An English major typically
- seeks intellectual growth;
- prefers independent work and study;
- is creative;
- is disciplined;
- values integrity;
- has a strong imagination;
- enjoys reading, thinking, and writing.
As an English major, you will sharpen your reading skills–your observational and analytical acuity. You will improve your writing skills–your ability to shape words to communicate more effectively with others. And you will enhance your thinking skills–your ability to recognize problems and solve them creatively.
Our Goals
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To develop within you the resources and methods you need to pursue independent inquiries and enjoy a lifelong appreciation for the value of the written word.
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To sharpen your critical skills in written and oral expression as you read, analyze, and evaluate representative works of American, English, and other world literature in their cultural and historical perspectives.
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To enhance the traditional approach to literature, genre, and theory by addressing the latest developments and innovations in the field.
How We Teach
- Students and professors work together to hone both thinking skills and written and oral expression.
- Similarly, students and professor share equally the responsibility for discussion in each class.
- The faculty, with over 140 years of cumulative teaching experience in many kinds of colleges and universities, bring to each class extensive academic and professional preparation, a commitment to high standards, and a genuine desire to instill in you a knowledge of and appreciation for language and literature both within and beyond the college setting.
Special Features and Opportunities
- We offer a range of special topics and interdisciplinary courses in addition to an already impressive range of courses.
- The department sponsors a number of public readings from professional poets and writers; we also offer events such as "World Poetry Day" that allow students to share their own work.
- The department annually presents the Ryals award for outstanding poetry and short fiction by a student.
- Students can get involved in numerous organizations, such as Cantilevers (the school literary magazine), Sigma Tau Delta (the international English honor society), or the Mechanicals (the Humanities club).
- We operate Pens Central, an in-house writing center that provides resources from the most basic reference tools to the most up-to-date computers and software (including tutorials, word processing, and graphics).
- In addition, Pens Central offers internship opportunities to those students who want to acquire practical experience as tutors on all levels.
- We also have intern programs in the public schools for English majors in Secondary Education. Moreover, some students, in consultation with their advisors, create internships in the business community to meet their individual career goals.
How You’ll Benefit
- Our graduates enter the work force with a full range of marketable skills: listening and reading acuity; clear, critical thinking; inventive expression; accurate writing; and persuasive speaking.
- Career opportunities for the English major abound in advertising, business writing and consulting, editing (for books and other media), fund-raising and grant-writing, journalism, teaching, and technical writing.
- English is also a natural pre-professional major if you’re planning to study business administration, law, or theology.
- An added advantage is that the English major at Florida Southern also requires foreign language study, which can help you gain an employment edge in the international market for any of the fields in which you’re interested.
So Why Be an English Major?
First is the benefit of developing a life-long love of reading, thinking, and learning. You will have a fuller understanding of the human condition and of yourself.
Second is the benefit of developing abilities that will help you find meaningful and rewarding employment. Consider this point: an employer can train you to do a specific job, but an employer cannot teach you to think critically, to respond intelligently, to analyze and synthesize, or to communicate your thoughts and ideas– especially in writing.
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