Undergraduate Studies:
The Literature Major is ideal for those who love to read and write. In lively conversations with fellow students and dedicated professors, you will analyze and discuss the forms of artistic expression that matter most to you: stories and poems, fiction and nonfiction, novels and material culture, plays and films. We offer courses on everything from graphic novels to popular and YA fiction. Our classes will challenge and amaze you, even as you become a better writer and thinker.
Literature minor Jordan Klein
“I am grateful that I am a Literature minor at Miami University because it enables me to develop a strong foundation into a field of study that I love while still being able to pursue other interests. Additionally, my minor in Literature is smoothly integrated into my overall track at Miami, whereby I will be able to graduate with a major in Integrated English Language Arts Education, co-major in Film Studies, and minor in Literature all in 4 years!”–Jordan Klein, Literature minor
Capstone Experiences:
Imagining American Geographies : This literature capstone class, taught by Dr. Navakas, traveled to many historical sites around Ohio. They started in Cincinnati at the Freedom Center, then traveled to Ripley, Ohio to visit the John Rankin House, a popular stop on the Underground Railroad, and John P. Parker House, home to a famous conductor and extractor on the Underground Railroad. Finally, the students finished the day with dinner at The Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio. These sites tied directly to the works they read in class such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
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- Dr. Navakas explaining the Freedom Trail
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- Dr. Navakas takes her Capstone students to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center
The Afterlife of Hamlet and Ophelia: Students of the English department’s literature capstone course, ENG 495: The Afterlife of Hamlet and Ophelia, had the unique opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., over Fall Break 2017 and visit the Folger Shakespeare Library. The course, taught by Professor Kaara Peterson, explores the cultural history of Hamlet and the multiple reinterpretations of the text and its characters over the past 400 years. You can read more about it here.
“Our visit to the Folger really helped me understand that Shakespeare’s works extend beyond text and performance. Not only did we see several rare books, but we also saw paintings, sculptures, and other artistic representations inspired by Shakespeare or his works and Hamlet.”––Caroline Godard (French & English lit major)
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- Students from the English capstone at the Folger Shakespeare library in Washington DC
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- English student Brie Moore expresses her love for the Bard at the Folger Shakespeare Library
Graduate Studies:
The Department of English has a national reputation for graduating top-rate scholars who are excellent researchers, teachers, writers, and editors. Our graduate program is designed to be large enough to produce nationally competitive scholars and writers, but small enough to ensure that each individual receives mentoring and engaged interaction with our award-winning faculty.
Literature graduate student Nona Landis with her essay that appeared in Food, Feminisms, Rhetorics
Literature graduate students Tyler Groff, Dinidu Karunanakye, and Steve Dudas present at the Midwest MLA Conference