The ability to read closely and write clearly outlasts any single job. Florida Southern's BA in English offers concentrations in Literature or Writing, time with nationally known visiting writers, and a path into law, journalism, publishing, and graduate study.
Critical reading, critical writing, critical thinking. These are the skills that succeed in every field.
Florida Southern College's BA in English sharpens your observational and analytical acuity, strengthens your ability to shape words and communicate more effectively, and builds your capacity to recognize problems and solve them creatively. You will take a core set of foundational courses in American, English, and world literature, then four courses in either the Literature or Writing concentration. What you graduate with is not a set of facts about novels. It is a method: the ability to take in complex material, find what matters, and explain it persuasively to someone else.
That is why our graduates land where they do. FSC English majors go on to law school, doctoral programs, divinity school, MFA programs, and careers in journalism, publishing, education, marketing, public relations, and professional writing.
An English degree doesn't narrow your options. It is a foundation you can build almost anything on, and at Florida Southern, it gives you room to build something specific. Here is what that looks like in practice.
A flexible curriculum leaves room for a second major, a minor, or the School of Education coursework that certifies you to teach English in grades 6-12.
FSC students compete successfully for the country's most selective awards, including Fulbright and Gilman scholarships that fund teaching, research, and study abroad.
English alumni have gone on to Harvard Divinity School, Stetson University College of Law, Florida State University, Columbia University, and the University of Alabama.
The Visiting Writers Series brings acclaimed writers and poets to campus for readings and craft talks that mean conversation, not a seat in an auditorium.
Analyze and evaluate works of literature across cultures and centuries. Develop your voice as a writer and thinker. Engage with visiting writers, publish in a literary magazine, and build the critical skills in written and oral expression that employers and graduate schools value most.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsFSC's English curriculum builds a rigorous foundation in reading, analysis, and expression, drawing on American, English, and world literature examined through cultural and historical perspectives. Core requirements are the same across both concentrations, so every English major develops a broad command of the discipline before focusing.
Choose your concentration based on where you want to go:
Literature. Go deeper into literary theory, history, and criticism. You will build the analytical frameworks and scholarly voice that graduate programs, law schools, and any career built on sophisticated reading and interpretation require.
Writing. Focus on rhetoric, composition, and the craft of written expression. You will build the practical and creative writing skills valued across journalism, publishing, business, law, and the professional world, and you will graduate with a portfolio that demonstrates range.
Honors in the Major. Highly motivated students can pursue an in-depth investigation of an area of interest in consultation with a faculty expert. This independent scholarship is the strongest possible preparation for doctoral study and for competitive national fellowships. Students interested in the Honors option should speak with the department chair during the first semester of their junior year.
Teacher Certification. Students who meet the English major requirements alongside the professional coursework specified by the School of Education are eligible for Florida teacher certification in English (6-12), with endorsements in ESOL and Reading.
The English major totals 48 hours within 124 hours for the degree. Both concentrations share the same core, so you can declare English now and choose your concentration once you know where you are headed.
A. WRIGHT Foundations Requirements: 34 hours
B. Major Requirements: 48 hours
Core requirements for the English major:
Three literature courses chosen from:
One 3000- or 4000-level English course chosen from:
C. Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements: 20 hours
D. Electives: 22 hours
E. Total: 124 hours
A. WRIGHT Foundations Requirements: 34 hours
B. Major Requirements: 48 hours
Core requirements for the English major:
Writing concentration requirements (4 courses total):
One of the following creative writing courses:
One of the following multi-genre writing courses:
One additional English course chosen from:
C. Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements: 20 hours
D. Electives: 22 hours
E. Total: 124 hours
Special Requirements: CLEP credits may not be applied to the minor.
English at FSC is a community as much as a course of study. Get involved with Cantilevers, FSC's literary magazine, to share your creative work and collaborate with fellow writers. Join Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, or the Mechanicals, the FSC Humanities club.
The FSC Writing Center offers English majors paid practical experience as writing tutors, working with students across all levels and disciplines. Intern programs in local public schools are available for English majors pursuing secondary education, and students can work with their advisors to create business community internships built around their individual career goals.
The department hosts public readings, open mic nights, and events such as World Poetry Day, giving you regular opportunities to share your work, hear from professionals, and join the broader literary conversation on campus.
With a flexible 48-credit curriculum, you can connect English with other disciplines. Double major, add a minor, or incorporate School of Education coursework for English teaching certification in grades 6-12.
Students often pair English with disciplines like history, environmental studies, or theatre arts, building different perspectives and skills that carry them into any career they choose.
English majors graduate with a full range of marketable skills: reading and listening acuity, clear critical thinking, inventive expression, accurate writing, and persuasive speaking. Within six months of graduating, 98.6% of FSC students are employed or in graduate school.
Here is what that looks like in practice, and who it has taken there.
English is one of the strongest pre-law majors available, and FSC English graduates are consistently competitive law school candidates. Close reading, argumentation, and written analysis are the daily work of legal study and practice, and you will have done all three for four years.
Demi Sejka '24 and Laurne Gunther '24 are JD candidates at Stetson University College of Law.
The ability to read carefully, write clearly, and think critically is the foundation of every journalism and editing career. FSC's emphasis on both analytical rigor and written expression prepares graduates for print, digital, and broadcast media as well as book and magazine publishing.
Laura Hackett is a reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio and Corinna Robinson is managing editor of the Orthodox Observer.
From advertising and marketing to grant writing, public relations, and technical writing, organizations across every industry depend on professionals who can craft clear, compelling, and persuasive communication. FSC's Writing concentration develops exactly these skills.
Grace Newton is deputy press secretary for U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.
English majors who complete the School of Education's professional coursework alongside their degree are eligible for Florida teacher certification in English (6-12), with endorsements in ESOL and Reading. Intern programs in local public schools put you in a classroom before you graduate.
Clifford Parrody directs the creative writing program at Harrison School for the Arts.
Florida Southern is a Fulbright Top Producing Institution, and English students compete successfully for nationally prestigious awards that fund teaching, research, and study abroad.
English major Austin Crotteau '18 earned a Fulbright English Teaching Award to Norway, and Nathalie Moreno '23 and Alana Evans '26 earned Gilman Scholarships to study abroad in Japan and Spain.
FSC English graduates are prepared for doctoral and master's study in literature, creative writing, linguistics, theology, and law. The Honors in the Major option is especially strong preparation for students planning PhD or MFA programs.
Peter Edgar '20 is completing his PhD in Texts and Technologies at the University of Central Florida, Sarah Bliss '21 is completing her PhD in Literature at Florida State University, K. Olivia Overton '25 is completing her MFA in Poetry at the University of South Florida, and Eleora Funk '26 is completing her MFA in Creating Writing at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
"My English degree from Florida Southern College taught me no text exists in isolation. Through mentorship and methodological guidance, FSC gave me the interdisciplinary freedom to study literature through the lenses of religion and ethnicity. Now, I carry this foundation in my work in religious journalism, where news, theology, culture, literature, and visual art intersect in an ever-present question—which stories are being told, and who gets to tell them?"
"My favorite thing about my major is the department itself. I am so grateful for each of the professors and staff members in the English department. Through their guidance, I have developed my academic voice and grown as a person."
"The FSC English Department prepared me to be the educator I am today. I am confident with the content I teach, which allows me to support my own students’ growth in the classroom. Each professor modeled compassion, flexibility, and empathy while also focusing on academic success. As a result, I learned to foster creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence in my classroom."
"As I prepare to be a high-school English teacher, the education I have received from the English department has been invaluable. My writing, analysis, and editing skills have been strengthened by courses I've taken and the professors who have helped me along the way. Most importantly, the English programs encourage me to seek knowledge and understanding: a love of learning I hope to share one day with my students."
"I love how the English department is its own community. Group advising meetings come with doughnuts, trivia, and lots of joking around between the faculty and English majors and some of my best college memories come from sitting in the Christoverson lobby between classes hanging out with other English majors or talking with professors. The English department is full of passionate, kind, and articulate students, as well as amazing and supportive faculty."
"I love the smaller size because you really get to know your classmates and professors, making those lasting connections. I also love the emphasis on engaged learning! Being able to analyze texts and have in-depth discussions about them with other English majors is super beneficial and has helped me in so many classes."
"My favorite thing about both of my majors is how thoughtful and dedicated the professors are, regardless of the field. Throughout my time as an undergraduate, my professors have helped me navigate the process of presenting at conferences, applying for extensive scholarships, and just being available to talk when I needed advice. I have learned so much from them that I could never gather from a textbook."
The Visiting Writers Series connects English students directly with acclaimed authors and poets, often National Book Award finalists, through lively, small-group readings and craft talks. These experiences go beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for real conversation, creative mentorship, and professional networking that enrich your study of literature and writing.
From literary magazines and open mic nights to internships, conference presentations, and the Visiting Writers Series, FSC English students are always engaged beyond the page. Every experience builds the critical voice, professional network, and portfolio you will carry into your career or graduate program.
Our English faculty are working scholars and writers whose work appears in Iowa Review, Boston Review, Florida Historical Quarterly, and Florida Studies. They also advise every major personally, direct Honors projects, and write the recommendation letters that open doors to graduate programs and fellowships.
Department Chair, Associate Professor of English
Professor of English
Associate Professor of English and Modern Languages
Professor of English
Professor of English
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Read the latest from FSC's English department, from Visiting Writers Series events and Cantilevers publications to student achievements and faculty recognition.
At FSC, you are the focus. Our team loves connecting with prospective students to answer questions and explore how the BA in English can be a fit for your goals.
Department Chair, Associate Professor of English
Still exploring? These Florida Southern programs draw on many of the same strengths and pair well with English.
The skills you develop as an English major go everywhere you go. Take your next step toward a BA in English at Florida Southern College.
