English Composition Program

The offerings in English Composition are designed to meet the general requirements of the various academic programs at this university and comparable institutions. It is advantageous to students to complete these classes during the freshman or, if necessary, sophomore year. Many of these classes are taught by Graduate Assistants under the supervision of program director Ann Spurlock. Others sections may be taught by instructors or lecturers, or members of the graduate faculty, with Honors sections taught exclusively by members of the graduate faculty.

Class Descriptions (general)

• EN 0103
• EN 1103
• EN 1113

Placement

All students enrolling in English Composition classes must meet certain requirements in order to be placed at the appropriate course level.  A student's placement is based on the English score of the ACT exam or, alternatively, on the SAT exam.

English ACT Score	English SAT Score	Course Eligibility
under 17	under 440	English 0103 (Basic English). Students scoring 17 or 18 on the ACT or 440 or 450 on the SAT are urged to consider taking Basic English before taking Composition I.
17 or above	440 or above	English 1103 (Composition I)
29 or above	650 or above	English 1163 (Accelerated Composition)
Shackouls Honors College enrollee or 32 or above	Shackouls Honors College enrollee or 720 or above	English 1103H (Honors Composition)

Curriculum and Goals

Textbooks

The Graduate Faculty Instructors and Lecturers Graduate Assistants

 

The Writing Center The Writing Center is operated by the Mississippi State University English department and is for use by all Mississippi State students. MyCourses MyCourses is the Blackboard Vista online instructional system utilized and supported by Mississippi State. Many professors utilize it to supplement more traditional instructional techniques. Recommended Resources Some recommended general writing and literary resources.

Statement of Purpose

The Department of English has adopted this statement of the general aims of the first and second composition courses:  "The purpose of freshman English is to improve the student's ability to use language effectively in reading and writing and to improve his or her reading comprehension.  The effective use of language is an art, not merely a skill.  It can be learned and improved.  All arts involve the adaptation of means to ends. Continued human experience with an art involves following certain procedures effectively and efficiently to achieve these ends. These procedures then are formulated into a body of knowledge governed by a set of standards that must be followed if success in that art is to be achieved. The criteria for the effective use of language can be classified into the rules of grammar, rhetoric, and logic. The general aim of all freshman courses is to familiarize the student with the standards of contemporary American usage and to provide her or him with opportunities for putting these standards into practice in writing."

Program History