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Explore the English Major

Bachelor of Arts in English
Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus or Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 124

Whether you choose to major in English or add one of our minors, one thing remains true: we strive to produce graduates who understand the art and science of language, literature, and writing. You’ll experience a free exchange of ideas in an open, inclusive, and respectful student-centered environment, a commitment to academic excellence, and collaborative support for your individual academic achievement.

We offer a student-centered environment enhanced by technology and transcultural experiences. Through a curriculum that fosters academic and professional development, we provide opportunities to engage with nationally recognized authors and scholars. The Bachelor of Arts in English supports the university’s mission to link theory with practice, to extend the learning environment beyond the classroom, to promote learner growth and life success, and to facilitate learners’ development as readers, writers, and thinkers.

About Our BA in English

With a Bachelor of Arts in English, you will become an incisive, culturally responsive writer and critical thinker. You’ll learn how to effectively communicate with different audiences by skillfully interpreting language and producing engaging content. With options for specialized concentrations or a broad approach, you can tailor the major to your career goals. 

The field of English covers a range of disciplines: creative writing, cultural studies, film studies, linguistics, literature, professional & technical writing, and rhetoric & composition. Many of our classes are offered both online and face-to-face. 

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This degree builds flexible, highly valued skills that you can use across industries like Arts & Entertainment, Data Analysis, Education, Editing & Publishing, Healthcare, Information Technology, Journalism, Legal Services, Marketing, Nonprofit Administration, and Public Relations. Our faculty of practicing writers and scholars are dedicated to building a learning community of future professionals. We prioritize one-on-one mentoring, career preparation, and networking opportunities to help you succeed.

Concentration Options in the English Major

Literature

Professional Writing

Creative Writing

Want to Minor in English?

English

The English minor complements a variety of majors by enhancing your abilities in critical thinking, analysis, research, and writing. Coursework covers various areasliterature, film studies, creative writing, cultural studies, linguistics, professional & technical writing, and rhetoric & composition. This minor is designed to enhance your ability to analyze details, persuade others, solve problems, and express yourself. Coursework may be taken on-campus or online.

Writing

The Writing minor offers students extensive writing practice in a range of genres and media. You’ll take courses from across the discipline, including creative writing, technical and professional writing, and rhetoric and composition. Clear, thoughtful, and innovative writing broadens your career options. This minor is a great choice to enhance your chosen major and give you confidence in your ability to persuade others, solve problems, and express yourself. Coursework may be taken on-campus or online.

Creative Writing

Creative writers make art. The study and practice of creative writing teaches you to read and write like a writer. In this minor, you’ll learn the strategies and techniques that professional writers use to create stories, novels, poems, screenplays, and other media and creative formsYou will gain both a broad and deep understanding of creative writing craft for different genres. You’ll share your work in progress with your peers and to get coached by professors who are published, working writers during workshops. You’ll also learn how to submit your work for publication and contests–and how the skills you learn in your courses transfer to a range of professional settings and opportunities. Coursework may be taken on-campus or online.

Applied Linguistics

Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that investigates language-related problems. Through core courses and a wide range of electives, the applied linguistics minor helps you develop highly valued skills to enhance your careers in language education, lexicography, translation/interpretation, advertising and marketing, and others. Coursework may be taken on-campus or online.

Professional and Technical Writing

Professional and technical writers solve problems and help people make effective decisions. As a PTW minor, you will produce, design, and manage information using a variety of methods and technologies. Through courses in specialized writing, editing, and storytelling, you’ll learn about in-demand practices like social media management, accessible writing, user experience design, and content strategy. You’ll be ready to adapt to evolving trends by crafting human-centered documentation, writing reports and proposals, and creating instructional videos, walkthroughs, and visualizations. You’ll be able to use these skills in industries like medicine, public health, game development, API and software documentation, corporate and government standards, user experience design, technical and scientific writing, and media creation. Coursework may be taken on-campus or online.

Teaching Writing

The Teaching Writing minor prepares you to teach writing or conduct research in writing studies. The coursework introduces you to a variety of methods for teaching writing, strategies for incorporating writing into classroom instruction, and ways to engage your own students in the learning process.

Literature

The Literature minor complements a variety of majors by enhancing your abilities in analysis, research, and communication. Coursework explores a range of historical and contemporary literature, along with film and media. You’ll engage in literary and cultural analysis, strengthening your understanding of culture, language, and humanity.

What You Will Learn in the BA in English

The English major is structured so that you are first introduced to the most important activities we do in our various fields. Then you spend a long time practicing those activities, honing your skills and applying them in various situations. Finally, you get a chance to show how well you’ve mastered those activities.

We call those most important activities Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), and there are four of them.

By the time you’re graduated with a BA in English, you should be able to:

  1. Analyze and interpret a variety of texts in their historical/cultural/genre contexts, considering the relationship between language form and meaning, using discipline-specific analytic tools.
  2. Synthesize multiple voices in your work through the ethical incorporation of external sources, following genre-specific conventions.
  3. Create your own clear, precise, well-developed, and highly-organized texts, addressing particular purposes and audiences. 
  4. Revise your written work through a reflective and iterative process that fulfills disciplinary, professional, or field expectations.

What Can You Do with an English Major?

Hear from some of our students, and check out a small sample of recent resources that advocate for the value of study in English and the Humanities.

Who’s Who With an English Degree

  • Michael Eisner, Former Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company
  • Rashida Jones, Actress, writer, producer, and philanthropist
  • John Legend, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist
  • John Lithgow, Tony- and Emmy-award-winning actor
  • Judy McGrath, Former Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks
  • Janet Robinson, Former President and CEO of The New York Times Company
  • Sigourney Weaver, Academy Award-nominated actress
  • J. K. Rowling, Author, producer, and philanthropist
  • Ted Turner, Founder of CNN
  • Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and chief executive of Act 1 Group

Awards and Scholarships for English Majors

We offer a variety of awards and scholarships for English majors, minors, and first-year writers. We encourage you to apply. Winners are celebrated at our “Celebrations of Success” held each April.

Have Questions? Contact Us.

Dr. Beth Howells
Department Chair
bhowells@georgiasouthern.edu

Statesboro Office
3307B Newton Building
912-478-5133

Armstrong Office
Gamble Hall 101
912-344-2867

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Last updated: 5/18/2023