Introductory Undergraduate Courses in Language and Literature

Academic Year 2025-2026, Semester I
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All courses carry 4 credits, unless otherwise indicated.

Effective Fall 2020, one course numbered CAS EN 121 – 201 and 203 – 215 may count toward the seven additional courses, provided it was taken before or concurrently with EN 220.

If you are considering a major or minor in English, you should take EN 220 rather than WR 150, 151, or 152.

Please note that a class may not be used to fulfill more than one distribution requirement.

All of the courses listed below fulfill the Humanities divisional credit in CAS.

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Encounters: Reading across Time and Space

*Note that this course is the introduction to the English Major. Non-majors looking for Hub units should consider other courses, including 100-level English courses.

This team-taught course provides an introduction to English literature across the ages. We will stage encounters across time and space between authors working in the English language – from the middle ages to the present, and from England to the Americas and around the globe.

EN 101 A1 and B1 Appleford and Rezek

TR 9:30 – 10:45a

 

Freshman Seminar

Limited enrollment. Variable topics. Through discussions and frequent writing assignments, students develop skills in the close reading of literary texts and learn to express their interpretive ideas in correct and persuasive prose. Satisfies CAS WR 120 requirement. The Freshman Seminar fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: First-Year Writing Seminar.

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EN 120 A1 Staff

MWF 9:05 – 9:55a

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EN 120 B1 Staff

MWF 10:10 – 11:00a

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EN 120 C1 Staff

MWF 11:15 – 12:05p

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EN 120 D1 Staff

TR 11:00 – 12:15p

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EN 120 E1 Staff

MWF 12:20 – 1:10p

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EN 120 F1 Staff

MWF 9:05 – 9:55a

 

 

 

Reading World Literature

Study of literature in English or English translation — poetry, drama, and prose narrative — outside of British and American traditions. Attention to such topics as cultural self-construction, relationships of historical context to artistic expression, and development of literary forms. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.

EN 121 A1 Staff

MWF 1:25 – 2:15 p

 

Medieval Worlds

Why does the deep medieval past continue to haunt our dreams? In novels, games, and on TV? Medieval literature and its afterlives. Topics may include Arthurian romance, otherworld visions, monsters and heroes, women’s lives and writing, modern medievalism. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.

EN 122 A1 Staff

TR 5:00 – 6:15p

 

Reading American Literature

EN 127 A1 Staff

TR 2:00 – 3:15 p

 

Reading American Literature

Readings may include works of fiction, poetry, or drama composed in America from the colonial period to the present. Attention to a wide range of literary works and historical and cultural contexts. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration and The Individual in Community.

EN 127 B1 Staff

MWF 9:05 – 9:55a

 

Introduction to African American Literature

What is the African American literary tradition? How does it change over time? This course is to introduce you to the cultural, political, and historical contexts of the African American experience through readings of literature. We will read poetry, slave narratives, essays and speeches, tales, short stories, and novels, and as we examine these texts, we will consider how culture, politics, and history shape African American literature.

Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (WR100/120 or equivalent)

EN 129/AA 103 A1 Staff

MWF 10:10 – 11:00 a

 

Science/Fiction

Through readings in British and/or American literature, an exploration of some of the following topics: science and technology as literary themes; historical construction of science and art; similarities and differences between literary and scientific methods; the development of science fiction. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.

EN 130 A1 Staff

MWF 9:05 – 9:55a

 

Science/Fiction

Through readings in British and/or American literature, an exploration of some of the following topics: science and technology as literary themes; historical construction of science and art; similarities and differences between literary and scientific methods; the development of science fiction. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.

EN 130 B1 Staff

MWF 11:15a – 12:05p

 

Introduction to Poetry

Introduction to the understanding, interpretation, and appreciation of a wide range of poetry. Focus on poetic form, genre, and style, with explorations of cultural and aesthetic contexts. Particular emphasis on close, careful reading and discussion. Topics vary by instructor. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication.

EN 142 A1 Staff

MWF 9:05 – 9:55a

 

The Graphic Novel

Examination of the rise, nature, and status of the contemporary book-length graphic novel. Topics may include graphic vs. traditional novel, word and image, style and space, representations of subjectivity, trauma, and history. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.

EN 170 A1 Staff

MWF 11:15a – 12:05p

 

Introduction to Film & Media Aesthetics

Introduction to fundamental concepts for the analysis/understanding of film and media. Key concepts of formal composition (e.g. editing, mise-en-sc’ne, cinematography, sound and more) over a diverse set of media texts. Foundational skills in analysis appropriate to film, television and moving-image media. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.

EN 176 Staff

M 6:30 – 9:15p Film Screening

TR 11:00 – 12:15p Lecture/Discussion

 

Introduction to Asian-American Literature

What does it mean to be “Asian American?” What are the racial legacies of U.S. imperial expansion, race-based incarceration, and immigration exclusion? How do these meanings relate to gender and sexuality throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries? This course grapples with these questions and more by studying the literature and culture of Americans of Asian ancestry in the United States. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.

EN 177 A1 Jewel Pereyra

TR 11:00a – 12:15p

 

Introduction to Trans Literature

EN 179 A1 Goodrich

TR 9:30 – 10:45a

 

 

Introduction to Literary Studies

Introduction to literary analysis and interpretation. Variable topics. Through frequent writing assignments and discussion, students develop skills in the analysis of literary texts and learn to express their interpretive ideas in correct and persuasive prose. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.

EN201 A1 Staff

MWF 11:15a – 12:05p