Overview

Student in Stacks

The Department of English offers undergraduates the chance to explore a wide array of literary works—poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction—from the traditions of British, American, and Anglophone literature. We also have a variety of offerings in creative writing, film and media, journalism, rhetoric, and theater. No matter what your interests, we’ll help you find the independent research or internship opportunity that’s right for you.

Students in our courses:

  • Explore works of poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction from all the traditions of British and American literature
  • Study films and works in other media
  • Develop their talents as creative writers and as performers in theater
  • Pursue the study of journalism, rhetoric, and debate

All of our classes encourage exploratory thinking and critical conversation, always aiming to increase students' knowledge, skills in critical analysis, and strengths as readers and as writers.

Majors, Minors, and Clusters

Majors choose one of four distinct tracks in the English major:

Under certain circumstances, it is possible for students who are majoring in one of the English tracks to complete an English minor in another area for a joint major and minor.

The English honors program offers our majors the opportunity to write an extended honors thesis—critical or creative—during their senior year.

Students can also complete one of four distinct minors:

  • English literature
  • Creative writing
  • Journalism
  • Theater

There are also several clusters available for students seeking to fulfill a cluster requirement in the humanities.

Students with questions about any of these programs should contact the department’s director of undergraduate studies.

Getting Involved

There are several ways interested students can get involved on campus including:

  • The
  • The , which brings to campus some of the most distinguished contemporary poets and fiction writers
  • Performance groups, including those supported by the University’s
  • , the undergraduate literary magazine

For more information about literary opportunities on campus, visit the .

Careers

The skills we develop in English classes, including the ability to write and think critically and the capacity for creative expression in different media, provide crucial tools for work and life.

Our majors pursue a variety of career paths:

  • Graduate work in the humanities, social or natural sciences
  • Teaching
  • Journalism
  • Publishing
  • Public relations
  • Law
  • Business
  • Non-profits, government

To learn about the lives and careers of our department’s alumni, and how these were shaped by their work in the major, see the alumni profile page.