From Chaucer to graphic novels, the English Renaissance to the Harlem Renaissance, and creative writing to professional writing — the English Department offers thriving, diverse programs for students interested in careers in teaching, law, publishing, the arts, and more.
Why Study English?
At Southern, the core of the English Department is the study of literature and writing, the creative use of language to engage with every aspect of human experience. As the scholar MH Abrams puts it, literature “expands you in every way. It illuminates what you're doing. It shows you possibilities you haven't thought of. It enables you to live the lives of other people than yourself. It broadens you, it makes you more human. It makes life enjoyable.” We agree.
Your English courses will introduce you to a broad array of literary periods, genres, authors, and topics while exploring the relationship between literature and history, in all its dimensions. You'll practice a variety of critical methods and learn to communicate your insights effectively as a writer. You'll have the chance to specialize your BA or BS degree in a specific area of English studies, such as Literature, Professional Writing, or Creative Writing.
No matter your area of interest, as an English student at Southern, you'll be taught by faculty members invested in the model of the teacher-scholar. Our faculty are active researchers and published authors, and we bring to the classroom a freshness born of the same processes of reading, thinking, discussion, and writing in which we immerse our students.
Learning Outcomes
The goal of the English Department is to instill in undergraduate majors a love of and understanding of literary traditions and texts through the intensive study of literature. Through this study, students should learn analytical reading and writing skills, and acquire the ability to think critically.
As a result of such study, students learn more than simple literacy skills. The study of literature also allows students to understand, evaluate, and problematize human actions, interactions, motivations, and conflicts, developing what the critical theorist Kenneth Burke calls "equipment for living."
The department intends that participation in the program leads to responsible citizenship, as well as productive careers that involve 21st-century skills of analysis, problem-solving, and reading and writing complex texts.
Students who finish the program in English will have developed knowledge and skills to help them in their careers and enrich their lives, including:
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Knowledge of Critical Methodology. Students will be able to understand and apply current literary theory to a variety of texts.
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The Ability to Use Research Tools That Are Discipline-Specific. Students will be able to recognize and use basic library research tools and databases that are common to literary study.
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The Ability to Write Complex and Articulate Prose. Students will be able to create a sophisticated argument about a literary text and support that argument clearly and effectively.
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The Ability to Respond to and Analyze Literary Texts. Students will be able to state a mature and informed reaction to a text but also interpret that text according to accepted practices in the discipline.
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Familiarity with Earlier Forms of the English Language. Students will be able to recognize and understand pre-modern texts.
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Recognition of the Importance of Engagement with the Scholarly or Artistic Community. Students will be able to understand arguments about a text that occurs as part of the larger conversation in the discipline.
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Recognition of the Diverse Nature of Literary Artists and Texts. Students will be able to understand the idea of a literary canon - a body of works deemed "worthy of study" - and the implications for its expansion.
Concentrations
English, B.A. - Creative Writing
As an English major specializing in Creative Writing, you'll take the foundation courses for the major--in literary analysis, critical theories, career preparation, and an advanced seminar in literature. You will also take additional courses in Creative Writing and those that study different literary eras and topics.
The Creative Writing concentration includes beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in the writing of fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, with the option of completing a creative thesis in your final year. Workshops focus on sharing your work with peers and learning how to give and receive constructive feedback that will challenge you to revise and discover your vision as a writer. You may also become an editor or contributor to SCSU's literary and art annual, Folio.
Your courses also introduce you to a vibrant writing community at Southern with a long history of graduates who have won national prizes, published books with renowned presses, and have gone on to successful MFA programs and careers as editors, high-school teachers, journalists, and founders of literary periodicals.
English, B.A. - English Studies
As an English major specializing in Literature, you'll take the foundation courses for the major – in literary analysis, critical theories, career preparation, and an advanced seminar in literature. You will also take additional courses in writing and those that study different literary eras and topics.
These reading- and writing-intensive courses prepare you for a range of careers in the public humanities (grant-writing, libraries, law, etc.) where textual analysis and strong communication skills are required. The Literature concentration is particularly appropriate for those hoping to become teachers or to pursue graduate studies in English.
The Literature concentration includes small seminars and focused classes that help you specialize in the history of poetry, fiction, and drama beyond an introductory survey. Subject areas include Romanticism, Shakespeare's contemporaries, graphic novels, YA literature, and more, with the option to complete electives for the specialization abroad (Liverpool, Rome, etc.).
English, BA - Professional Writing
As an English major specializing in Creative Writing, you'll take the foundation courses for the major--in literary analysis, critical theories, career preparation, and an advanced seminar in literature. You will also take additional courses in Professional Writing and those that study different literary eras and topics.
These professional writing classes will also challenge you to write for both experts and public audiences. Even more important than learning what standard workplace documents look like, you will learn how to judge the informational and instructional needs of today's print and digital world.
The Professional Writing concentration offers practical training in various kinds of workplace writing. You will learn to design and write information that meets the needs of businesses and other institutions for both internal communication among employees and external communication with customers and constituents.
Careers
Studying English prepares you for a diverse range of professional fields, including teaching, journalism, law, medicine, publishing, copywriting, non-profits and civic organizations, and the fine arts. English majors are encouraged to include internships in their course of study to prepare them for exciting future career possibilities.
Typical Job Titles
- Creative Writer
- Author
- Poet
- Content Writer
- Copywriter
- Screenwriter
- Scriptwriter
- Playwright
- Writing Instructor
- Editor