Hampton Court, visited by the London Program in Autumn 2002

Special Programs

There are several special programs associated with the Department of English undergraduate program, some of which are housed within the program, like Creative Writing, Poetry and Poetics, and the London Program. The programs below are a sampling of the kinds of programs available to undergraduates in the Department.

Creative Writing

The purpose of the Creative Writing program is to give undergraduate students a rigorous background in the fundamentals of creative work by providing them with the opportunity to study with established poets and prose writers. The program is committed to interdisciplinary work while also teaching the elements of creative writing that underlie all genres. Creative Writing sponsors events, workshops, and lectures and also schedules many undergraduate and graduate classes in writing. Visiting writers each quarter provide a dynamic component to the curriculum, with authors ranging from George Saunders to Susan Howe. English faculty member Janice Knight is currently the chair of Creative Writing, and three English faculty members, Srikanth Reddy, Jennifer Scappettone, and Mark Slouka, regularly teach both creative and critical classes.

Poetry and Poetics

The program in Poetry and Poetics aims to coordinate the University's various curricular approaches to the creative and critical practice of poetics. The Program supports the History and Forms of Lyric series, an ongoing series of lectures by prominent scholars, and a graduate workshop that focuses on work in progress from students, faculty, and visitors. The discussions enabled by the Program are intended to help students at all levels to pursue work that crosses disciplines and discourses. The Program also supports collaboration among faculty members in the form, for example, of team-taught courses, conferences, and lectures. The Program is overseen by an ad-hoc committee of faculty from various departments, including the Department of English.

Chicago Studies

With the Chicago Studies program, the College seeks to make possible intensive academic and experiential encounters with the city of Chicago. The program sponsors courses that bring the city directly into the curriculum; brings together faculty with research interests that engage directly with Chicago; and helps students connect with the city's communities, its leaders, its past, present, and future. In addition, the Chicago Studies Annual publishes original research from College students.

Medieval Studies

The BA program in Medieval Studies aims to acquaint students with a broad range of medieval materials from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, literary, artistic, theological). Students investigate the Middle Ages through twelve courses in historical, literary, and adjunct areas, including a reading and research course, as a preparation for writing a BA paper on some aspect of medieval civilization. They often pursue the program in conjunction with another major, including English Language and Literature.

Study Abroad

London Program (Autumn)

The London Program provides students in the College with an opportunity to study British literature and history in the cultural and political capital of England in Autumn Quarter. In the ten-week program, students take four courses, three of which are each compressed into approximately three weeks and taught in succession by Chicago faculty. The fourth course, in which students develop their own projects, is conducted at a less-intensive pace. The program includes a number of field trips (e.g., to Cornwall, Bath, Canterbury, Cambridge). It is designed for third- and fourth-year students with a strong interest and some course work in British literature and history. While not limited to English or History majors, such students will find the program to be especially attractive and useful. English and History courses are pre-approved for use in their respective majors. Applications are available online via a link to Chicago's study abroad home page and are normally due in mid-Winter Quarter.

Other Study Abroad Programs

There are numerous study abroad programs sponsored by the University of Chicago at other universities all over the world. Many of these programs focus on academic work in the humanities; in particular, the University has a number of programs at institutions in England and Ireland at which undergraduates in the Department of English can study British and Irish literature.