St. Charles / St. Louis
English (BA)

"Through literature, we can enter into the lives and experiences of people who don’t look like us, think like us or live like us. From this sojourn in the lives of others — and its limits — we learn about ourselves and our values."

- Larry Jackson, "Literature, Humanities and the Democratic Moral Imagination."

We are a dynamic department that offers courses in literature from around the globe, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, as well as a diverse selection of creative and professional writing courses. Our program provides you with an engaging, rigorous, and personal education that will stimulate your intellectual growth while empowering you to become:

• Professional Writers who can adapt their knowledge to a variety of writing tasks.
• Skilled and Ethical Researchers skilled at using non-traditional and traditional research tools.
• Sophisticated Readers who understand and appreciate both their own and other cultures.
• Creative Thinkers who develop their own artistic abilities while appreciating the creative expression of others.
• Emerging Scholars with the intellectual resources to question traditional ways of thinking.

Earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at �ؾ���

 degree program at �ؾ��� requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of English courses, including an introduction to literary study and a senior capstone course. Students earning an English BA degree also read a wide range of American, British, and world literatures. Whether you are interested in studying the medieval world through the works of Chaucer, using literature to trace the social and political development of the early United States, diving deeply into the genre of Gothic literature, or exploring the global diversity of the English-speaking world, this St. Louis English program has courses for you.

Like every �ؾ��� student, you will also complete the General Education requirements of the Bachelor of Arts. You are also required to be proficient in at least one foreign language up to the Elementary II level, which can be fulfilled by coursework, a placement test, or a combination of the two.

See a list of to see the full range of courses you’ll have an opportunity to take.

What can I do with an English degree from �ؾ���?

Graduating with a bachelor's degree in English opens up your professional options to a wide variety of careers. Careers in publishing, mass media, education, law, marketing, copywriting, editing, and technical writing—one of the fastest growing fields in the country—are common for graduates with this degree. But one of the chief benefits of an English degree is not being tied to any single field. Your experiences in your English major will enhance your writing, reading, analysis, and research skills, which are highly valued by employers in almost all industries. For more information on the value of an English bachelor's degree on the job market, see our Careers in English page.

Secondary Education Certification in English: Students who seek to be certified to teach English at the secondary level (grades 9-12) must complete a major in English Studies, take ENGL 37200 and 40400, complete a minor in secondary education (9-12), and take EDU 33400.

Interested in becoming an English Studies major? Contact us for more information about our program! 

Life as an English Major

“I was an English major with a minor in secondary education. Each and every course I completed was taught by very intelligent and seasoned English professors who challenged me to critically think about literature, to ask meaningful questions, and to write words that say what is intended with purpose and conviction. My time at �ؾ��� prepared me exceptionally well to teach literature and composition to the leaders of tomorrow.”

- Margaret (Class of 2017), English Teacher, Webster Groves High School

What's it like to be an English major? Learn more about the extracurricular events and groups you can be a part of it at �ؾ���.

Making a Career out of What You Love: Careers in English

What can you do with a BA in English? Fortunately, English is a degree program adaptable to many careers. Read more about Careers in English.

Our Faculty

Our department represents a wide variety of scholarly interests in English studies, all of which you’ll have a chance to explore when you're an English major. Learn more about our faculty.

Caption: Dr. Ben Cooper, Assistant Professor of English, speaks about his book, Veteran Americans: Literature and Citizenship from Revolution to Reconstruction, before an engaged crowd at Left Bank Books.

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