• Majoring in English Literature allows students to think deeply about the way literature shapes and reshapes their understanding of the world while also gaining highly sought-after professional skills that will prepare them for a meaningful career in a limitless variety of fields. When students pursue a BA, BS, or MA degree in Literature at MSU, they get to think deeply about art and culture and go on to have a fulfilling career.
  • The BA is the traditional degree, recommended for students who plan to go on to graduate school. The BA includes foreign language study and coursework in philosophy, history, and fine arts.
  • As a Literature major, students develop the advanced reading, writing, and researching skills that are needed in virtually every desirable job today. Literature majors develop the skills of critical thinking (analyzing words, images, and ideas), argumentation and persuasion, empathy, creativity, and the ability to synthesize big ideas and to understand how systems are linked. As the National Association of Colleges and Employers notes, “what sets two equally qualified job candidates apart can be as simple as who has the better communication skills.” The advanced reading, writing, and oral communication skills students develop as a Literature major prepare them for a wide variety of careers. Is it any wonder that, as the Harvard Business Review has reported in multiple articles, major employers like Google and Twitter are increasingly looking to hire Literature majors to encourage innovation and creativity within their companies?

  • A degree in Literature prepares students for graduate or professional study and a lifelong career in fields including law, medicine, library, and archival sciences, education, non-profit and governmental work, public relations, publishing, and any other field that requires strong writing, research, and analytical skills—which is virtually every career field in the modern world. students are only limited by their imagination.