BA English/Language

The English department at CSU is a vibrant and diverse community. We are home to poets and linguists, literacy researchers and teacher educators, novelists and literary scholars, composition specialists and writers of creative nonfiction. We share a passion for exploring the multiple and dynamic ways that the English language is used to meet the demands of life in the twenty-first century. Students, staff, and faculty are committed to inclusive excellence, intellectual growth, and the creation of a more just and sustainable world.

English majors develop an understanding of diverse cultures, literary traditions, and great works of English, American, and world literature. Students expand their ability to analyze a variety of texts and view them through the lenses of diverse critical perspectives. Majors develop the ability to write for both specialized and general audiences. Students can choose from five concentrations: Creative Writing, English Education, Linguistics, Literature, or Writing, Rhetoric and Literacy.

Upon completion of the B.A. in English, the accomplished graduate shall be able to:

A major in English prepares students for business, government, or education careers that require broadly educated people who can think critically, communicate effectively, analyze texts, and write well. Many employers appreciate liberal arts majors for their multiple skills and their ability to adapt to a variety of tasks and work environments.

The department encourages experiential education by offering a variety of internship opportunities and Education Abroad programs.

Students are also invited to generate their own positions in fields of interests, as well as pursue established local, regional, or national internships. Graduates who go on for advanced studies can attain more responsible positions with the possibility of rising to top professional levels.

Depending on a student’s interests, the electives taken, or the concentration selected, available career choices include, but are not limited to: copy editor; project editor; manuscript reader or story analyst; sales representative; publicity and promotion specialist; advertising coordinator; production specialist; assistant book publicist; contracts and permission specialist; agency or arts administrator; human resource manager; human services program developer; public relations; English teacher; teacher of English as a second language; curriculum developer; education administrator; grant writer; technical writer for business, industry, or science; magazine, newspaper, television, education, or government writer; biographer or writer of prose, fiction, or nonfiction; lyricist.