AM Literature Portal

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Anyone wishing to write about literature will need to know how to acknowledge the ideas of others, and this course offers an overview of the MLA citation style, an introduction to basic library research methods, and an introduction to engaging with sources in paragraphs, in annotated bibliographies, and in literature reviews for larger academic projects. While some students may elect to practice other citation styles for their final project, the current MLA “container” style, which can be adapted for most other styles, allows ample opportunities to discuss ways to cite nontraditional materials that are often useful for scholars working in the realms of imaginative literature, science fiction, fan studies, adaptation studies, and much more.
This module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, complete weekly citation activities, and complete a final assessment.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (4 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)

Assessments: weekly & summative

Materials: No additional books or materials required.

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to identify meaningful textual elements and explain the significance of those elements.

Students may take this module to practice writing analytical paragraphs about literary texts.

Students may take this module to learn to write, or to practice writing, a close reading essay.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context cluster and is recommended as the first course in the series.

This five-week module provides students with the information needed to articulate for themselves the context behind Tolkien’s master work, his The Lord of the Rings, through an in-depth analysis of his two most important essays. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Verlyn Flieger, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module provides the foundational concepts for the course.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Tolkien's World of Middle-earth. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (9 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the ideas that inspired Tolkien’s imagination.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores significant connections between the tragic epic of Beowulf, the building blocks of faërie, and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This group of four interconnected modules is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing modules.

Four short, linked courses invite students to learn, review, and practice a range of skills that are critical to humanities studies: paragraph structure, analytical readings, grammar and punctuation, and research and citations. These modules can be taken independently, bundled, and in any sequence; they may be repeated as many times as desired to help students develop confidence and achieve mastery.

Note: Modules in this series draw extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining theoretical lectures by Dr. Sara Brown, chair of Signum’s Department of Language and Literature, with mini-lectures on key grammatical concepts by other established Signum faculty, this course provides an overview of English punctuation, spelling, and grammar for anyone who wants a refresher!
This Tier 1 module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, complete weekly grammatical quizzes, and complete a final assessment.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (2-6 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)

Assessments: weekly & summative

Goals and Skills:

• Students who complete the module should be able to write a grammatically correct paragraph that uses standard English punctuation throughout.
• Students may use this module to practice proofreading techniques.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the The Hobbit in Context cluster.

In this module, we will immerse ourselves in the developing world of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, as it was at the time of writing The Hobbit. This will lead us into the beginnings of the story that will become The Hobbit, as is laid out in John Rateliff’s work The History of The Hobbit. To that end, the student experience in this module will be greatly enhanced by two guest lectures, hosted by Professor Olsen, in which he and Dr Rateliff discuss the evolution of Tolkien’s fantasy writing

This five-week module is designed for students who already have some experience in scholarly writing, preferably in the humanities, who understand how to read a literary text analytically, and who wish to challenge themselves to produce an extended piece of writing. Students are expected to have writing and grammatical fluency in English. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Corey Olsen, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project.

Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas covered in "The Hobbit: Sources and Analogues."

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for The Story of The Hobbit. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (6 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the writing that J.R.R. Tolkien was working on, alongside the initial development of The Hobbit.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores significant connections between The Hobbit and the contemporary texts studied.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This four-course series is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in The Hobbit in Context modules.

These four short, linked courses invite students to explore the origins, development, and reception of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work The Hobbit. Students will also review and practice skills that are critical to humanities studies, such as literary analysis and reading texts through critical lenses. These modules can be taken in any sequence and may be repeated as many times as desired to help students develop confidence and achieve mastery.

Note: Modules in this series draw extensively upon lectures originally recorded for The Story of The Hobbit. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the The Hobbit in Context cluster.

In this module, we will be looking at the publication and reception of The Hobbit, including its adaptation to film. Our exploration will culminate in a discussion of the Rankin-Bass animated Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit, Parts 1, 2, and 3, to enable us to understand and critique the various film adaptations that have appeared so far.

This five-week module is designed for students who already have some experience in scholarly writing, preferably in the humanities, who understand how to read a literary text analytically, and who wish to challenge themselves to produce an extended piece of writing. Students are expected to have writing and grammatical fluency in English. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Corey Olsen, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project.

Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas covered in "The Hobbit: The Story Emerges."

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for The Story of The Hobbit. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (10 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien’s final drafting process for The Hobbit, as well as an appreciation for the final product, and an understanding of its reception over time.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores the final drafting process for The Hobbit, its reception, or later adaptations.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the The Hobbit in context cluster.

In this module, we will look first at the literary precursors to The Hobbit, works that helped establish the genre in which Tolkien was writing, or which influenced Tolkien’s own thinking. We will examine the themes and ideas of nineteenth-century children’s fantasy that may have inspired Tolkien, and consider how we may see them at work within the text of The Hobbit. Tolkien’s essay ‘On Fairy-stories’ will provide the essential context to the whole module, as it is here that Tolkien lays out his full concept of what constitutes ‘fantasy’.

This five-week module is designed for students who already have some experience in scholarly writing, preferably in the humanities, who understand how to read a literary text analytically, and who wish to challenge themselves to produce an extended piece of writing. Students are expected to have writing and grammatical fluency in English. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Corey Olsen, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project..

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for The Story of The Hobbit. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (9 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the origin texts at work within J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores significant connections between The Hobbit and the source texts studied.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the The Hobbit in Context cluster.

In this module, we will read not the final published version of The Hobbit, but the growth of the story in manuscript and typescript, examining carefully how the story developed and in what directions. We will be able to see the ideas that were discarded along the way, as well as understand the choices that Tolkien made as he was writing.

This five-week module is designed for students who already have some experience in scholarly writing, preferably in the humanities, who understand how to read a literary text analytically, and who wish to challenge themselves to produce an extended piece of writing. Students are expected to have writing and grammatical fluency in English. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Corey Olsen, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project.

Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas covered in "The Hobbit: Contemporary Writings."

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for The Story of The Hobbit. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (12 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the ways in which J.R.R. Tolkien was developing his story for The Hobbit.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores the drafting and redrafting process that Tolkien was following in writing The Hobbit.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context cluster and is recommended to be taken after "Concerning Monsters and Fairies".

This five-week module provides students with the information needed to articulate for themselves the context behind Tolkien’s master work, his The Lord of the Rings, through an in-depth analysis of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. The Silmarillion acts as a source text, which consistently fueled Tolkien’s imagination as he wrote The Lord of the Rings. Students watch recorded lectures by Dr. Verlyn Flieger, participate in weekly discussions with a member of our graduate faculty, and complete a final writing project. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas covered in "Concerning Monsters and Fairies."

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Tolkien's World of Middle-earth. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (9 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the ideas that inspired Tolkien’s imagination.

Students who complete the module will be able to articulate the impact of Tolkien’s writing of The Silmarillion material on his imagination.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores significant connections between The Silmarillion and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context cluster and is recommended to be taken after the other three modules in this cluster.

This five-week module provides students with the information needed to articulate for themselves the context behind Tolkien’s master work, his The Lord of the Rings, through an in-depth analysis of his most important essays. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students listen to recorded lectures, participate in weekly discussions, and complete a final writing project. Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas covered in the other modules in this cluster, particularly "Tolkien's Masterwork, Part I."

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Tolkien's World of Middle-earth. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (12 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the ideas that inspired Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores the significant connections between Tolkien’s earlier work and his The Lord of the Rings.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context cluster and is recommended to be taken after "Concerning Monsters and Fairies".

This five-week module provides students with the information needed to articulate for themselves the context behind Tolkien’s master work, his The Lord of the Rings, through an in-depth analysis of his most important essays. The module may be repeated as many times as desired. Students are welcome to take modules individually and in any order that suits their scholarly needs, but this module builds upon ideas in "Concerning Monsters and Fairies" and "The Silmarillion in Context". Students listen to recorded lectures, participate in weekly discussions, and complete a final writing project.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Tolkien's World of Middle-earth. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format: 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (9 hours video; 8 hours discussion

Assessments: summative (final project)

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the ideas that inspired Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Students who master the material will be able to produce a well-organized, structurally coherent project, synthesizing two or more ideas, that explores significant connections between Tolkien’s earlier work, The Hobbit, and his The Lord of the Rings.

This course is graduate level in intensity.

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This four-course series is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in Tolkien's Middle-earth in Context modules.

These four short, linked courses invite students to explore how Tolkien’s imagination came to create the world of Middle-earth. We will closely examine his scholarly work and his fiction in order to see the development of his thoughts on myth, fairy stories, and the elegy. Students will also review and practice skills that are critical to humanities studies, such as literary analysis and reading texts through critical lenses. These modules can be taken in any sequence and may be repeated as many times as desired to help students develop confidence and achieve mastery.

Note: Modules in this series draw extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Tolkien's World of Middle-earth. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining lectures and roundtables from Signum’s graduate faculty with interactive weekly tutorials, this five-week module is designed for students new to scholarly writing in the humanities, those returning to academic pursuits after time in other fields, or those who want to practice writing formal analysis of literary texts.
This Tier 1 module is open to all students and may be repeated as many times as desired, although we recommend completing the “Writing Formal Paragraphs” module before attempting this one. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, write weekly paragraphs, and complete a final written project.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

• Format:
• 4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (4 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)
• Assessments: weekly & summative
• No additional books or materials required.

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to identify meaningful textual elements and explain the significance of those elements.

Students may take this module to practice writing analytical paragraphs about literary texts.

Students may take this module to learn to write, or to practice writing, a close reading essay.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course

This module is part of the Grammar, Citing, & Humanities Writing cluster.

Combining lectures and roundtables from Signum’s graduate faculty with interactive weekly tutorials, this five-week module is designed for students new to scholarly writing in the humanities, those returning to academic pursuits after time in other fields, or those who want to see just how challenging it can be to write a simple yet spectacular paragraph.
This Tier 1 module is open to all students, has no prerequisites, and may be repeated as many times as desired. Students participate in weekly discussions and workshops, write and revise paragraphs, and complete a final written project.

Note: This module draws extensively upon lectures originally recorded for Foundations in Critical Reading and Research. Students in the MA program who have taken (or plan to take) that course may find significant overlap in the core materials.

Format:

4 weeks discussion; 1 week assessment (2.5 hours video; 8 hours discussion and workshops)

Assessments: weekly & summative (final portfolio)

No additional books or materials required.

Goals and Skills:

Students who complete the module will be able to write organized, structurally coherent paragraphs about a single topic.

Students who master the material will be able to write organized, structurally coherent paragraphs synthesizing two or more ideas.

This course is graduate level in intensity, with weekly and summative assessments

Fee: 2 Signum Tokens