English

Majors & Minors
English

English

University of �鶹��ý at Lafayette creative writing student Emma Gruesbeck

“I’ve always loved hearing and telling stories. It’s manifested itself in my art, my stand-up comedy, and my love of reading and writing. The creative writing program at �鶹��ý Lafayette allows me to take my love of stories and turn it into a degree.”

Creative writer with comedic goals: Meet English major Emma Gruesbeck

You should major in English if:

You pay close attention to language.
You are interested in diverse perspectives.
You regularly read or write just because you enjoy it.

English lets you explore many dimensions of language, literature, and culture. Our faculty has expertise in everything from literature to linguistics, folklore to film, creative writing to technical writing, rhetoric to cultural studies.

As an English major, you’ll develop the writing, reading, research, and critical skills necessary to adapt to a variety of careers. With the ability to communicate and learn quickly, you’ll be prepared to pursue a range of opportunities.

English at �鶹��ý Lafayette

What's English Like?

Group work & collaboration
Internships
Writing
Reading
Research
Critical Analysis

25%

of the English curriculum is electives, allowing you to personalize your education.

Life as an English Major

A University of �鶹��ý at Lafayette English major and her professor work together during an internship

Work with Faculty Mentors

Explore a topic of interest with the help of a faculty mentor. English faculty have a range of interests and can help you identify and complete research and writing projects meaningful to you. You can work closely with our linguists, folklorists, professional writers, poets, dramatist, novelists, rhetoricians, and literary scholars.

Take a Senior Seminar

As a senior, take a capstone course that allows you to explore a topic of interest or create a writing portfolio.

Work on Publications

Explore your passion for writing and publication by contributing to and working for The Southwestern Review, the English program's in-house literary journal.

Complete an Internship

Learn how your skills apply to the workplace by completing an internship. You will have the opportunity to write articles, technical documents, and web content for local magazines, businesses, and nonprofits.

Concentrations in English

�鶹��ý Lafayette student writes while sitting on floor of art museum

Creative Writing

Explore a range of writing styles and genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, and drama. In our community of writers, artists, and faculty members, you'll gain the skills to bring your own creative visions to life.

�鶹��ý Lafayette student talks to professor in front of cultural art display

Folklore

Discover the range of human expression and creativity through the study of folklore. Analyze diverse groups of texts including legends, jokes, memes, emojis, and folklore in literature. Learn to collect and analyze texts and engage with local communities.

�鶹��ý Lafayette student sits shoeless on library floor between shelves writing

Linguistics

From phonetics to grammar to meaning, studying linguistics allows you to deepen your command of language beyond the literary and into the scientific.

�鶹��ý Lafayette students study Chaucer at library table

Literature

From the local to the global, from the Middle Ages to the speculative future, this concentration allows you to explore the relationships among the stories people tell, the forms those stories take, the cultures in which they circulate, and the impact that they have on their readers and audiences.

Three �鶹��ý Lafayette students viewed from above while working at a table among notes and laptops

Professional Writing

Prepare to face the challenges of communicating in increasingly global, digital, and virtual workplaces. You will work closely with faculty to develop the writing, editing, design, and publishing skills needed for professional writing careers.

English According to Students

Freshman Year Sophomore Year Junior Year Senior Year

ENGL 206: American Literature since 1865

with Amandaine Faucheux

Dr. Faucheaux was very excited every day about the things we read and talked about. I already liked to read, but it was fun when the class got excited about something. It was even better when we got to do a fun project like making our own blackout poetry or choosing our favorite reading to write about.”

Elizabeth Theriot, Visual Arts Major

ENGL 211: Wicked Witches in Fiction

with Rachel Ewing

We read such a wide variety of material, from Shakespeare’s MacBeth to Roald Dahl’s The Witches to Maryse Conde’s I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, along with other books, short stories, and poems. I enjoyed each piece we read because they all kept my attention.”

Kayla McGee, English major

ENGL 320: Modern Fiction

with Dr. Yung-Hsing Wu

I really enjoyed Modern Fiction; I had no idea what to expect going in, but Dr. Wu picked some great novels for us to read and dive into. We read Gone Girl by Gilian Flynn which was super fun because I had seen the movie before and loved it. We also read In the Woods by Tana French, and now she is one of my favorite authors to read. We had great class discussions and analyzed the characters and novels through creative projects.”

Sarah Dirks, English major

ENGL 370: Caged: Human Responses to Captivity

with Dr. Lisa Graley

We learn about different captivities throughout history, from the Holocaust to Slavery to the Russian Gulag system. We read some incredible books by Dr. Ernest Gaines, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, Elie Wiesel, and Harriot Jacobs and learned how humans respond even in those rough conditions. It was not just a literature class but a humanity class where I remember leaving the room with so many thoughts every single time after every lesson.”

Faryal Atif, English major

Careers in English

Faryal Atif

“I strongly believe that a liberal arts degree is incredibly important. It helps you see things critically and let you think across all disciplines, a skill which comes in handy throughout life.”

English Studies, 2020

�鶹��ý Lafayette Graduate School

Meet Faryal Atif

Jobs in English

Editor
Copywriter
Technical Writer
English Teacher
Sales Consultant, Account Executive
Marketing Coordinator
Communications Officer
Grant Writer
Social Media Coordinator
Creative Writer

Program Requirements

Admissions Requirements

To major in English, you must meet the University's admissions requirements.
See the full admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a degree in English, you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. At least 45 completed semester hours must be at the 300/400 levels.

Regardless of which concentration you declare, you are required to take 120 hours of coursework with 36 hours in English, including the following required courses:

ENGL 290: Introduction to Literary Studies
ENGL 490: Senior Seminar

See the full graduation requirements in the University catalog:

Minor Requirement

You are also required to complete an 18-credit-hour minor (with at least 6 hours at the 300- or 400-level).

Explore all minors.

To earn your English minor, you must take 18 credit hours of English courses, with at least 6 credit hours at the 300- to 400- level.

The following courses do not apply to your English minor:

ENGL 101: Introduction to Academic Writing
ENGL 102: Writing and Research About Culture
ENGL 115: Honors Academic Writing

To earn your creative writing minor, you must take 18 credit hours with at least 6 credit hours at the 300- to 400-level. Choose from courses in fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction.

To earn your linguistics minor, you must take 18 credit hours with at least 6 hours at the 300- to 400-level. Choose from courses in grammar, semantics, and history of the English language.

To earn your professional writing minor, you must take 18 credit hours with at least 6 hours at the 300- to 400-level. Choose from courses in communication, technical writing, document design, and creative writing.

Resources

Apply now

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English

Creative writer with comedic goals: Meet English major Emma Gruesbeck

English at �鶹������ý Lafayette

What's English Like?

Life as an English Major

Work with Faculty Mentors

Take a Senior Seminar

Work on Publications

Complete an Internship

Concentrations in English

Creative Writing

Folklore

Linguistics

Literature

Professional Writing

English According to Students

ENGL 206: American Literature since 1865

Careers in English

Faryal Atif

Jobs in English

Program Requirements

Resources

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English

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English at �鶹��ý Lafayette