English
English refers to a broad field of study related to the reading, writing, studying and analyzing of English literature and language. The field includes the many and varied forms and genres of literature, writing, and rhetoric, and often considers how value and meaning are created, and information communicated, through these various texts.
Degree Types: Bachelor of Arts, Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate, Minor
Degree Options
Degree Concentrations
- Traditions of Innovation
Popular Double Majors or Minors
- History
- Journalism
- Political Science
- Secondary Education English
- Sexuality and Gender Studies
- Theater
- Women’s Studies
About the Program
Why should I pursue this degree?
You might like this program if…
- You enjoy composing texts that are varied in genre, style, and medium, including critical essays, short stories, poems, reviews, digital media, podcasts, and others.
- You find yourself compelled to make connections between literary texts and ideas that are both present across historical eras and pertinent to current realities.
- You are interested in how audiences treat and use texts, whether the texts are print or digital, technical, critical, and/or creative.
- You want to solve problems through deliberate communication, in arenas that overlap with other areas of human life, like science, law, art, business, and the social sciences.
Coursework
Opportunities to explore the following topics:
- Creative Writing
- American and British Literature
- Race and Gender Studies
- Professional and Media Writing
- Rhetoric and Composition
Out-of-Classroom Experiences
Internships
- Barash Media
- Mid-State Literacy Council
- Penn State University Press
- Penn State University Libraries
- Elsevier, Inc.
- Wolters Kluwer Health
- Penn State Digital English Studio
Education Abroad Destinations
Ecuador
France
Ireland
Italy
United Kingdom
Post-Graduation Opportunities
Continuing Education
- Law school
- Medical school
- Graduate school to study English, creative writing, cinema and media studies, communications, curriculum and instruction, global markets, publishing, rhetoric and composition, technical communication, theology, and theatre
Alumni Industries
Consulting, Editing/Publishing, Education (K-12), Library/Information Sciences, Marketing, Peace Corps, Service (Teach for America), Social Services/Non-Profit, Technical Writing
Have questions about this program?
Future students, contact the Liberal Arts Recruitment Team.
Current students, contact your academic adviser.
This program is housed in the Department of English
at Penn State University Park.