University of St. Thomas

When asked what phrase best describes the English major at St. Thomas, a faculty member responded, “flexible but challenging.”

A real student asks:

 

I’m really good at scrabble, does this qualify me to be an English major?

An English faculty member responds: Very funny, but yes, an interest in words and a willingness to be creative and playful with language are good signs of an aptitude for English.  Even better indicators would be the degree to which one reads for pleasure, especially of novels, biographies and historical or philosophical works.

What jobs are possible with an English major?

What are recent graduates doing now?

One of the most interesting instances is a recent graduate (and a holder of one of our undergraduate fellowship awards) who majored in English and went on to medical school after completing her science prerequisites for medical school as a minor. Other recent graduates hold such interesting jobs as chief of staff for a representative to the U.S. Congress and feature writer for Minnesota Public Radio. 

What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?

Internships. In general, I advise English majors to seek internship experiences in related minor fields, like journalism or communication, to have a way of documenting their writing, editing and analytical skills. We are just now beginning to discuss an internship program that would be specifically designed for, and administered through, the English major.

Study abroad. The English Department recently merged its stand-alone study abroad program in Glasgow into the wider menu of study abroad choices available for English majors through our International Studies program. Of course, overseas experience broadens one’s perspective on the world, and since cultural diversity and effective communication across various boundaries is central to the discipline of English these days, a study abroad experience can certainly be an important element of an English major’s education.

Faculty at work

Faculty in our department have a rich array of research and creative activities. We have published poets, fiction writers, and essayists (most with books published through nationally known publishers); some are doing research on language in the public sphere (political and advertising discourse); some are doing exciting interdisciplinary research, looking at the connections between literature, popular media, music, politics and science; some are involved in translating literary texts from other languages.