Bachelor Degree (B.A.) in English
WRITE. READ. SUCCEED.
In our English program, you’ll learn to read closely, think critically, and write clearly, creatively, and compellingly. You’ll study major Western authors from the classical, medieval, and modern periods up until the present day. And you’ll learn the various critical approaches essential to a mature understanding of literary achievement. Upon completion of the program, you’ll be able to understand works of literature in larger cultural contexts, articulate how those works enter into conversation with one another, and undertake and present meaningful research of your own. In addition to coursework, you can cultivate your reading and creative writing skills with the campus newspaper and literary magazine.
Possible career paths:
Graduate or law school, teaching, library science, journalism, advertising, publishing, communications
request more information
$52K
Average Salary For English Majors
Curriculum
In addition to the specific requirements listed in the section below, all students at the Abbey are required to earn credits in our core liberal arts curriculum.
To be eligible for acceptance into the degree program, the student must have successfully completed RH 101, RH 102, EN 211 and EN 212. In addition to the other Core Curriculum requirements, the following are specific core requirements:
EN 211: Literary Classics of the Western Tradition I
EN 212: Literary Classics of the Western Tradition II
Major Requirements (300 Level or above):
EN 305W:: Introduction to Literary Studies
EN 303:: American Literary Tradition
Seven (7) 300- or 400-level EN courses
EN 430W:: Senior Thesis
EN 431:: Senior Thesis Tutorial
*Note: EN 430W should only be taken in the fall semester of the senior year.
Other Courses:
Foreign Language (two semesters)
Humanities Division Requirement: one (1) upper-level History course, one (1) upper-level Philosophy course, one (1) upper-level Theology course
General elective hours (23 Hours)
Note: Students must meet the following conditions:
The last eighteen (18) credits taken to fulfill the requirements of the English major must be taken at Belmont Abbey College; students transferring from accredited institutions may transfer a maximum of nine (9) credits at the 300 and 400 levels.
Honors Institute students may have different requirements for the major. Please contact the Department Chair for details.
*It is the student’s responsibility to verify that all degree requirements for graduation are fulfilled.
You will have many opportunities to write and study literature while you apply that knowledge beyond the classroom:
- Study Shakespeare while you perform onstage with the Abbey Players
- Take writing courses while you work with our award-winning literary journal, our campus and regional newspapers, or local publishers who reach a national audience
- Learn various critical approaches to literature while you present your own scholarly interpretations with Sigma Tau Delta and at regional conferences
- Study abroad in places like Italy or Ireland while you complete coursework to enrich and build on the experience.
Agora
Agora is Belmont Abbey College’s prize-winning literary journal. Student editors review and select submissions of literary works, photography, and art from the Belmont Abbey community. Agora is open to all students from all disciplines and class status. Students interested should contact Dr. Joshua Hren.
The Crusader Newspaper
The Crusader is Belmont Abbey College’s print and online newspaper. It is a valuable opportunity for English majors or students of any discipline to practice their skills. Crusader contributors gain valuable journalism experience and may even receive class credit for their work.
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta is the international English honors society that recognizes excellence in literature studies and writing. Sigma Tau Delta enables English majors and minors to share their passion for verbal arts through non-classroom experiences via an international network of schools. Belmont Abbey College’s local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society was established in Fall 2010. Please contact Dr. Corwin with any inquiry about chapter enrollment or chapter activities.
Here are a few other degrees available if you are interested in this field of study:
More about the experience
CLARE MARIE RUEDISUELI ’21
“My encounter with the English department will influence and inspire me for the rest of my life. The professors each share their own interests and passions with students, giving them experience in the many aspects of the English study. My favorite classes have ranged from the history of language, professional writing, and any class on literature or poetry. These professors are the reason I am thrilled to use the skills they have taught me to explore my own abilities and passions in the post-college world.”
ABIGAIL MARIE FALLON ‘22
“The best part of being an English major for me is that the English classes I have taken blend together with the rest of my education at the Abbey so well. I am part of the Honors College here and I am also a Theology minor and, I didn’t realize it when I chose to study these things, but the three departments (Great Books, Theology, and English) have offered such a fruitful education for me because the philosophy from the Honors College fills my head with questions about life, and then I get to see those questions and philosophies being played out in literature, and to top it all off, I am given the very truth of everything in my Theology classes.”
