Why Major in English
As an Undergraduate: Majoring in English means gaining a foundation in critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and communication. Training in the analysis and production of texts demands that English majors are exceptional at understanding situations—the speakers, audiences, messages that make up communication contexts. Because English majors can read situations, they can meet the demands of nearly any context, purpose, and audience, and they can communicate in a variety of mediums and genres.
After Graduation: English majors enjoy a wide variety of job opportunities, as well as career flexibility and security. Because English majors are trained in interpretation, analysis, synthesis, argumentation, persuasion, and expression—they have skills valued in all industries and levels of employment. For that reason, English degrees are resistant to economic and market fluctuations—excellent communicators are valued in all disciplines and sectors.
Why Major in English at FAU
Our Students: Our students make original and important contributions—in our communities, the discipline, and the world. They develop their own analytic and creative voices through innovative assignments, research papers, one-on-one interactions between faculty and students, and significant feedback on student work, enabled by our small classes and rigorous instruction. Our students enjoy opportunities for academic enrichment, professional development, and social interaction—they participate in English Club, publish Coastlines, take English Internships, earn Professional & Technical Writing Certificates, research and write in our English Honors and Creative Writing Honors programs, and are often inducted into Sigma Tau Delta.
Our Graduates: Our B.A. English graduates go on to exciting careers in a variety of industries— publishing, media, technology, medicine, teaching, marketing, advertising, business, professional writing, public relations, government, and more. Others go on to graduate programs in law, medicine, business, communications, English, and interdisciplinary studies.
Below is a sampling of where some of our recent B.A. English FAU alumni have landed.
- Blogger & Food Stylist, Mr. Food
- News Producer, WPTV (NBC affiliate)
- Political Organizer, Service Employees Inat. Union
- Judicial Law Clerk, FL 4th District Court of Appeals
- Public Relations Specialist, Denver Health Hospitals
- Grant Writer, Broward County
- Scaled Operations Project Manager, Discord
- Social Media Management, Environmental Nonprofit
- Technical Writer, Silver Logic
- Sports Editor, Sun Sentinel
- Regional Recruiter, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions
- Director of Business Development, NewBeauty Mag
Our Faculty: Our faculty's creative activity, groundbreaking research, and real-world professional experience model a culture of innovation and opportunity for our students. Additionally, the Department of English plays a dynamic role in the community, providing a hub of intellectual and cultural activity in South Florida.
Our Mission: The Department of English proudly fulfills its mission through excellence and innovation in teaching, outstanding research and creative activities, public engagement, and distinctive cultural alliances, all within an environment that fosters inclusiveness.
Our Advisory Board: The Department of English Advisory Board serves to advise the department on program goals and objectives, assist in strategic planning, connect students and graduates to career opportunities, enhance community outreach, and provide feedback on curricula and research initiatives.
Our Classes: In addition to providing students both a breadth and depth of study in literature (British, American, Multicultural/World) and writing (creative, professional, and critical)—English majors also examine the intersections of literature and writing with culture, gender, and ethnicity. In addition to regular offerings in “traditional” literature, creative writing, and writing and rhetoric courses, we also offer a number of regular and special topics courses that aim to explore, examine, inspire, and provide students the tools they’ll need to be productive citizens and successful professionals in their career fields.
Recent courses include:
- Composing Advocacy
- Ghosts of Irish Literature
- Literature and Social Movements
- Native American Lit & Sexuality
- Queer Literature and Theory
- The Spy Novel
- Writing/Rhetoric: Document & Form
- Writing Magical Realism
- Creative Writing and Bookarts
- Literary Studies: Imagining Energy
- Literature and the Environment
- Public Rhetoric and Protest
- The Graphic Novel
- Visual Literacy: Legacy Projects
- Writing for Social Media
- Writing Science Fiction
- Dystopian Fiction
- Lit/Film: Queer Theory & Cinema
- Literature of Adolescence
- Queer Composition
- The Literature of War
- Visualizing Race in Lit & Film
- Writing for Young Adults
- Writing With Sound
And check out extended course descriptions for some of our featured courses in Spring, Summer, and Fall 2022, and our courses this term.