• In the Literature track of the English major at Seattle University, Seattle believes that the arts of language and the tools of literacy are necessary not only for self-understanding, self-expression, and self-realization, but for full participation in social, cultural, and political life.  In the curriculum, students will grapple with some of the most interesting questions of literary and cultural history, engage profound and intractable questions of justice and value, and become thoughtful and active citizens of the university, nation, and world. 
  • According to a recent survey report of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the majority of business executives want college graduates with strong communication, critical inquiry skills, and problem-solving abilities. Indeed, many employers prefer hiring English majors and students in the humanities. The reasons are many. As a student in the department, they will cultivate or practice
    • Eloquence:  the artful command of a wide-ranging vocabulary; the skillful presentation of points to different kinds of listeners.
    • Critical thinking:  the ability to ask the kinds of questions that bring into view the complexities and possibilities of problems; the skill of formulating a problem in such a way as to open up paths for research.
    • Research:  the ability not just to find answers but to construct them using convincing evidence; the power to produce knowledge in the face of unknowns and uncertainties.
    • Empathy:  the ability to understand the positions of others by means of careful reading and reflection rather than crude projection; the power to imagine as fully as possible different points of view, combined with a sense of the limitations of this ability.