English students at The Ohio State University take courses on Richard II, Game of Thrones and Pride and Prejudice. They study 1984 and Halo, the rhetoric of human rights and the speeches of political leaders. They write sonnets and short stories. They write research papers. They write grant proposals. They publish blog posts. They produce videos for YouTube. They organize technical reports and social media campaigns. They understand the industrial revolution and new media technologies. They are persuasive speakers, empathetic listeners, critical readers and sophisticated writers. They are trained in critical thinking and effective communication. Most importantly, they are prepared to thrive in the fast-paced, ever-changing professional environments of the twenty-first century.
Beyond the classroom, our majors and minors regularly pursue independent research and creative projects under the direction of English faculty. These projects allow students to explore issues of personal, scholarly and creative importance; to solve complex problems using skills they have honed in the classroom; and to produce new knowledge and solutions that reflect their unique perspectives, talents and abilities. In recent years, students have completed research projects focused on translations of Beowulf, pirates in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature, postmodern conceptions of time and space in the work of Cormac McCarthy, rhetoric and twenty-first-century U.S. politics, the role of poetry in the education of lawyers, dystopian fiction and women's reproductive rights and gender-inclusive housing at Ohio State. Students also have had the opportunity to produce television scripts, screenplays, literary novels, science fiction trilogies, books of poetry and collections of short stories.
MAJOR PROGRAMS
In addition to developing an understanding of important works of American and British literature from the eighth century through the present, our majors specialize in one of five academic concentrations. Students choose a concentration based on their academic and personal interests as well as their short- and longer-term career goals. Students have the option to begin their major coursework without declaring a concentration, and they may switch concentrations without delaying their progress towards a degree.
Major programs
Concentrations
- Literature, film and popular culture studies
- Writing, rhetoric and literacy
- Creative writing
- Folklore studies
- English pre-ed
MINOR PROGRAMS
The Department of English's minor coursework is designed to complement and build upon the knowledge and skills that students have already begun to acquire as part of their major programs. The purpose of the department's minor programs is to better prepare students to pursue their unique professional and personal goals in a diverse array of career fields including agriculture, business, communications, engineering, law, marketing, medicine and social work.
Minor programs
- Creative writing
- Critical and cultural theory
- Disability studies
- English
- Medical humanities
- Popular culture studies
- Professional writing
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UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAM RESOURCES
English majors and minors have access to the department's academic advisors on a daily basis. Our dedicated, in-house English advisors help students select a track within the English major, choose a double major and/or minor, schedule general education and major courses and prepare petitions and graduation applications. In addition, they assist students interested in pursuing independent research or creative projects to locate faculty mentors, provide students with information about study abroad and scholarship opportunities and evaluate English courses for transfer credit. Student may schedule an advising appointment or seek assistance during our drop-in hours.
Undergraduates who want to engage in research, creative writing, and/or digital media projects outside of the traditional classroom are strongly encouraged to consider completing an independent study, thesis or creative project under the direction of an English faculty advisor(s).
We encourage all students to pursue internships, independent research and study abroad opportunities that will better prepare them for graduate school and/or entry-level jobs across a wide variety of career fields. Students can also earn academic credit for these and other real-world experiences through the English department.
The department provides students with a variety of career-related resources and materials. In addition, during the autumn term, we offer a three-credit course, English 2150: Career Preparation for English Majors. For more information on this course, contact Senior Lecturer Jenny Patton (.220).
There are thousands of Ohio State English alumni living and working around the world. They are writers, editors, entrepreneurs, marketers, lawyers, doctors, bloggers, photographers, publicists, professors, financial advisors, human resource managers, business owners, IT specialists, CEOs and much, much more. Each autumn, we host an annual English Undergraduate, Faculty and Alumni Dinner designed to connect students with alumni working in a diverse array of career fields. This and other, smaller events offer students the opportunity to learn about careers otherwise unknown to them and to begin building relationships that will hopefully contribute to their success for years to come.
To find out more about the English major and the five concentration areas, schedule an appointment with an English department advisor. Appointments can be made via phone (614-292-6065) or by stopping by the English front desk in 421 Denney Hall.
