The Special Topic course in the English Department this semester is Harry Potter. Student in the class are sorted into houses and awarded house points.
The Lion's Roar/William Schmidt

Now that registration has opened students can search for any classes that they want or need to take. For students who need an elective or just one more class to add to their hours, students can consider English special topic classes.

“Special topics classes, at least in the English department, are 300-level classes (usually 315) that allow students to study material that is not as traditional,” said English professor Rebecca Murry Rushing. “They’re generally geared towards non-English majors who need to fill a 300 or above English requirement. 

For example, a History major who needs a 300 level English, but does not want to take Shakespeare or British Lit. These classes should include as much work and writing as the regular 300-level classes, but the topics are usually more specific and often more popular rather than classic or traditional.”

Professor Rushing is currently teaching the Harry Potter class this semester as one of the special topic class. The other one is Best American Short Stories taught by Richard Louth. Rushing teaches this class every two or three semesters, the last time being in Fall 2015.

“The Harry Potter class has been a great deal of fun this semester, as it always is,” said Rushing. “The only problem that we’re running into is that there is so much in-class discussion that we’re running out of time to discuss all the books. The students are enthusiastic. That’s another thing about 315 classes I like. Since they’re so focused, the students that take them are often very interested in the subject. We have to be careful though. For a class like Harry Potter, most of the students are engaged, but there is often one or two students who see “Harry Potter” or “The Hobbit” or “Twilight” and think that the class will be an easy A. I’ve had to clarify that yes, we will be reading and discussing all seven books of the series, there will be essay exams on each one, there will be a House (group) project and there will be quizzes and discussion on them in Moodle. It’s a legitimate class with a lot of work – it just often doesn’t feel like work for me or the students because it’s on a topic that we love.”

Students have fun in these classes and believe that all the hard work they are doing is worth it because of their love for the topic.

“I feel like if you are taking this class it’s something you care about,” said junior social work major Sarah Barker. “It’s a way to bring a new light and a new love to something that you already cared about previously so I would recommend it to anyone.”

Professors suggest the topics of the classes. Professors will choose either something that they find very interesting that is not already a class or will choose a topic that they have studied in their field.

“For example, I wanted to teach Irish studies because that’s what I did my graduate work on, but we don’t have a course in Irish studies so I proposed a course in that years ago so occasionally I teach Irish Studies,” said English professor Claire Cowart.

Professor Cowart will be teaching Detective Fiction in the Fall semester as one of the special topic classes.

“Right now in my Fall Detective Fiction class, it’s called studies in Sherlock and it’s going to be about adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes story,” said Cowart.

The other special topic class for next semester is Science Fiction which will be taught by English professor Christopher Genre.

“I chose mine (Science Fiction) because of my long love of the genre, my knowledge on the subject and my desire to pass on my passion for Science Fiction,” said Genre.

Students who are interested in these classes should enroll in them as soon as they can before these classes fill up.

“It’s a better class setting I feel,” said junior English education major Kendall Alvis. “You get to do something that you actually like and you are getting a lot out of it. I think it’s worth all of the extra work that you are going to have to put into it.”

To find these classes, go to Leonet and search for English 315.