English (ENGL) 491

Overview

Students in ENGL 491 complete an extended research project under the direction of a professor. The research topic will be determined by consultation between the student and the professor. The course of study will normally include extensive library research and the production of a major paper. The research proposal will include the goals of the study project, the procedures, and the deadlines for completing the various phases of the work.

Outline

This course is designed for students who want to pursue a particular topic of study in literature, or the discourse of cultural studies, or both. The massive course text, Cultural Studies, contains explanations about the many aspects of this new area of research. Students are not limited to working on topics from cultural studies, but may choose to study more traditional areas of literature. For example, students could research a topic from the works of Chaucer (1342-1400), Shakespeare (1564-1616), John Dryden (1631-1700), or George Eliot (1819-1880).

Students may wish to work on an American playwright, a Canadian poet, an Australian novelist, or a Native author. Along with authors from this century, students could also consider topics from other media, such as film or opera.

Students may wish to do some interdisciplinary work on topics such as literature and history, literature and philosophy, literature and sociology, literature and the other media, literature and psychology, or literature and education.

Evaluation

To receive credit for ENGL 491, you must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent on each assignment and a composite course grade of at least “D” (50 percent). The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.