Program Description
About the discipline
The objectives of the English department are to provide students with a solid foundation in British and American literature, competence in writing and a working background in the Greek and Roman classics. However, it is not enough merely to know what Matthew Arnold calls "the best that has been known and thought" in the literary field. For the Spring Arbor University English graduate, the study of the history of literature and of literature itself will be framed within a liberal arts curriculum and be accompanied by an emphasis on the integration of faith and learning and a call to critical application in the contemporary world. Therefore, students will be able to think broadly and critically, analyze texts from a Christian worldview and apply their knowledge and skills in whatever situations they encounter in their lives beyond the university experience.
Career opportunities
A degree in English prepares students specifically for careers in education, journalism and publishing. However, because the discipline is firmly rooted in the classics and in the liberal arts, it also prepares students for opportunities in more diverse fields that require a broad educational base, such as advertising, marketing, public relations and law.
Program strengths and emphases
Appreciation for good literature, acquisition of evaluative tools for literary analysis and competence in writing constitute the objectives of the English major. A study of British and American literature comprises the main part of the curriculum. Other courses emphasize the Greek and Roman classics, multi-cultural literature, the history of the English language and creative and advanced writing.
Notes for students certifying to teach
The English education major and the English education minor presently meet certification requirements for both elementary and secondary education. However, students certifying in elementary (K-5) and receiving an endorsement for the major/minor (s) for grades 6, 7, and 8 are strongly recommended to pursue the language arts major or minor, which includes a significant number of English courses.
Career options for English majors:
- Teach in elementary and secondary education
- Attend graduate school to teach in Higher Education or
- English as a Second Language
- Pursue the varied aspects of Word Delivery: Writing,
- Publishing, Broadcasting, and Library Science
- Work in Public Relations
- Pursue graduate work in Philosophy and/or Theology
- Complete a Law degree
- Trot the globe with a career in International Relations or Missions
- Engage in a text-related career in medicine, industry, or business
- Become a University Administrator