A strong Department of English is central to a liberal arts education because it helps students to become incisive in their critical thinking, effective as communicators, aware of cultural diversity, and skillful as interpreters of the written and spoken word in all areas of life. We are committed to academic excellence, innovative instruction, and collaborative service to the community.

The study of literature produces people who can build communities and lead those around them with empathy and wisdom because they have seen the goals and regrets of those who have set into record the dreams of what it is to be human. Literature is the story of us. What better way to engage with those big things in the world around you than to know how those different from you see the same things.

Studying literature provides excellent preparation for professional employment in any area where the close examination of written texts and the ability to communicate well are important. The Department takes pride in working with students to connect their immediate studies with their long-term goals. The Department’s goal is to promote critical thinking, effective communication, and intellectual engagement with the key ideas in our fields.

A student graduating with a B.A. degree in English will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Produce prose that meets the standards of academic writing.
2. Create an organized, well-developed, and effectively argued paper.
3. Recognize, analyze, and evaluate literary techniques.
4. Apply and incorporate/integrate literary criticism and theory appropriately.
5. Situate and interpret a text(s) in its historical, cultural, or literary context.
6. Create and deliver an effectively oral presentation directed to an audience conversant with the discipline.

Programs

Majors

Minors