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W U Home What Can I Do With An English Major?
English majors learn skills of interpretation, explanation, research, and communication; these skills apply to several professional careers. Recent English majors have pursued careers in advertising, marketing, law, publishing, teaching, and business; many English majors also choose to pursue graduate or professional degrees. For more detailed information on our former students, see the English Department Alumni page.
Can I Get Credit for the AP Exam?
With a score of 3 or better on the AP English Composition exam you can get credit for English 1 (English Language and Writing). With a score of 3 or better on the AP English Literature exam, you can get elective credit in English equal to a college level class (3 credit hours). There is no AP exam equivalent for either English 100 (Introduction to Textual Study) or English 101 (Masterpieces of Literature).
How Big Are English Classes?
In general, English classes are quite small. 100-level courses in the major (Introduction to Textual Study, British Literature, American Literature, Advanced Composition) usually enroll about 12-20 students. 200-level courses typically have fewer than 15 students. Because of the high faculty to student ratio in the English major, our majors get a lot of personal attention from their professors.
What is the difference between English 1 and LAS, or
between English 1 and Masterpieces of Literature?
Both English 1 and the Liberal Arts Seminar are required elements of the first year experience. In English 1 students learn the skills of argumentation (including the process of revision) and critical analysis of written argument. This course also includes a discussion of how language works in argumentation and it introduces students to some of the principles of semantics. The Liberal Arts Seminar is a topic-based introduction to the skills of critical thinking, research, and oral and written presentation that students will use throughout their college and professional careers.
Masterpieces of Literature, unlike English 1, is a course based on literary analysis. Students in Masterpieces of Literature will write (and revise) several papers. In Masterpieces students will expand the writing skills they learned in English 1, and will practice making arguments based on textual evidence. The literary works read will come from a wide range of regional and historical literary traditions and will represent a number of genres.
For more information on Masterpieces of Literature, see the topic descriptions and sample book lists on the Masterpieces of Literature page.
