire language. Throughout life, language influences thought, impacts identity development, and affects people’s behaviors, and learning a second or later language can fundamentally change those thoughts and behaviors. Linguistics, the scientific study of language, focuses on the rules that explain the discrete sounds of language, the combination of those sounds into words, the arrangement of words into sentences, and the meaning derived from those sentences in use. This introduction to Linguistics course is a fascinating first foray into building an understanding of language.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5445

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Writer Zora Neale Hurston describes research as “formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." This course will help students hone their research skills, along with all other aspects of academic writing. Students will receive step-by-step guidance through the process while writing about topics they want to explore. In this course, students will learn how to compose thoughtful research questions, gather and evaluate supporting facts, and create an organized outline for a research paper. Students will also learn how to properly cite sources, avoid plagiarism, flesh out a research paper’s paragraphs with substantive details, and turn in a polished final paper. Students will work within a supportive university community and will receive plentiful, constructive feedback.
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5229

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Mysterious ancient runes carved into a sword hilt, fierce Germanic kingdoms, and Viking marauders—the history of our language is rooted in artifacts of breathtaking power and the spirit of warriors who came to the British Isles. Civilized by the French courts, seeking adventure along the Silk Road, and embracing democracy in the Americas, English would eventually reign in the world’s corridors of power. Now, a sophisticated tool in the hands of wordcrafters, English is a language of strength, beauty, and caprice. Continue the adventure with us in ENGL402 WordPlay: A Biography of the English Language where we will explore English from its oral roots right up to its modern-day artistry. (Pre-requisite: ENGL101 or ENGL110)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Course ID: 5255

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This course is a survey of contemporary critical theory from the late 20th century to the present. Theories include Contemporary Feminist Theory, Queer Theory, Postcolonial Theory, Critical Race Theory and Transgender Theory. The course combines philosophy, cultural critique, and politics to examine how different theoretical approaches can create dramatically different interpretations and analyses of a text. Theoretical premises and techniques are applied to selected works so as to understand more fully those techniques and to analyze specific texts in particular. Readings are from Judith Butler, Judith Halberstam, Michel Foucault, Riki Wilchins, Alan Freeman and others critical to the development of contemporary critical theory. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5264

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In All the World’s a Stage: Defining Differences in the Dramatic World of Shakespeare, we’ll discuss life. Specifically, we’ll look at life and love, politics and ambition, evil and violence, wit and laughter, racial divisions, battles between the sexes, and misery and happiness as it unfolds in the plays and poetry of the Bard. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Choose 9 credit hours from this section.

Course ID: 5253

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We hit the ground running with the bloodthirsty monster, Grendel, who roams the Danish countryside and cheer on the noble Beowulf who jumps in to save the day. Next, we move on to one of Chaucer’s bawdy tales and read about the pitiful competition between two lovesick knights. In Shakespeare’s “As you like it,” we witness an Elizabethan Rom-Com of tortured lovers who roll their eyes and sigh deeply. After aggressive cannibals face off against Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, we take on Mary Shelley’s greatest creation: Frankenstein. And still there’s more! Jane Austen and George Eliot pull back the curtain on the petty machinations, weaknesses, and hypocrisy of the upper class in 19th century England while Yeats, Woolf, and Orwell ask probing questions about society, morality, and our fellow creatures. Join us in ENGL311 for a rollicking fun adventure! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5254

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Don’t miss LITR315! We play the classics from Shakespeare to Sting and everything in between. In an eight-week exploration of British verse, we’ll ask the important questions: Was Chaucer a feminist? Was Satan the hero in Milton’s work? Were the otherworldly visions of Blake for real? We’ll also take a look at the conspiracy theories that rocked the poetry world. Where did the conspiracy theory of Paul McCartney’s death come from? And who was the actual recipient of Shakespeare’s sonnets? These are just some of the showstoppers we discuss in British Poetry from Blake to the Beatles. With three projects and no quizzes, don’t let this one get away! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5261

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American writers are credited with the creation of the short story and have defined the genre for the world. From Nathaniel Hawthorne's first published collection in 1837, America's short stories have explored topics such as witches and demon worship, mysterious murders and insanity, tall tales from the Wild West, love and loss, and the ethics that reflect the cultural identity of Americans. Through a variety of short stories, students will examine the components that embody this original and compressed art form and uncover the ingenuity behind this precise and difficult genre of fiction. (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session

Course ID: 5262

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To the rich oral tradition of Native Americans, new European arrivals added their own lyrics and sense of morality in a Neoclassic style. Not long after, the Romantics rejected this rational view of the world and instead explored emotions: love, obsession, fear, patriotism, and more. Later, in a country torn apart by fighting, Realists voiced their despair in poetry as the nation attempted to recover from the Civil War, and not long after that, the Modernists struggled with finding an identity in a new world shaped by World War I, economic depression, and modernization. Finally, Postmodernists and contemporary poets rejected everything and nothing; to them, anything was possible, and an explosion of new voices, experiences, and ideas emerged. Explore all these American movements—and more—in American Poetry! (Pre-requisite: ENGL210 for English majors, or ENGL101 or ENGL110 for non-English majors)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session
Select any courses that have not been used to fulfill major requirements. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major.

Must take all courses for this section.

Course ID: 2876

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So the end is in sight … now it’s time to show us what you can do. In this course we will work through the process of creating a formal thesis in the form of a literary analysis essay that demonstrates the critical skills you have developed in your years as an English major. You will pick one literary work and dive deeply into it to engage the critical conversation surrounding it. The 10-15 page essay you produce will not only demonstrate your skills, but also serve as a formal writing sample for those of you intending to pursue graduate education. (Prerequisite: Completion of a minimum of 105 hours towards your program)
Registration Dates Course Dates Session Weeks
02/23/26 - 07/31/26 08/03/26 - 09/27/26 Summer 2026 Session I 8 Week session
04/27/26 - 10/02/26 10/05/26 - 11/28/26 Fall 2026 Session B 8 Week session
05/25/26 - 10/30/26 11/02/26 - 12/27/26 Fall 2026 Session I 8 Week session
06/29/26 - 12/04/26 12/07/26 - 01/31/27 Fall 2026 Session D 8 Week session

Courses Start Monthly

Next Courses Start Jul 6
Register by Jul 3

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  • All APU undergraduate programs require a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent (i.e., GED). Please read all undergraduate admission requirements before applying to this program and be prepared to submit the required documentation.
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1The University reserves the right to accept or deny credits according to policies outlined on our University website. Please see the University's transfer credit policy webpage for complete information.

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