The English major teaches students to appreciate and use the English language and literature effectively for critical thinking, effective communication, citizenship, and career success. English majors build strong writing skills and engage in high-level critical and analytical thinking. They encounter enriching, enduring, experimental, and complex works of literature. And they grapple with perspectives far distant from their own, examining their deepest values. Instructors introduce students to a wide range of genres and cultural perspectives, and pay close attention to all aspects of student thinking and writing, from logic and evidence to originality and style. Fostering communication skills, stimulating creativity, developing cultural sensitivity, and sharpening analytical abilities, the English major prepares students for a broad range of careers.
English majors choose one of three tracks: the general major (which emphasizes literary and cultural studies), creative writing, or language and linguistics. All majors take a core curriculum that introduces them to a range of approaches to literature and language, including courses in literary and cultural history. Students who opt for the general major build on core courses with intermediate and advanced classes that focus on texts from across a range of periods and places, investigating literature and culture using multiple methods and approaches. Students pursuing the emphasis on creative writing take the core curriculum with a sequence of creative writing workshops. Students wishing to emphasize language and linguistics choose options in grammar, the history of the English language, phonology, and language acquisition.
Teaching Major
Those who wish to prepare for teaching careers at the secondary level should complete the undergraduate English major and then apply for a teaching certificate or graduate education program. For further information, students should make an appointment with the undergraduate advisor in English or the graduate advisor in curriculum and instruction.
People
Professors: Auerbach, Barry, Bearden, Begam, Bernard-Donals, Bow, Britland, Castronovo, A. Dharwadker, V. Dharwadker, Foys, Guyer, Hill, Johnson, Kercheval, Nguyen, Olaniyan, Ortiz-Robles, Purnell, Raimy, Sherrard-Johnson, Shreve, Wanner, M. Young, Yu, Zimmerman
Associate Professors: Allewaert, Calhoun, Cooper, Druschke, Fawaz, Neyrat, Olson, Samuels, Trotter, Vareschi, Wells, Zweck
Assistant Professors: Amine, Cho, Edoro, Fecu, Grunewald, Huang, Lagman
Resources and Scholarships
Writing Center
The Writing Center, located in 6171 Helen C. White Hall, offers free individualized help with writing. Students are welcome to come to the center for help with writing assignments in almost any course. In half-hour tutorials, instructors help students clarify and organize ideas and offer advice about revising a draft. The center also offers short-term classes on various facets of writing, including classes on writing about literature, writing research papers, writing book reviews, writing essay exams, and on many other topics. The Writing Center also has a computer lab.
To make an appointment, students should call 608-263-1992 or stop by when the center is open. During busy times of the semester, the center often is booked several days in advance, so students should plan ahead. For complete information about the center, including hours, schedules for writing assistance in the Multicultural Student Center and residence halls, extensive handouts about writing, and information about the Undergraduate Writing Fellows program, see the center website.