Guide to the English Major

An English degree is about more than the book. English majors learn to see complex problems in their full richness and don’t take the first answer, or the simplest answer, as truth. In our courses, all kinds of texts – from medieval lays to postmodern novels, adapted screenplays to literary criticism itself – appear as windows into the cultures and conditions in which they were produced. English majors consequently develop habits of mind attuned to the manifold reasons why people do what they do and write what they write. Our graduates are thoughtfully engaged, empathetic people pursuing a creative, critical, and useful degree.

With outstanding writing skills, nuanced close reading skills, and – most of all – an ability to see many dimensions in a situation, you’ll be prepared to tackle a variety of experiences with your BA in English. Majors go on to careers in publishing, journalism, policy, marketing, teaching, editing, law, management, medicine, and entertainment, among others. English majors have never been in greater demand, because we ask the hard questions and seek big-picture answers— skills increasingly valuable in a rapidly changing world.  

Whether studying texts written in times or places that were previously unfamiliar, writing creative works that focus on idiosyncratic characters or experiences, or composing essays that demand a nuanced sense of audience, English majors are always thinking about how people of varying backgrounds inhabit the world.

Your first courses will prepare you to understand major historic, cultural, and literary time periods, including surveys of World, U.S., and British literatures and a wide range of elective courses. Upper-division classes call upon you to dig deep into specific authors, historical moments, themes, theories, and writing styles.