If there was one word reflecting the zeitgeist of today’s media environment, it might be “storytelling.” From its documented role in political conflict to its ubiquitous presence in influencer branding, there is a burgeoning awareness of the role of “story” in just about every human interaction.

In response, Arizona State University’s Department of English is launching a new undergraduate concentration this fall: narrative studies.

The curriculum is embedded in the unit’s existing Bachelor of Arts in English and has been designed as a fresh approach to literary, cultural and media analysis. It joins other Tempe-campus English-studies concentrations of creative writing; linguistics; literature; English education; and writing, rhetorics and literacies.

A branch of a discipline called narratology, the English (narrative studies) degree will offer specific training in skills like podcasting, screenwriting and publishing. Students may choose from courses in video games, world-building, folklore, rhetoric and more. It’s a flexible degree, with room for customization based on student interests.

“Narratology has been called an ‘optimistic enterprise’ because of its expansive scope and determination to understand the human relationship to storytelling,” said Manushag “Nush” Powell, chair of the Department of English. “The formal study of narrative is a long-respected field, but ASU English’s approach is especially exciting because of its openness to multiple media and discourses.”

Graduates in narrative studies are empowered to engage globally with pressing concerns, such as climate change, justice movements and the frontier of computational developments in generative AI.

The narrative studies concentration includes 10 hours of core coursework designed to teach students the fundamentals of narrative studies as well as English studies, including career development. Students also choose 21 hours of English electives, which can be directed toward the areas of creating narrative, literary narrative and narrative cultures and contexts.

“Our lives are driven by narrative; novels, films, TV series, video games, podcasts, news reporting and social media reels all make use of narrative,” said Julia Himberg, associate chair of English and a film and media studies scholar. “We’re thrilled to offer students the opportunity to learn skills for identifying, evaluating and creating a wide range of stories.”

Among the early requirements is ENG 110: Approaching Big Problems, a solutions-focused course for students majoring in English. The course, which is meant to illuminate the connections between disciplines, also holds “HU” (Maroon) and “HUAD” (Gold) General Studies designations. 

Each semester’s ENG 110 is structured around a different theme; in fall 2024, students will explore the concept of wonder in an offering team-taught by a quartet of experts. Feminist media scholar Aviva Dove-Viebahn, linguist Mark James, literary critic Bradley Ryner and composition theorist Patricia Webb guide students in examining how language helps to shape important issues and big questions in the world today.

Other core courses include ENG 240: Introduction to Narrative Studies, ENG 340: Studies in Narrative and ENG 300: Your Degree in the World. Students must also take 21 credit hours of directed electives. These are a selection of courses from across English’s existing curricula — like FMS 365: Video Games and Narrative, ENG 471: Literature for Young Adults, FMS 300: Television Studies and ENG 409: Analyzing Rhetoric — that draw in creative, literary, technological and cultural threads.

“This new concentration is really exciting because it allows students to study and create narratives in a variety of different ways,” said Shauna Dranetz, the assistant director of academic services in the Department of English and the unit’s lead undergraduate advisor. “Students can bring their own unique stories into their work, and learn from the stories of others, for a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. It is also a program that leaves room for interdisciplinary work, so students can pursue all of their interests and apply narrative studies to a number of fields — in corporate and nonprofit sectors, public institutions and creative industries.”

Those interested in more information about the concentration can visit the degree page or connect with a Department of English advisor.