Students who elect to major in English can choose from three areas of concentration: creative writing, literature or professional and technical writing. Students who wish to teach may earn secondary education certification in English, English as a Second Language (ESL) minor endorsement, or a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate.

The skills, knowledge, and understanding acquired through our programs are excellent preparation not only for graduate work in creative writing, but for careers in the professions. Our students have gone on to be successful in top-notch MFA programs, and in professions including corporate communication and content writing, entrepreneurial design consultancy, and journalism, along with many other fields.?

Student Opportunities:

• Students can develop editorial skills as staff for Cardinal Sins, our student-led literary magazine. Student staff are often funded to participate in the national Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, for which students have travelled to Chicago, Seattle, Boston, and Minneapolis.
• Cardinal Ink is a student-led creative writing club where students share their work.The Voices in the Valley Reading Series brings in a wide variety of national writers each year to give public readings and visit creative writing classrooms.
• ?Students have had the opportunity to learn from prestigious authors including the renowned human-rights poet Carolyn Forch? and Pulitzer-prize winner Tracy K. Smith, among many others.?