If you haven’t decided on a major yet, and if you have always enjoyed reading literature and writing, then we’d like you to consider majoring in English.

One consideration in selecting a major, of course, is interest. If you’ve always loved to read, and have enjoyed getting wrapped up in discussions of books, then English is for you. Most of the courses you will take as an English major will zero in on specific eras or genres of literature. You like Shakespeare? We’ve got two courses devoted to the Bard. You like Poe and Hawthorne? We’ve got a course that will allow you to study them in depth. You like Romantic poetry (even if you don’t admit it to your friends)? We’ve got a course that focuses on Wordsworth and Coleridge, Shelley and Keats. You like southern American writers? We’ve got a course in which you’ll study writers like Chopin, Faulkner, and O’Connor. You like twentieth-century writers? We’ve got three courses devoted to modern fiction, poetry, and drama.

If you like to write, then English is for you. You will, of course, write papers in your literature courses, but you will also have the opportunity to develop other writing interests. We offer workshops in the writing of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and technical writing. Seniors also have the opportunity to participate in a writing internship.

A second consideration in selecting a major is a practical one: what can you do with it after you graduate? Many programs lead to a narrow set of options. If you major in accounting, you’ll work as an accountant. If you major in Education, you’ll teach. English, however, is an all-purpose major. It does not restrict you to a limited set of choices, but rather provides you with skills and abilities that have recognized value across a broad range of careers and professions.

With a Bachelor of Arts in English you will, of course, be prepared for graduate school, and if you want to teach English at the college level, this is the route to take. You will also be prepared to move into the publishing industry, which is always looking for writers and editors. Our metro area has four publications that depend upon freelance writers (Forum, City Lights, Music Scene, SB Magazine). For those who enjoy working with people and traveling, you could work as a sales rep for a publisher of college English textbooks. In addition, English is a preferred major for those going on to law school. Furthermore, leaders in business and industry have long recognized the value of the abilities you will develop: to critically analyze complex situations, to research and synthesize ideas and produce unique solutions to problems, and to communicate effectively. These are all highly marketable skills.