The English Department is located in Hollenbeck Hall.

If you’re pursuing or considering an English major, you probably do so because you’ve always enjoyed reading and writing. Perhaps you have a romanticized image of yourself sitting in Jane Eyre’s window seat reading on a rainy afternoon or walking through the woods reading Thoreau or Wordsworth. In the discipline of English, we try to take those natural pleasures and talents and focus, train, sharpen, and even interrogate them. Why does a text mean different things to different readers? What kinds of things appeal to you as a reader, and why? What messages, both overt and covert, does our use of language convey?

We have a wide variety of courses that will allow you to immerse yourself in plays, poems, stories, novels, and essays that will transport you to other places, other cultures, other times, other people’s lives. From Shakespeare to the revolutions of the late eighteenth century to the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary poets, there’s a wealth of expertise and exploration in our course offerings. And in addition to the regular concentration in literature, you can also consider branching off into a concentration in writing after laying a groundwork in literature.  You can also create your own unique learning experiences through internships, independent studies, and a senior honors thesis. In all these ways, you can add your personal touch to your English major.

But so what that you love reading and writing? What do English majors do when they graduate? Anything and everything! Recent English major alumni are pursuing a wide range of surprisingly different careers. Some are doing what you might expect to find them doing: pursuing master’s or Ph.D. programs in English or creative writing or teaching English in high schools around the country. But did you know that English is one of the most helpful undergraduate majors for getting into and succeeding in law school? A number of recent grads are getting law degrees or enjoying successful practices. We have placed lots of students in jobs in publishing, or in management training programs with major corporations, or in public relations or advertising. We also have some former students working at major media studios for such shows as The West Wing and for such networks as Comedy Central.

        So if you want to explore that world of words, you don’t have to worry about what you’ll do later–many institutions want and appreciate people who can interpret texts sensitively and carefully, understand human relationships and motivations, and write clearly and persuasively. English is a major that enhances not only the skills with which to make a living, but also the skills with which to live a more rewarding life.
 

-Robin Inboden, English Department Chair