What can you do with a degree in English and Writing from 91¿ì²¥ University?  The real question is what ³¦²¹²Ô’t you do?  The answer is virtually nothing. 

Recent graduates from our program include actors, professional writers, online content creators, filmmakers, nurses and nurse practitioners, optometrists, attorneys, social workers, counselors, teachers, professors, ministers, librarians, software engineers, data analysts, and more.  Even the General Manager of the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, part of the famous Boston Beer Company, has an English degree from 91¿ì²¥ University. 

If you can imagine it, we can help you realize it.

Course Information

English Composition I: The Writing Seminar (ENG 101)

This course will introduce students to the practice and process of expository writing.  Students will navigate the stages of formal writing projects, from initial planning to the final edit.  They will identify and develop techniques to convey their ideas clearly and develop them convincingly.  In doing so, they will become more intentional writers, more keenly aware of what they are doing on the page at all times, and why.  Students will sharpen their ability to think critically by studying how texts work, learning to read a text for the deliberate rhetorical choices made during the writing process, and then working to solve problems themselves on the page.  This work will hone their composition skills, improving their style and grammar and giving them more control and confidence as writers, in college and beyond.

English Composition II: Writing in Context (ENG 102)

This course will engage students in the process of writing as a purposeful interaction with diverse audiences in distinct settings. Through analysis and practice, students will learn to approach writing as a rhetorical transaction and thus build a foundation of principles and techniques that enable them to serve the needs and values of local and global users in the contemporary public space. They will learn to construct cogent stances based on careful inquiry. They will learn to gather technical information about complicated subjects and translate it into usable forms for busy decision makers. Along the way, they will identify and apply the theoretical underpinnings of effective written argument, thus preparing them to operate in a wide range of fields where competency is defined by accuracy, efficiency, and situational awareness. This rhetorical knowledge promotes empathy, connection, and thus equity between writers and their readers.

Introduction to Literary Fiction (ENG 237)

This course introduces students to a range of fictional forms and narrative styles. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to identify major components of fiction and analyze their functions to reveal the texts’ explicit and implicit meanings. Moreover, students will be able to describe several historical developments in the short and long forms of fiction. Finally, students will be able to describe how fiction operates in the investigation and expression of the human search for meaning and values.

Introduction to Creative Writing (ENG 285)

This course will engage students in the craft of storytelling. They will practice both fiction and creative nonfiction, learning to apply techniques associated with each genre for the benefit of writing in both genres. They will also identify and evaluate important distinctions between the two, notably the nonfiction writer’s burden of accuracy and authenticity. Deliberate focus on the acquisition and value of narrative knowledge will enable students to articulate how stories work and why this knowledge matters to life and work beyond the page.

Junior Year

Fall

English Composition I

Spring

Introduction to Literary Fiction

Senior Year

Fall

English Composition II

Spring

Introduction to Creative Writing
and Narrative Reasoning

Total Credits:

12

English Composition I: The Writing Seminar (ENG 101)

This course will introduce students to the practice and process of expository writing.  Students will navigate the stages of formal writing projects, from initial planning to the final edit.  They will identify and develop techniques to convey their ideas clearly and develop them convincingly.  In doing so, they will become more intentional writers, more keenly aware of what they are doing on the page at all times, and why.  Students will sharpen their ability to think critically by studying how texts work, learning to read a text for the deliberate rhetorical choices made during the writing process, and then working to solve problems themselves on the page.  This work will hone their composition skills, improving their style and grammar and giving them more control and confidence as writers, in college and beyond.

English Composition II: Writing in Context (ENG 102)

This course will engage students in the process of writing as a purposeful interaction with diverse audiences in distinct settings. Through analysis and practice, students will learn to approach writing as a rhetorical transaction and thus build a foundation of principles and techniques that enable them to serve the needs and values of local and global users in the contemporary public space. They will learn to construct cogent stances based on careful inquiry. They will learn to gather technical information about complicated subjects and translate it into usable forms for busy decision makers. Along the way, they will identify and apply the theoretical underpinnings of effective written argument, thus preparing them to operate in a wide range of fields where competency is defined by accuracy, efficiency, and situational awareness. This rhetorical knowledge promotes empathy, connection, and thus equity between writers and their readers.

Introduction to Literary Fiction (ENG 237)

This course introduces students to a range of fictional forms and narrative styles. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to identify major components of fiction and analyze their functions to reveal the texts’ explicit and implicit meanings. Moreover, students will be able to describe several historical developments in the short and long forms of fiction. Finally, students will be able to describe how fiction operates in the investigation and expression of the human search for meaning and values.

Introduction to Creative Writing (ENG 285)

This course will engage students in the craft of storytelling. They will practice both fiction and creative nonfiction, learning to apply techniques associated with each genre for the benefit of writing in both genres. They will also identify and evaluate important distinctions between the two, notably the nonfiction writer’s burden of accuracy and authenticity. Deliberate focus on the acquisition and value of narrative knowledge will enable students to articulate how stories work and why this knowledge matters to life and work beyond the page.

Junior Year

Fall

English Composition I

Spring

Introduction to Literary Fiction

Senior Year

Fall

English Composition II

Spring

Introduction to Creative Writing
and Narrative Reasoning

Total Credits:

12

Innovative Curriculum

To know how stories work is to know why stories matter.  This philosophy is the foundation of everything we do in the classroom.  Our courses emphasize the real and marketable value of narrative knowledge beyond the page.  We connect the study of literature and storytelling with your professional interests and personal wellbeing.  You will develop the intellectual skills and creative capacity essential for resilience and success in virtually every field.

students listening to lecture in a 91¿ì²¥ classroom. One student is responding to teacher's question with an upraised hand.

A Boat with Many Oars

Our first priority is you, your experience in our program and the quality of your life after you leave.  Everything we do is a collaboration among us, not a transaction between us.  Our students routinely engage in projects with one another that serve the community and lead to publications and conference presentations.  Our students have also been instrumental in grant proposals to develop new initiatives on campus, such as the new Integrated Humanities program.  The most important and enduring thing we will ever do is empower creative and talented people like you to find your voice, so you can inspire others to do the same. 

three 91¿ì²¥ students walking through a campus building, laughing, and having a conversation.

The New Xanadu

is our multimedia platform for innovative ideas, including yours.  We believe in the power of stories and storytelling to change the world, one individual life, one story of self at a time.  We can showcase your ideas and help you transform dreams into goals. 

student meeting with older person and having a conversation.

Beyond the Classroom

We will help you earn credentials for your resume and credits toward graduation while gaining experience that employers and graduate programs covet.  Publish your stories and poems in our literary magazine.  Win scholarships and prizes in our annual writing contests.  Monetize your skills in our Writing Center and share your talents with other students.  Make professional connections to launch your career with internships and service-learning projects with other students and professors.  Earn a teaching certificate and practice leading a classroom.  Travel abroad.  The possibilities are endless.

student working in class with laptop open

Save Time and Money

The English dual-credit pathway allows students to graduate in less time for less money.  You will arrive on campus with your major nearly halfway complete.  From there, our flexible program and individualized advising make it possible to graduate in just three years, or even less.

a doane university student posing and smiling during graduation wearing the traditional robe and cap and holding her diploma.

Testimonials

Gabby Maryott
91¿ì²¥ '26, ENG 101
I am thankful to be a part of this online class! I have experienced a lot more about the practices of writing, and really enjoy the flexibility of this class!
Madelyn Thomas
Cedar Bluffs HS, ENG 101
Thank you so much for this opportunity! You are really making this class enjoyable even though it is online. I sometimes find it hard to enjoy an online class, because there is never really interaction with the actual teacher. Thank you again!

Faculty

Philip Jude Weitl

Professor Philip Jude Weitl is a native of York, Nebraska, and has lived most of his life around the Platte River Valley.  The creator and director of TNX, he is the current chair of the English Department and has taught a variety of courses at 91¿ì²¥, including Narrative Medicine, since 2005.  He earned his MA in English from Kansas State University and his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska. Fun fact: his first job out of college saw him serve as the speechwriter and deputy press secretary for a former Nebraska governor.

Bradley Johnson

Professor Bradley Johnson has taught at 91¿ì²¥ University since 2001.  He holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Duke University as well as MA and PhD degrees from the University of Connecticut.  His published articles include analyses of the works of William Faulkner, Augusta Jane Evans, Herman Melville, and others.  He also co-founded and now co-directs the Integrated Humanities Program at 91¿ì²¥.  He and his wife Michelle have raised two sons in Lincoln, Nebraska. Fun facts: Brad’s favorite book is Moby Dick, and he as taught ## different courses during his time at 91¿ì²¥.

Melanie Ritzenthaler

Professor Melanie Ritzenthaler has taught at 91¿ì²¥ University in Nebraska since 2022. She received her MFA and MA in Fiction from McNeese State University and her PhD at Ohio University, where she also received a certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Fun fact: Melanie originally had an interest in going into a different field, graduating with a BA in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

Jeremy Caldwell

Jeremy Caldwell serves as Director of the Writing Center for 91¿ì²¥ University in Nebraska.  He earned his MA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  His writing has been published in Comstock Review, Work Literary Magazine, Potomac Review, and Prairie Schooner, among others. He also leads the public reading series Write Out Loud and the annual Sandhills Writing Marathon with students each spring. Fun fact: Jeremy has written a haiku almost everyday for the past five years.