Proseminar 

Proseminar is an academic writing workshop designed to prepare you for writing academic papers, such as seminar papers. You will be required to produce a research paper of about 2500 words analyzing a literary work assigned in class. In the process of working on this project, you will practice and rehearse specific skills, such as close analysis of a literary text, problematizing, defining, contextualizing, organizing; you will practice argumentative skills and learn to perfect your control of rhetoric, vocabulary and style. You will hand in written assignments twice a week, hand in a partial first draft midway through the semester and then keep revising and expanding that draft until it is complete.* Your final paper, as well as your course portfolio of assignments, is due at the end of the semester.

*Important: this intensive writing seminar places a high demand on your time and energy – an average of 6-8 hours per week for your reading, writing, and library research in addition to class time. The key to success in proseminar is to make it your high priority for the semester.