91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝

Time to Light a Fire? Come Read and Write with Us!

You’ll study the works of great writers from around the English-speaking world and become a more confident and capable writer yourself. You’ll learn to read critically, write gracefully, convey your ideas more effectively, and listen to others more deeply and thoughtfully. The English major will develop your most essential intellectual and interpersonal skills. It is excellent preparation for a career in law, politics, business, communications, education, publishing, journalism, library science and information management, public relations, and corporate and nonprofit management.

Concentration Options

The Literature concentration is a good fit for students pursuing graduate study in literature, library science, and law.

Literature

Concentration Options

The Writing concentration will prepare you for professional roles in publishing, business, and not-for-profit organizations.

Writing

Concentration Options

The English and Secondary Education concentration is tailored to get our graduates into teaching careers as soon as possible. 

English and Secondary Education

More Ways to Learn, On Campus and Beyond

Practical experience is built into the English curriculum. Our internships draw on Chicago’s vast cultural, communications and corporate resources. You can combine academic study with compassionate service to people in need, or complete your own, hands-on research or creative projects in close collaboration with faculty (and often with university funding). And if you want to take your education global, you can choose from study-abroad programs on four continents. Local adventures also are very popular with our students, for those times when you just want to explore how your neighbors live and think.

If you’re interested in developing an original research or creative project, you can apply for special funding from the university. You’ll enjoy faculty guidance and support throughout the process and even get a chance to present your work at a campus expo in April. It’s all part of URSCI—the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Investigations Program—a distinctly 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ initiative. URSCI also funds student travel to academic and professional conferences across the United States.

I was introduced to the Poetry Foundation in my creative writing class. My professor taught us about the magazine’s mission and rich history. Once I graduated, I applied to many different jobs at the Foundation and didn’t give up until I was hired. Now I give guests the same care I received as a student.”

Angie Flores
91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Graduate

Amazing Opportunities

Many English majors take advantage of our outstanding study abroad programs in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. We’ve had several students complete the program at the University of Oxford. You also can travel to Spain and Morocco if you’re interested in studying the literature and life of the al-Andalus.

In small classes, you’ll work side by side with talented faculty. Dr. Daniel Anderson has published a book on the culture of sports in the Harlem Renaissance. Dr. Maggie Andersen has written extensively about Chicago theater and serves as literary manager of the Gift Theater in Chicago. Dr. Gema Ortega has published articles on a variety of texts, including Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye. The department is committed to engaging diverse perspectives in writing and to exploring ways in which literature serves the ends of social justice.

Our annual Tabet Lecture brings rising stars and nationally regarded poets to campus, such as Luis Urrea, Julia Alvarez, Stuart Dybek, Eve Ewing, Naomi Shihab Nye, Pádraig Ó Tuama, and current Poet Laureate Ada Limón.

Learn by Doing

From the arts to healthcare, hands-on learning is a hallmark of the 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ experience

Careers and Internships 

Many English majors go on to graduate and law school, and the rich and varied undergraduate education they receive at 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is the perfect starting point for graduate education.

Perhaps the classic career path for English majors is to become teachers after graduation. Many do—that’s why 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ offers the concentration in English Secondary Education, precisely tailored to get 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ graduates into the classroom as quickly as possible.

But English majors who learn how to emphasize the many “transferable skills” they gained during their time at 91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€”being able to think clearly and critically, learn quickly, write well and see both the larger context and fine details—will find employers in many fields who welcome them.

English majors have a competitive edge in the current market largely because of their skills in analysis and writing. Steve Strauss, entrepreneur and contributor to the Huffington Post and USA Today, loves to hire English majors: “Whether it is a blog, an email to a client, an e-newsletter post, or an analysis of a problem, English majors win, hands down.”

A columnist will tell you about 14 jobs for English majors that pay at least $60,000. Possibilities include technical writers ($69,700), editorial directors ($92,000), and web producers ($69,900).

USA Today published this article about and noted that businesses “need folks who can jump in, quickly see the issue, think critically and solve the problem...sort of like someone who was given some dense literary passage and had to read it, analyze it, and write intelligently about it in 45 minutes.”

The Wall Street Journal joined the conversation with

What Gives English Majors a Competitive Edge? 

Their close readings of text and their ability to craft compelling narratives. 
 

  • Archivists
  • Arts Administrators
  • Content Writers and Copywriters (digital and print)
  • Dramaturgs
  • Editorial Staff (at magazines and publishing houses)
  • English as a foreign language teacher
  • Grants writers
  • Literary talent agents and editors
  • Magazine and newspaper journalists and editors
  • Marketing Managers
  • Publicists (for corporations, nonprofit organizations, political campaigns and institutions of higher learning)
  • Publishers
  • Proofreaders
  • Social Media Managers
  • Speechwriters/Press Secretaries
  • Technical Writers
  • Theatrical Literary Management
  • Translators
  • Web Content Manager
  • City Year mentor and tutor
  • Director of Print and Multimedia Publications, Chicago History Museum
  • English professor/administrator at Triton College
  • English teacher in Japan
  • Marketing Coordinator, Heritage Prairie Farm
  • Quality Assurance Specialist at Groupon
  • Studs Terkel archivist at WBEZ radio station
  • Video game writer and creator
  • Executive Assistant, The Poetry Foundation
  • Content Creator, GrubHub
  • Archivist and Research Assistant, Ed Paschke Arts Center
  • Creative Intern, Leo Burnett
  • Editorial Intern, Chicago Reader
  • Marketing and Development, the Gift Theatre Company
  • Community and Audience Outreach, 16th Street Theater
  • Writing Tutor, Oak Park Public Library
  • Editorial and Marketing, The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park
  • Poetry Ambassador, The Poetry Foundation
  • Literacy Intern, Open Books

As an English major, I learned to prioritize information, research responsibly, and develop effective written communication—skills that contribute to my professional performance. In addition, close contact with various texts created a foundation that informs my creative work and enables me to succeed in postgraduate study.”

Jasminum McMullen
91Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Graduate

For more information,
please contact:

Sheila Bauer-Gatsos
Associate Professor and Chair
Department of English
sbauergatsos@dom.edu

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