A major in English prepares graduates for a number of careers. Three paths are common:

  • English leads readily to careers that put a premium on writing skills and on the ability to analyze complex human situations. In addition to the fields that have often been of first interest to English majors (writing and publishing, journalism, advertising, the film industry, public relations, and teaching), significant opportunities exist in the corporate world, in government and in nonprofit organizations such as those devoted to social service, the environment or the arts.
  • The Bachelor of Arts in English is usually essential to anyone expecting to do graduate work in English or to pursue a career as a teacher or a scholar in the field.
  • The Bachelor of Arts in English traditionally has been an important steppingstone to success in professional school, and many of our English majors choose this path. A significant number go on to law school, many to medical or business school, and some to nursing, journalism, social work or library school, as well as directly into the business world.