Department of English
Concentration in Science and Writing (Major in English)
This Concentration in Science and Writing reflects a wider strategy to present English as a skill-based degree that develops students’ ability to read, write, argue, and think across contexts and disciplines. The concentration builds a humanities-focused skill set emphasizing critical thinking and creativity to supplement science-based or science-focused inquiry. It targets students whose career goals are in natural, material, or health sciences, social work, or public policy.
Requirements
The concentration requires at least 12 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Advanced Courses. Three (3) courses:
- ENG-L 377 Studies in Ecological Literature and Theory
- ENG-R 330 Science, Advocacy, and the Public
- ENG-R 348 Environmental Communication
ENG-L 377 Studies in Ecological Literature and Theory
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Selected critical and literary approaches to ecological issues over time and in various cultural settings. May examine nature writing, ecopoetry, ecocriticism or ecological theory, the literature of ecological justice, ecofeminist writing, and/or climate storytelling.
- Fall 2026CASE SLcourse
ENG-R 330 Science, Advocacy, and the Public
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Explores the ways that scientists can better communicate their research and concerns to the public. Covers topics related to public perceptions of science, examines how best to present and explain research to non-expert audiences through both speaking and writing, and explores recent public and scientific controversies.
- Fall 2026CASE AHcourse
ENG-R 348 Environmental Communication
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- This class is grounded in the perspective that symbolic and natural systems are mutually constituted and therefore, the ways we communicate about and with the environment are vital to examine for a sustainable and just future. The focus of the class may vary to engage topics such as environmental tourism or environmental disasters.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of CMCL-C 348 or ENG-R 348.
- Fall 2026CASE SHcourse
- Elective. One (1) course:
- ENG-L 219 Introduction to Environmental Literature
- ENG-L 221 Health and Literature
- ENG-L 230 Introduction to Science Fiction
- ENG-R 212 Communicating Sustainability
- ENG-W 236 Science Writing
ENG-L 219 Introduction to Environmental Literature
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduces the critical study of environmental writing in anglophone literature, covering texts in multiple genres and modes and examining how literature shapes and intersects with environmental awareness, thinking, and justice. May explore nature writing, science writing, ecopoetry, Cli-Fi, among other genres.
- Fall 2026CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2026CASE SLcourse
ENG-L 221 Health and Literature
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- In this class, we will study the intersection between literature, illness, and medicine. At first glance, these categories have little in common. Yet, literature both records and interrogates how society thinks about illness, injury, pain, medical treatment, and patient experiences. Can language capture the experience of pain or illness? How can literature help patients and practitioners understand medical problems and treatment? How is one\'s understanding and treatment of disease impacted by historical and cultural context? We will explore these and other questions through reading a diverse range of literature, paying particular attention to the historical, social, and cultural implications of various medical conditions and practices.
ENG-L 230 Introduction to Science Fiction
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Study of the kinds, conventions, and theories of science fiction. Course may include both literature (predominantly British and American) and film.
- Fall 2026CASE AHcourse
ENG-R 212 Communicating Sustainability
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- 'Sustainability' is the capacity to negotiate environmental, social, and economic needs and desires for current and future generations. Traces historical and global discourses of sustainability; defines key terms and frames sustainability; engages related concepts of democracy, citizenship, and community; and develops critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of CMCL-C 212 or ENG-R 212.
- Fall 2026CASE SHcourse
ENG-W 236 Science Writing
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduces genres, rhetoric, and principles of science writing, focusing on evaluation of scientific writing and writing skills. Topics include use of evidence, argumentation, and narrative in science writing, the ethical considerations of science writing, how science writing shapes perceptions about scientific processes, and the role of science writing in society.
- Concentration Hours and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Concentration Upper Division Courses. At least 9 credit hours in the concentration must be completed at the 300-499 level.
- Minimum Grade. A grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the concentration.
Concentration Area Courses
-
Courses that may apply toward the Credit Hours and GPA requirements in this academic program include all courses listed on the requirement course lists at the time the course was taken as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent.
Exclusions
The following courses cannot be applied toward concentration requirements:
-
Same as the major, as appropriate based on the Academic program Area Courses list above.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply to the minimum credit hours required in the concentration:
-
Same as the major, as appropriate based on the Academic program Area Courses list above.
Exceptions to and substitutions for concentration requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.