Building on a strong foundation in the literary tradition, we add the best of contemporary literature and new genres. We strive to foster creativity and critical thinking, and equip our students with the analytical, research, writing, and editing skills they need for 21st-century careers and success in leading graduate programs.
Mission Statement
The Department of English provides high-quality educational and community experiences for students and faculty. We offer up-to-date courses that focus on literature from a variety of cultures and times. In our classes, students learn to read critically and write both clearly and creatively.
Faculty
The faculty of the Department of English are highly trained and dedicated professionals, committed to student success. The faculty are not only excellent teachers, but also active scholars, contributing to their various disciplines—literature, creative writing, technical writing, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and teaching.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The Department of English offers small classes. The average class has 20 students at the major level.
Department Scholarships
We recognize and support excellence in student work through merit-based and need-based awards, including:
- Outstanding Senior Award
- Philip H. Mankin Memorial Scholarship
- Donn Johnson Endowed English Scholarship
- Dr. James M. Kenkel Undergraduate Linguistics Scholarship
- Bonnie Plummer Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship
- Hazel Chrisman Memorial English Scholarship
Careers
What can I do with my degree in English? The skills acquired in the study of English offer a wide range of professional opportunities:
- Writing: writer, technical writer, editor, grant writer, publisher
- Education: teacher, professor, administrator, writing center staff, alumni outreach coordinator, developer
- Communication: publicist, public relations consultant, community outreach coordinator
- Corporate: documentation and support specialist, analyst, trainer
- Media and Multimedia: journalist, broadcaster, blogger, social media consultant, web content developer, web writer, podcaster
- Gaming: content developer, storyline developer
- Marketing: analyst, strategist, consultant
- Law: lawyer, paralegal, consultant, counselor
- Arts: author, poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist
- Government and Organizations: speech writer, policy writer, lobbyist, analyst, consultant, fundraiser
- Research: archivist, librarian, curator
- Linguistics: ESL teacher, consultant, translator, interpreter
- Healthcare: public health educator, counselor
Courses
The Department of English offers courses on a variety of topics, including:
- British Literature and American Literature
- African American Literature, Appalachian Literature, Native American Literature
- Fantasy and Science Fiction
- Creative Writing and Technical Writing
- Shakespeare
- Grammar and Linguistics
- Editing and Stylistics
- Women and Gender Studies
- Digital Design
- Composition and Rhetoric
Skills
Students majoring in English develop many in-demand, transferable skills valued by a range of employers. Such 21st-century employment skills include:
- Writing: Creative writing, writing, blogging, editing, publishing
- Multimedia: Digital literacy, webpage design and text, video game development
- Teaching: Literature, English, composition and rhetoric, English as a Second Language
- Communication
- Research
What Do Our Alumni Do?
Our majors go on to careers in education, publishing, and technology, as well as graduate programs in creative writing, law, literature, composition and rhetoric, and teaching. Recent alumni work in competitive careers and graduate programs, including:
- Technical Writer, BEA Sensors Americas
- Technical Writer, Veterinary Data Services, Inc.
- Technical Writer, Diversified Automation, Inc.
- Technical Writer, Jackson WWS, Inc.
- Documentation Specialist, Waystar
- IT Business Analyst, Stemco
- Marketing Support Coordinator, Servpro Industries, Inc.
- Program Assistant, Governor’s Scholars Program
- Attorney, Jefferson County Family Court
- Attorney/Title IX Coordinator, University of Kentucky
- Attorney Advisor, Social Security Administration
- Corporate Counsel, Hilliard Lyons
- Team Leader/Mental Health Clinician, Cumberland River Behavioral Health
- High Schools all over the state of Kentucky
- Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville
- Nationally ranked MA, MFA, and PhD programs at University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, University of Central Florida
Other Department Offerings
- Minors: English, English Teaching
- Certificates: Technical Writing
- Study Abroad Opportunities
- Aurora Literary and Arts Journal
- Open Mic, Poetry Slams