Language & Literature

Since scholars in the ancient world studied the Iliad, when Talmudic scholars studied the Torah, or as we translate the stories of indigenous peoples, the studies of language, literature, and cultures have been connected nearly seamlessly. Texts are alive in many media: the ways we build our homes, the ways we speak with each other, the ways we rear our children, the ways we approach the divine. In this department, we seek to maintain these connections and encourage the studies of the way we talk, write, think, create and live to enrich and inform one another in a challenging, nurturing and vibrant environment. If you like to read, write, listen, create as a community of poets, scholars, travelers and adventurers, this can be your academic home.

Graduates will think critically, express themselves clearly, research successfully and demonstrate an appreciation for the medium of language through a variety of writing experiences. Graduates of the department and general education students read and discuss masterpieces of Western and World literature, emphasizing how the works relate to the world in which they were created and how they relate to the reader and world today. Graduates of the department and general education students will have a concrete knowledge of authors and their literary works, understanding the author and work's place in the culture from which they arose and in the literary world as a whole. They will also learn how to think critically about the culture in which they live, effectively communicate themselves and their ideas to the world, and gain empathetic insight into other lived experiences through thoughtful interaction with the broad field of English literature.

Programs of Study

 

Majors

• Bachelor of Arts, English
• English Education
• Spanish Education

 

Co-Major

• Creative Writing

 

Minors

• Literature
• Professional Writing
• Spanish

 

See course requirements, available programs and details on course descriptions here.