About the B.A. in English Program
Being an English major at UW is always exciting. Courses range from the canonical—“the best that has been thought and known”—to the cutting edge. You can focus on creative writing, composition, rhetoric or literary analysis. Our internationally known faculty, who are also award-winning teachers, will introduce you to a wide range of English studies. Learn to write a lyric; pursue the postmodern through Monty Python; imagine how digital media transform communication—and more.
Take your English degree further by selecting one of three concentrations that allow you to shape your coursework around your interests and career goals. These focused areas of study give you the opportunity to dive deeper into the subjects that inspire you while building the critical thinking, communication and analytical skills that define an English degree. Our three concentrations include:
- Creative Writing
- Literary Studies
- English Studies
UW students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English will have demonstrated an ability to:
- Read, interpret and write about a diverse range of texts in English, for example, literature, film, digital media and popular culture
- Understand those texts analytically and critically
- Understand those texts on the basis of careful close reading
- Understand those texts through past and current literary theory
- Understand that those texts are culturally constructed in time, place and tradition
- Understand how those texts inform culture
- Participate in the critical and cultural discourses of English
- Participate clearly and appropriately through multiple spoken and written forms
Faculty members are committed to working together to achieve these shared goals and
contribute to the academic success of our undergraduates.
What Can You Do with an English Degree?
Unlike some degree programs, which train students for a single career path, English provides students with a set of essential skills that can be applied across a variety of different professions: proficiency in writing, oral and digital communication, research and critical thinking. Potential employers are always excited to see English majors in their applicant pools, as they love finding employees who can write.
- Law
- Education
- Communications/Media
- Publishing
- Grant-Writing
- Editing
- Journalism
- Library Sciences
- Curatorial Work (Museums/Archives)
- Government/Policy Work
- Corporate/Non-Profit Work (Marketing,
- Management, Sales, Entrepreneurship)
- Creative Writing
Absolutely! A B.A. in English gives you a solid foundation for grad school. You’ll build strong writing, research, and critical thinking skills that are useful whether you're heading into literature, law, education or another advanced field.
- Emory
- Duke
- Virginia Tech
- U.C. Riverside
- Kansas State
- University of Kentucky
- University of Oregon
- and more!
The World Needs More Cowboys—and English majors! UW’s English program offers flexibility, academic depth and unique experiences (Did we mention the opportunity to study Shakespeare abroad in England and Italy?). With supportive faculty and engaging courses, it helps students grow as thinkers, writers and global citizens.
“I have genuinely wonderful memories of the classes I took at Wyoming. My coursework as a student opened up new horizons for me, and the faculty engaged with my writing and thinking in ways that showed genuine care and thoughtfulness."
- Dr. Marlene Tromp (1990) | President, Boise State University
