How to Develop A Core Curriculum As An English Department Dean
English is a broad major for college students, and because of this a student can enter a variety of career fields such as education, journalism, government, business and in social sciences. This is why it's important for English department deans to develop a core curriculum that will adequately prepare them for the workforce. Computer science would be a good required course for English majors because students will need to know how to use technology no matter which career they chose.
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Incorporate one or two courses in American literature. This is important because not only should students have a thorough knowledge of American literature in general, but it lays the groundwork for the more advanced courses they will take later in their college life. Also narrow the American literature courses down to a specific time period such as the Civil War era or World War II time frame.
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Consider some sociology courses. This may not appear to relate to English, but if students are reading literature, it would be a good idea to understand the social causes behind what the author wrote. For example, you may decide to require students to take a sociology of women's literature in the 19th century or a course on the social motives behind 20th century protest novels.
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Think about some creative writing courses. To make them interesting, develop some courses that haven't been taught yet by professors. You can introduce courses on writing the science fiction novel, writing autobiographies and biographies and historical novels.
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Incorporate philosophy courses into the curriculum. Founding fathers such as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were influenced by Roman and Greek philosophers. This could help students if they read literature that deals with colonial America.
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References
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