What Can You Do with an English Major?

Unlike students in other disciplines who can immediately begin 
their careers after they graduate from college, those in English and the other liberal arts fields struggle a bit more when it comes to answering that age-old question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It's not that there are fewer career opportunities available for English majors, it's just that the jobs out there are not so obvious.

You bring more skills to a job than you think!

What do employers value most in their employees? Although a solid background in a major field is important for many occupations, it's your competence in general skill areas that separate you from other job applicants: effectively managing information, reading critically, summarizing ideas, using precise language, writing concisely, interpreting data, solving intricate problems, editing, creative thinking, and crafting persuasive messages. All of these are skills that you automatically hone as an English major.  

Adding a major/minor in another field to your English major

While it is possible to find a good entry-level job with just an English major and some determination, more and more English majors are electing to give their career options a boost by majoring or minoring in another discipline too. Some of our recent graduates have majored in print journalism, political science, economics, general business, education, psychology, and more. Others have chosen to pursue the Renaissance Program minor, which gives liberal arts students and non-business majors the opportunity to expose themselves to a program of six courses in pre-professional and professional areas (including quantitative methods and computer science, economics, accounting, business law, business ethics, finance, management, and marketing) and complete a required internship in a career-related field.

Thinking of graduate school?

Majoring in English is good preparation for graduate study in a number of fields, including law. But many English majors find that the study of language and literature calls them in a specific way—to become scholars in the field, and to teach what they love at the college level. If that’s the case, graduate study in English is your next step. Most professors of literature at the college level hold a Ph.D. in English or some closely related field (Composition Studies, Linguistics) and are active research scholars in their areas of specialty; those who teach creative writing often have the M.F.A. as their terminal degree, and are working creative writers themselves.

Whether you are preparing to enter a Ph.D., an M.F.A., or a Masters in English program (some complete an MA in English as a preliminary step to applying for Ph.D. admission), you will want to consult with faculty members who have expertise in your area of interest, and choose courses in your major that will give you an opportunity to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and academic record. Those contemplating admission to a Ph.D. program should look for courses that give them a broad knowledge of literature, both within and beyond the British and American traditions—and some experience with literary and cultural theory. Those looking to go on to an M.F.A. program should also be familiar with a broad range of literature, especially in the particular genres in which their own writing is focused, and should take courses that help them develop a portfolio of their own work. For more specific information about applying for graduate programs, please click on our Graduate School in English handout.