The Next Step
Study What You Love and Prepare
for a Great Career
Limitless Possibilities
Employers need English majors more than ever. Jobs in teaching and professional writing continue to attract those who read perceptively, write cogently, and think critically. Our alumni apply those same qualities as successful attorneys, human resource directors, entrepreneurs, small-business owners, book editors and authors, copy editors and publication managers, public relations specialists, and counselors, to name a few.
You might be surprised to know that a BA in English can be your ticket to medical schools or business administration programs, where the ability to see situations from the perspectives of others, strong communications skills, and the ability to work with a team are essential. These are all skills that English majors develop while earning a degree.
The benefits of a degree in English: Testimonials
"The creative writing MFA program was pinnacle — a turning point in my life. As a first-generation Mexican kid, it was hard to admit to myself and my family that poetry was where my heart was."
Felicia Zamora (MFA '12 - Creative Writing) describes her circuitous path to an assistant professorship in creative writing.
Story here.
“I owe my success in great part to the multiple opportunities that were offered by the department for professionalization. I felt qualified to apply my degree and experience toward several career paths.”
~Christine L. Robinson, MA English: Rhetoric & Composition
“The opportunity to teach as a GTA was life-changing; it confirmed for me what I wanted to do as a career, helped me prepare for it, connected me with mentors outside the Literature concentration, and provided me new ways to see literature, literary studies, and to talk with students about the written word.”
~Nancy Henke, faculty in English, CSU
“People undervalue a degree in English, but, it is one of the most flexible degrees on the planet. You can teach, work in publishing, work in marketing, work in politics, or run a business. As an English major, you are fine tuning analytical thinking and research skills, and mastering communication and writing skills, all highly valued workplace skills.”
~Kathleen Willard, MFA English: Poetry
What Can You Do With an English Major?
Better Question: What Can't You Do?
Our Alumni Have Found Success As
- Teachers and professors in the US and abroad
- Poets and authors of fiction and nonfiction
- Attorneys
- Firefighters
- Operations managers
- Copy editors
- Content creation managers
- Proposal and grant writers
- Software engineers
- Security analysts
- Development officers
- Communications specialists
- Small business owners
Similarly, graduate programs in medicine, law, and other fields also seek out undergraduates who majored in English. Undergraduates majoring in English are well positioned to take advantage of the CSU Effect.