The study of English language and literature is central to an understanding of our culture and our relationship to it. Mastery of the English language is essential to all students at Texas A&M, no matter what their interests or profession. An awareness of our heritage as it is embodied in great literary works provides us with a sense of the traditions, ideas, and rhetorics that have shaped us and our world; it enables us to define ourselves and our values in relation to this valued past.

The Department of English offers students an opportunity to explore our linguistic and literary inheritance. Courses are offered in British literature, American literature, rhetoric and composition, creative writing, literary criticism, linguistics, and film. Students can discover the roots of the English language or learn about the latest linguistic theories. They can acquire the skills necessary to be a technical writer and editor or begin to learn the craft of writing poetry and fiction. They can explore the extensions and challenges to tradition found in women’s writing, ethnic literature, and postmodernist experimentation. Students also may explore literature in relation to the other arts and religion and culture, and investigate the global through studies in Asian, Africana, Caribbean, postcolonial, transnational and other literatures. The flexibility of the degree in English and the options available in the department enable students to pursue their own interests while acquiring important analytic and writing skills and discovering the riches of our literary heritage.

English graduates, with relevant minors or specialized courses outside English, may pursue careers in technical writing, editing and publishing, government service, public relations, personnel work, and advertising or administrative positions in business and industry. The program in English also provides excellent preparation for later professional training in law, medicine, business and the ministry, as well as for graduate work in information studies and in the humanities, including English. Supported by work in the College of Education and Human Development, the English program also may lead to careers in teaching or educational administration.