English

The Bachelor of Arts in English program at the University of Idaho challenges you to think and write critically, as well as educates you as to how words can reflect and shape the world. Through in-depth study of works from literary masters, engaging classroom discussions and intensive writing training, you’ll graduate equipped to think analytically, read with insight and communicate skillfully – all highly desired qualities for a variety of professional careers.

The program gives you the flexibility to focus on an area of English that interests you most and best prepares you for your career goals. You’ll specialize in one of the following options of study:

• Literature: Study the stories and traditions that define cultures.
• Creative writing: Develop your writing talent in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
• Professional: Learn the skills to communicate successfully in the workplace.
• Teaching: Prepare to become a junior high or high school English teacher.

As an English major, you’ll encounter new ideas and learn to think beyond the expected. You’ll form a solid grounding in the dynamics of the English language and in literary traditions that shape and reflect our evolving culture. You will explore a breadth of literary genres and closely examine works from some of history’s greatest writers, including William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Sherman Alexie and Margaret Atwood.

Personal mentorship from our experienced, well-published faculty and thought-provoking course work will challenge you to read, think, write and express your thoughts at a higher, more meaningful level.

At Idaho, you can build on your interests in English and discover other exciting areas of study, such as:

• American Indian literature
• Linguistics
• Rhetorical and literary theory
• Teaching English as a second language
• New media

Prepare for Success

If you are interested in English, how it works, what others have done with it and what you can do with it, then a Bachelor of Arts in English could be for you. To succeed as an English major, you must have exceptional reading and writing skills, with the ability to think and communicate critically, creatively and analytically. The field demands self-discipline, introspection, and the desire to be challenged, technically and intellectually. Prepare for the program by taking advanced high school courses in English, foreign languages and history.

Your First Year

During your first year in the bachelor’s program, you will complete university core requirements and English foundation courses. Depending on your area of emphasis, you may take:

• ENG 101 – Intro to College Writing
• ENG 102 – College Writing and Rhetoric
• ENG 210 – Introduction to Literary Theory
• ENG 257 or 258 – Literature of Western Civilization
• ENG 291, 292, or 293 – Creative Writing
• Core Math
• Core Science
• ISEM 
• Foreign Language

What You Can Do

A Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Idaho prepares you for a wide range of exciting and rewarding career opportunities:

• Environmental science and travel writing
• Editing and publishing
• Journalism
• Business and technical writing
• Web development
• Writing novels, poetry, essays, plays
  
• Corporate management
• Teaching
• Law
• Medicine
  

• Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• Master of Arts in English
• Master of Arts in Teaching, English
• Master Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language

Opportunities

Careers in writing, publishing and editing are naturals for English majors. Some combine their interest in English with an interest in journalism. Others are business, technical or environmental writers, or editors for educational or commercial publications. Of course, some students aspire to be best-selling novelists or well-known poets.

A degree in English prepares you to succeed in a variety of other professions, as well. English majors develop strong transferable skills – excellent communication and analytical thinking – that are highly desired by today’s employers. Our graduates are working all over the world as doctors, entrepreneurs, ministers, financial advisers, Webmasters and bookstore managers.

Law is another popular career choice for English majors, who consistently rank among the highest scorers on the Law School Admissions Test.

Additionally, English graduates commonly enter medical school, library science school, and master’s programs in English, business administration or new media studies.

Current Research

University of Idaho faculty members in the Department of English are distinguished published authors with nationally recognized expertise in creative writing, composition, English education, technical writing, British literature, American literature and linguistics. Faculty members have been awarded nationally competitive awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship. Current faculty projects include:

• Arthurian themes in video games
• Rhetoric of global warming
• Novels, memoirs and poetry of the American West
• Interface between the humanities and the sciences
• Gothic literature in the 19th century

Activities

Sigma Tau Delta, Eta Chi Chapter: An honor society for students of English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. Members host department events, work on a community service project, publish in a literary magazine and attend a national conference.

Hands-On Experience

As an English major, you will have many surprising and rewarding opportunities to apply and develop your skills in real-world settings. Students participate in national writing competitions, public readings, presentations at professional writing conferences and campus visits from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors. English majors graduate with a strong portfolio of personal work. Programs include:

• Senior Seminar: Students spend a semester gathering a portfolio of their work and developing and presenting a major independent project.
• Fugue Literary Journal: A nationally recognized, student-run literary magazine of poems, essays, stories, interviews and artwork.
• Public Readings: Students participate regularly in poetry and fiction public readings on campus and in the surrounding community.
• Distinguished Visiting Writers Program: It brings three to five nationally recognized authors to campus each year to provide selected students with intensive instruction in poetry, fiction or nonfiction writing, both in workshop settings and in one-on-one sessions.
• Writing Center: A collaborative learning program dedicated to providing one-on-one assistance to student writers. English majors may be selected to work as tutors.
• Internships and Practicum: Students gain on-the-job experience through quality internships and opportunities to do apprentice teaching.
• Argonaut: University of Idaho student newspaper provides opportunities for English majors to work as editors and journalists.
• Field Trips: Faculty lead groups of students on short trips to regional and national conferences, where students meet professionals and present their work.