An English major teaches you how to study literature critically, think critically about cultural issues, and write analytically and fluently. The study of literature frequently draws on other disciplines such as history and philosophy to grasp literature's full significance. In this way, an English major encourages you to develop wide-ranging understanding as well as precise expression and a deep appreciation of human creativity.
The English program offers courses in literature written in English, mostly by British and American writers but including the work of writers from other parts of the English-speaking world. English courses usually focus on historical periods and the questions of self-definition that arise within them for both women and men, but other courses focus on individual writers and issues of literary interpretation. Courses are also offered in creative writing, film criticism, and a changing list of special topics. All courses stress analytic thinking and clear, cogent writing.
You may choose an English major or minor or combine an English major with an Education minor. You may also gain valuable writing experience by working with various campus publications such as the student arts magazine, student newspaper, or the yearbook. Internships in such areas as print journalism, broadcasting, and public relations are available.
Gathering and transferring information plays a crucial role in this "Information Age." Having excellent language skills provides you with a powerful advantage in any profession. Moreover, the thinking you engage in as you consider the choices explored by writers from both present and past can assist you as you make your own choices and embody your own values. In both professional and personal terms, the habits and skills you master in this program will be with you throughout your lifetime. As citizens too, your years of reflecting on literature in its social contexts will enhance your sense of public responsibility and opportunity.
Some of the positions held by our English graduates:
English teacher (secondary school and college)
Administrator (arts, local government)
Lawyer
Physician
Various positions in media and publishing
Professional actor
English teacher in Japan
Some graduate/professional schools our English students have attended:
English graduate schools at the New School for Social Research,
University of Connecticut, University of Illinois, Columbia University,
University of Texas at Austin, University of California-Los Angeles,
Miami University, Duke University, University of Tennessee, University
of Alabama, University of Iowa,
Law schools at Vanderbilt University, University of Richmond,
University of Kentucky, and Harvard University;
medical schools at the Johns Hopkins University and Baylor
