English

College of Arts and Sciences

The Faculty of Arts and Letters

Stroud Hall, Room 309

570-422-3398

www.esu.edu/engl

About the Program

An English degree is one of the most flexible and useful degrees students can earn. English majors prepare themselves for a wide variety of careers. They become teachers and administrators, writers and editors, and directors of corporate communications and public relations programs.

Once English majors complete their undergraduate degrees at ESU, they can earn advanced degrees in English, journalism, and communication. Their training also makes them excellent candidates for law schools and MBA programs.

About the Degrees

English majors select from six tracks and dozens of courses:

The Bachelor of Arts program offers four tracks:

  • The Creative Writing Track is designed for students who want to develop their skills in the writing of fiction, poetry, and/or creative non-fiction.  The coursework combines literary studies and upper-level writing courses, particularly geared toward the creative writer.
  • The Literature Track is a traditional program rooted in literature surveys and upper-division course work in major writers and literary movements.
  • The Professional and Digital Media Writing Track develops composition and editing skills in journalism, technical writing, writing for the Web, advertising and public relations, and multimedia writing.
  • The Writing Track combines the study of literature with creative writing workshop experiences, including poetry, fiction writing, and creative non-fiction.

The Bachelor of Science program offers two tracks:

  • The Secondary Education-English Track is offered to those who intend to teach. Literature and classroom methodology are studied so students can become effective and certified middle and high school teachers.
  • The Secondary Education/SPED Track adds seven Special Education courses to the B.S. degree in Secondary Education - English.

Are you interested in ...

  • Reading
  • Writing or Editing
  • Teaching

Choose English at ESU

  • Small advanced class sizes
  • Practical field experiences
  • Qualified, experienced faculty

Is English a career path for me?

Career Potential

  • Teaching
  • Public relations
  • Writer/editor
  • Advertising

Career Settings

  • Education
  • Corporations
  • Media outlets
  • Internet

More detailed career information is available from the department.

Prerequisites for Literature Courses

  • The last two digits of the course number indicate the classification of 100-300 level English courses, i.e.: writing 00-29, linguistics 30-49, literature 50-99.
  • Lower Division: Enrollment in literature courses numbered 100 to 299 requires concurrent enrollment in or completion of ENGL 103 English Composition.
  • Upper Division: Literature courses numbered 300 to 499 require the completion of ENGL 162 or ENGL 163 and two additional 100 to 299 numbered English courses. All 300 courses require 60 credit hours and/or one specified English course. All 400 courses require 90 credit hours and/or two specified English courses.